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 **

Benefit "They're Real" mascara - Review

I know there are a million reviews for this product already out there but as it's probably my absolute favourite and most used product in my make up bag I couldn't not do it! Plus it's been a while since I've done a beauty review.

Benefit's "They're Real" Mascara was a total game changer in the beauty industry. I honestly don't think there has ever been such a big hype around a mascara. Everybody has either tried this mascara or knows somebody who uses it. 

Even the advertising on the packaging speaks for itself. 

- 94% of people saw dramatic length and volume 

- 90% of people saw base to tip curl

- 94% of people saw visible lift

- 100% of people saw long wearing results (100%!!!.... That is crazy!)

I completely and utterly adore this mascara and wouldn't dream of using anything else now.

I completely agree with every claim Benefit make. When I use They're Real my lashes are longer, more curled, lifted and this mascara really does last all day. If it can handle one of my 13hr flights at work then it's a winner in my opinion.

Even though it's super long lasting They're Real is still really easy to remove and a light swipe with a make up remover wipe will remove all traces.

The tube is gun metal colour and even though it contains 8.5g of product it still appears quite compact and delicate. The mascara just looks so stylish and sleek and would fit perfectly into any makeup bag. 

The wand is also perfect for the type of application I like. It is flexible enough but not too bendy. It has short spokes in a comb style, perfect for applying the product to the length of your lashes and then the sphere shape at the end means you can reach even the teeniest smallest lashes in each and every corner of the eye.

I've always used They're Real in the shade Beyond Black which is very very black which I love but it is now available in Beyond Brown and Beyond Blue aswell.

Above is my left eye with no makeup and the bottom picture is my right eye with just one coat of mascara.

They're Real mascara retails at £19.50 which is obviously a little pricier than your average high street mascara but I definitely think it is worth the extra spend. Benefit products are amazing quality and They're Real in particular lasts forever. 

If you haven't already tried this life changer of a mascara I highly recommend you do. It can be found at any Benefit counter or online here

I'd love to know what you thought of They're Real?

XOXO

MUA Matte Perfect Shine Control Foundation - Review

Since finding out we were expecting a baby back in December G and I have definitely been looking for ways to cut back and make savings. Sadly that seems to have hit my wardrobe and beauty purchases the most!

On the plus side though it has encouraged me to try new cheaper products and brands that I wouldn't necessarily have looked twice at before.

MUA are a makeup brand that I have been really impressed with in the past. They are without a doubt the cheapest brand on the high street with plenty of items for just £1 each. I own so many of their products, nail polishes, lipsticks, blushers, eyeshadow, mascara and have always been really pleased with the quality - especially for the price! You can read my previous product reviews on my old blog Sparkle Bug here.

Funnily enough their foundation is probably one of the only products I haven't tried.

I'll admit, I am a bit of a foundation snob! I love my MAC Studio Fix fluid, especially as I can usually pick it up in America a lot cheaper but after I finished my last bottle, with saving pennies on my mind, I thought it was time to try a budget foundation.

I went for MUA Matte Perfect Foundation.  I generally like pretty high coverage foundation and definitely prefer a matte finish over the dewey/glow look so the description sounded pretty spot on for me.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Baring in mind that this foundation costs a 10th of the price of my usual MAC one it certainly wasn't the worst product I've ever used. I picked up the shade natural which is the lighter of the two shades available (the other is Almond). So obviously the selection of shades isn't very good and I do think it's important for a brand to offer a decent number of foundation shades to chose from. Women's skin tones definitely cannot be categorised into just two different colours!

That being said natural is actually a great colour match for me. I've found it easy to layer under bronzer on a pale day, or over fake tan on a darker skin day and it's super blendable. A little of this product really does go a long way, I'd say I've been using it regularly for at least 3-4 months now and it's only just beginning to run out.

The consistency of the foundation is better than I would expect for the price. It is quite thick and good coverage which can often be a problem with cheap foundation and I've often found products too runny for my liking. The only downside to Matte Perfect foundation I would say is the longevity. Throughout the day you do need to touch up your makeup so it's not ideal for nights out where you may be looking for a product that is more long lasting.

To be totally honest I haven't noticed any particular mattifying qualities about this foundation, and that is supposed to be the main selling point....but it definitely doesn't leave me looking greasy or shiny which is always a good thing.

For the absolute bargain price of £2....yes you did read that right!! This foundation is definitely worth a try and probably something I will be repurchasing while on maternity leave and watching the spending.

