Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Tan Lotion - Review

I've always been a huge Palmers fan and absolutely love their body butter products and have been using them for years! I've even got my boyfriend hooked on their good old cocoa butter.

 Cocoa butter is without a doubt one of my favourite scents when looking for new products and definitely one I am always drawn too.

I am also a serial fake tanner!! Being a natural redhead (but my hair has darkened somewhat over the years) I obviously have your typical ginger skin - annoyingly freckly and pale. There is nothing I love more than laying out in the sun for 2 weeks solid, somewhere exotic and hot on our summer holidays trying to tan, but I really do just have to accept that even though I love the sun....it DEFINITELY does not love me back!! *sniffsniff*.

There probably aren't many brands of fake tan I haven't tried and tested over the years and I do 100% have my favourites (Fake Bake & Laurens Way I'm looking at you!!) but every now and then I like to mix it up a bit.

I've got to be honest gradual tanners aren't a product I am usually a fan of. I definitely started out with them at the beginning of my tanning experience (to ease myself in gently...or so I thought at the time!) but I'm often left thinking why bother tanning at all if you're not going to tan properly! I like it to be noticeable not barely there. However loving Palmers like I do I thought I'd pick up Natural Bronze Tan Lotion when I saw it on offer in Boots.

Image: Superdrug

I have to say I am really really impressed. Sometimes when I'm not planning any nights out in a while, or getting my legs out and generally being a bit lazy, I can't be bothered to properly fake tan - yes you heard it hear first, never thought id be saying that - so a gradual tan lotion is perfect for maintaining a slight glow but also only needs minimal effort.
Natural Bronze Glow is a moisturiser that develops into a subtle tan and can be built up over x number of days. Firstly unlike actual fake tan products gradual tanner tends to be white in colour, which makes it seem much more like a regular moisturiser. It also doesn't have your typical fake tan smell. Natural Bronze Glow does have a slight scent to it, certainly more than the regular cocoa butter product but equally its not unpleasant in the slightest. My boyfriend kept telling me i smelt like chocolate if that makes you feel better about the smell? ha! And you can definitely smell the cocoa butter running through it which also leaves a really pleasant smell.
Now I've just been slapping this on willy nilly after my daily showers, not thinking too much about it. I can't remember exactly how long I've been using it now, maybe a fortnight on and off but not once have i had any sort of streak. Each day I notice I am getting browner and browner, subtly and naturally. The colour is long lasting and fades very evenly. I've only needed to exfoliate a little around my ankles and elbows.

The top picture is after using Natural Bronze for a couple of days and the bottom picture is after a week. I think you can build up a really nice and natural, but definitely worthwhile, tan with little effort or maintenance. Maybe a winner?

Palmers Natural Bronze Tan Lotion retails at £5.35

Have any of you tried Natural Bronze Tan? I'd love to hear your opinion on it?

XOXO

** this post first appeared on my original blog Sparkle Bug which you can read here **

Palmers Butter Massage Lotion for Stretchmarks - Review

Like many other women, I expect, the dreaded word **stretchmarks** has definitely entered my head since finding out I was pregnant. In fact I think one of the first things I did, even before buying any teeny neutral clothes for Squishy, was go out and look for some lotions and potions to keep the stretchmarks under control.

 

I headed straight to Boots and one of the first products that caught my eye was the Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretchmarks.

I have always been a huge lover of the Palmers brand and am constantly using their original cocoa butter and gradual tanner so this was a natural choice for me.

 

                   

 

Palmers massage lotion for stretchmarks can be used all over the body and is designed especially for pregnancy stretchmarks. Palmers claim the lotion is "enriched with new Bio C-Elaste, pure Cocoa and Shea butters and Vitamin E" and with regular use it can help reduce the possibility of developing stretchmarks. Obviously this is a pretty broad claim and Palmers aren't promising to work miracles but any chance that this little bottle of magic could help prevent stretchmarks is a bonus right?

 

I bought this lotion when I was around 9-10 weeks pregnant so obviously I wasn't growing much of a bump just yet but I wanted to be prepared. I've only really started using it religiously since I turned 17 weeks and have really noticed my tummy stretching. I tend to use this every evening before bed on my tummy, sides, thighs and boobs or after I have had a bath.

 

And you know what? So far so good! Although the stretchmark lotion doesn't smell quite as delicious as the usual Palmers products it does definitely have the signature cocoa butter smell. It smells exactly the same as their Firming Butter if you have ever tried that? Still compared to Bio-oil (which I cannot stand the smell of!) and usual pregnancy products this is an absolute treat!

 

The lotion itself is a pale yellow in colour and very thick in consistency. It does take a little while to fully soak into your skin but it definitely does its job and leaves my skin feeling amazingly soft and supple so I really don't see waiting a little while to put my pyjamas on a problem.

 

Another great perk to buying Palmers pregnancy products is they are all: Hypoallergenic, Paraben Free, Phthalate Free and Dermatologist Tested. These are all things that are important to look for in body & beauty products but even more so when you are pregnant to ensure no nasties are being passed on to the baby.

I imagine Palmers massage lotion for Stretchmarks would also be perfect for relieving itchy and dry skin which I know is something a lot of women suffer with in pregnancy. Luckily I haven't had any problems with this so far but I am prone to dry skin so I'm sure it will come as the weather gets warmer.

I have been very very lucky and so far in my pregnancy I don't have any stretchmarks. My mum told me she didn't get any during any of her pregnancies either so perhaps good genes are my saviour but I definitely think lathering this product on my belly every night like it's going out of fashion has helped as well.

I love how it makes my tummy feel and it genuinely does seem like my skin has more elasticity & is more supple than before.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretchmarks comes in a handy pump bottle of 250ml and retails at £3.09 in Boots

Have you tried any magic lotions & potions to help with stretchmarks?

I'd love to hear your suggestions!

XOXO