MUA products are available in Supersrug or online at www.muastore.co.uk

Have you tried any MUA products?

XOXO

Seventeen Brow's That Brow Kit - Review

For a while now I've been trying everything in my power to get my hands on one of the illusive MUA Brow Kits which are simply sold out absolutely everywhere! Soo I was thrilled to see that if you spend £8 on Seventeen makeup in Boots at the moment you get their brow kit (worth £6) for absolutely nothing! Got to love a freebie!

I've been wanting to try out Seventeen's Stay Time foundation (review to follow shortly) for a while now so I was already looking to buy that so I simply bumped up my spend with a nice clear top coat nail polish for £2.99 as I seem to have run out of all of my top coats at the moment and keep forgetting to pick one up.

I was thrilled to see this little kit included everything I wanted in the MUA one...and more!

 

 

 

The packaging is so sleek and shiny I was instantly drawn in like the magpie I am. It doesn't take much trust me!

To be honest I think this brow kit contains absolutely everything you could need to transform your brows completely. There does seems to only be one shade available which isn't ideal but I am pretty fair and its absolutely fine on me so if you were after a darker brow you could definitely build the colour.

 

 

The brow kit contains: a wax, powder, highlighter, mini pencil and mini brush.

They also include a handy hints & tips card to assist any nervous brow artists. I think this is a great idea and it's definitely something I would have appreciated the first time I filled my brows in.

 

 

I know the kit doesn't come with mini tweezers like some brow kits do but lets face it, that's probably the one thing you already own if you're particular about your eyebrows and it's always better to have slanted tweezers, which the ones included in little kits very rarely are.

I really do love this kit and have been using it daily since I bought it.

Which brow kits do you recommend?

XOXO

 

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

Oriflame Triple Core Lipstick Trend Edition - Review

One purchase I've been meaning to review for a while but just havent got round to it is the Oriflame Triple Core Lipstick. For those of you who havent heard of Oriflame they are basically the Swedish version of Avon except you cant buy products directly from their website like you can Avon, you have to go through a sales representative so products can be tricky to get hold of if you're not in Sweden. Again you can always find most things on eBay (I really should work for them promoting I rave about eBay so much!!) and I was lucky enough to know a few fellow air hostess that sold Oriflame so we'd always have a good browse through the catalogue on our tea breaks.



L-R: Coral Trend, Berry Vogue, Catwalk Red, Fashionista Pink & Explosive Pink

 Triple Core Lipstick caught my eye in particular. Oriflame claim it is "the world's first triple core lipstick fusing caring balm, passionate colour and dramatic gloss into one. The result is lips that are softer, more beautiful and more impactful than ever before." So the idea is that the lipstick is made up of 3 separate componants, an inner gloss core, a bright pigmented lipstick middle and an outer tinted balm. Think ombre effect lips...something I was very interested to see and try.

 

You can now get the Triple Core Lipsticks in the original form, trend edition and 3D I purchased Coral Trend which is one of the Trend Edition. Not going to lie, mostly because I liked the pretty floral packaging and I was looking for a nice coral shade which unusually the original and 3D ranges didn't seem to offer.

When swatched the lipstick is pretty true to colour and gives good pigmentation. You can definitely see lighter shades through it though and the shimmery gloss in the core of the lipstick is clear.

I couldn't seem to get a good photo of the lipstick on my lips, or at least one that showed the ombre effect true to life. I think it was the flash or something so I left it to the (pretty blurry!) promo shots. But honestly the lipstick really does come out like this! I am so so impressed with it. It did take a couple of layers with blotting in between to get this effect but I definitely got there and to be honest I love it! The coral shade is such a gorgeous summery colour and can be matched with pretty much any outfit.

 

The pigmentation isn't instantly great but you can definitely build up to the colour you want with a few layers. Overall the lipstick went on really smooth and creamy and lasted a good 4+ hours before I had to touch up which I definitely look for in a lipstick.

The Triple Core Lipstick Trend Edition range retail at £5.95. You can explore the rest of the Oriflame range online here

Have you purchased any Oriflame products before? Would you recommend them?

XOXO

 

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

Lauren's Way Self Tanning Lotion in Darker Than Dark - Review

I just realised that despite always mentioning what a fake tan hoarder I am, I'm actually yet to post on what seems to be my favourite subject! Crazy right?

Being a natural redhead with pale skin a tan has always always been something I wish I could get naturally (especially when my boyfriend pretty much goes black everytime we go on holiday *jealous doesn't even cover it!*)....but I'm very slowly and begrudgingly coming to the decision that this isn't ever going to be happen for me so I have been a fake tan superfan for as long as I can remember now. For this reason I am always looking for new fake tans to try & test, always looking for a smoother application, better smell, richer tan etc..

 

 

For those of you that have some how avoided the TOWIE phenomenon Lauren's Way is the beauty company created by one of the original stars of reality tv series The Only Way is Essex, Lauren Goodger. Although as far as I'm aware Lauren's Way only started out selling fake tan, you can now purchase dream rollers, hair extensions, big buns and false eyelashes, while fake tan is now stocked in salons nationwide. Lauren also offers an "Essex Angels" service where her team of trusted beauticians come out and get you ready for your big night out - very useful if you happen to be in the Essex area. You can find out more about Lauren's Way on the website here

Lauren's Way self tan comes in the following variations:

Medium (mousse & lotion), Dark (lotion), Glam Tan (spray), Darker Than Dark (mousse & lotion) Instant Wash Off lotion & Gradual Tan lotion. Being the tan obcessive that I am, I of course opted for Darker Than Dark. I always go for Dark tone fake tans as it is so anything that claims to be able to make me even dark than that is definitely something I was interested in. I always pick lotion over mousse (although it used to be the other way round) because I think I get more use from a bottle of lotion, might be entirely in my head! haha and I find lotion much easier to work with and rub in streak free. Again since I first started using fake tans they have come on a long way and don't really tend to streak anymore no matter how slap dash you are when you slap it on, but still better to be safe than sorry eh?

 

 

On swatching Darker Than Dark does seem very very dark but don't let this put you off. I always find fake tan appears much darker on the mitt/gloves than on the skin for some reason and once you rub it in it will be much less intimidating I promise. This tanning lotion is a rich mahogany colour which on application is so smooth and creamy. With other tans in the past I've found that you have to work the product in really quickly before it dries and is stuck wherever you put it but Darker Than Dark is really easy to work with and I didn't feel the need to hurry when rubbing it in at all. Saying that it did apply evenly without a lot of effort due to the creamy moisturising texture which is always a good thing.

My absolute favourite thing about this product has to be the smell. It is a simply amazing and exotic citrus/orangey scent which makes a very welcome change from any tanning product I have ever used in the past. My boyfriend usually hates me getting into bed with the smell of fake tan on me & in the sheets but even he admitted this fragrance was pretty scrummy. Even when tans are designed to be scented and escape the well known 'biscuit' smell I always find that once they begin to develop and have been left on for a few hours the usual smell starts creeping back in. Darker than Dark really didn't do this! On application it smelt of oranges, lying in bed it smelt of oranges and when I woke up 9hrs later to shower it off it still smelt of oranges. I was really impressed and refreshingly surprised - big big attraction to Lauren's Way in my opinion!

 

 

To be completely honest this only aspect of this tan I am slightly disappointed with is the result. When you first apply the product you are left with this rich, strong, mahogany tan and after leaving it to develop overnight (which I always do) and rinsing it off the colour fades pretty dramatically. Don't get me wrong you are still left with an awesome golden tan but the name suggests this would be particularly Dark and I don't think it's any darker than a normal medium/dark tan would be. Maybe I was expecting too much?

 

I am still very happy with the results and will definitely be using Lauren's Way products again and recommending them to my friends and family, if for nothing other than the fantastic smell. I just don't think Darker Than Dark is an accurate description of the finished look. Although I can easily apply the tan a couple of times to get my desired look I guess I was hoping for a super dark finish with one easy application.

Darker Than Dark lotion blended effortlessly, left me with no streaks or patches at all and left my skin feeling incredibly soft and moisturised which again is rare with any tanning product - definitely going to be adding this product to my drawer of go to tanning lotions.

 

Have you tried any of Lauren's Way products?

Will you be trying Darker Than Dark tanning lotion?

XOXO

 

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

DVA Beautique Natural Eyelash Extensions - Review

Not too long ago I found a great deal on Groupon for eyelash extensions with DVA Beautique at Westfield Stratford and today was the day I'd finally managed to get an evening appoinment and was booked in for.

I had never heard of DVA Beautique before I booked but after doing a little research I discovered they are one of those pop up stalls in the middle of the shopping mall where you can get your eyebrows threaded, lash extensions, lash tinting and semi permanemt makeup. They have a branch in the Westfield Stratford shopping centre and one at Westfield City (Shepherds Bush).

The Westfield Stratford branch that I went to is located on the first floor by La Senza and H&M. The stand was busy which I always think is a good thing and a nice lady seated me and gave me a new customer questionnaire to fill in - questions re any allergies and such.

Now I bought the deal which gave me their Natural eyelashes which are normally £55, I paid £19 so was considering it as quite a bargain. 

As it turns out natural lashes are much more natural than I imagined. There are no photos of natural lashes on their website, only the standard full set which was a bit misleading and to be honest I am one of the girls that likes big lashes, the bigger the better so I was already assuming anything that used the word natural wouldn't be to my taste.

The lash extensions took around 15mins to apply, as advertised and I would say an extension is applied to every 3rd or 4th lash, rather than every single one like you would get with a full set of eyelashes. I do however still like the overall outcome and for a natural everyday look these lashes are perfect. I would say my eyes now look like i already have a couple of layers of mascara on and a little bit longer - when I actually can have no eye makeup on at all. I'm finding this really handy day-to-day and to be honest I can get away with being abit lazy and not having to do my eye makeup on the train every morning like I have been doing previously. 

The lashes have been on for a couple of days and are still going strong, I don't think I've lost a single one yet but I will keep you posted on that. They are supposed to last up to 2 weeks so we shall see. In comparison to other semi-permanent lash glue I have previously used I am hopeful though. These do seem very stuck.

With lash extensions on the left - before lash extensions with no makeup on the right

 

If I was going out for the night I would apply more lashes and makeup but as I said I do like the over the top fake look.

Ultimately do I like these eyelash extensions? YES. Were they worth £19? Most definitely. 

Would I recommend DVA Beautique? Absolutely. Check them out for yourself here

 

Have you tried eyelash extensions? Any hints or tips for me?

XOXO

** this post originally appeared on my previous blog Sparkle Bug **

Seventeen Stay Time Foundation - Review

I'm really not sure how it has taken me so long to get this review up because I cannot stop raving about this product!! You may have already seen my review on Seventeen Brow's That brow kit which I was thrilled to received for free because I spent over £8 on Seventeen products, one of which was their Stay Time foundation which I have been dying to try out for ages after hearing nothing but good things!

Stay Time is Seventeen's latest foundation release and is designed to be a full coverage foundation - which although I probably don't always need full heavy coverage I simply love the look of and my aim is always to create a totally flawless matte finish. "Dewey/glowing" skin is definitely not for me!

As the name suggests the whole idea of this product is that the foundation stays in place for a long long time, and boy does it! I really am so impressed with the staying power of this foundation. I always feared I would never find a foundation that lives up to my beloved MAC Studio Fix Fluid in the longevity stakes and I've never found a drug

store foundation that can last an entire night out without needing to be reapplied....until now! Seventeen claim that Stay Time can stay put for up to 25 hours, now I don't know about that because I don't tend to leave my makeup on for that long but it definitely stays put perfectly for an entire day/night which is plenty long enough for me.

The formula of the foundation is very thick and gloopy, which in my eyes is a good quality and usually means it will give the full coverage look that I like. It does dry pretty fast once applied so you do have to work it in quickly and use a little at a time. I have only been using the foundation on its own, with no primer underneath because I think my face may feel a little too heavy and overloaded with product (and that is definitely a first for me to say!) if I did use primer too, but I can only imagine the foundation would last even longer on the skin and appear even more flawless than it already does if you did chose to use a primer.

 

A feature that I absolutely adore with this foundation is the twist/lid/lock feature (not sure what to call it really?) but basically when you aren't using the product you twist the lid and it becomes locked so that the pump cannot be used and no product can be lost in your handbag! - another pet hate of mine where drug store foundation is concerned. Not to mention that having a pump to begin with is a nice perk these days as I do hate having to purchase a MAC pump separately with my Studio Fix, you would think that spending £21.50 on foundation would warrant a free pump but apparently not?

 

I purchased Stay Time in the shade Fair which actually is in the middle of the scale. It is also available in Porcelain, Soft Ivory, Natural, Biscuit & Honey

 

I would 1000% recommend this foundation if you like a flawless finish and full coverage. It is definitely my new Studio Fix replacement for when my bank balance can't quite stretch to MAC.

Stay time can be found in all drugstore for £6.49

 

Have you tried Stay Time?

Have you found any other full coverage/long lasting drug store foundations?

XOXO

 

** this review was first posted on my previous blog Sparkle Bug here **