Crazy for Corals!

I was very pleased to learn that coral is going to be bang on trend yet again this spring/summer. I adore this colour and think that it suits all - it has the ability to liven up paler complexions and looks fab against tanned skin as well.
So I'm out on a quest to find me some fab corals!
Here's a couple of corals that I've already managed to get my hands on:

Coral Nails

I love this shade! Got it at Boots from the Natural Collection, the shade is Antique Coral and I think it cost less than £2. Easy to apply & two coats are needed. I was so tempted to put this on my lips...just cause the colour is so great...just thought about how great it would be to have a lipstick in that shade - but don't panic - of course I didn't apply it to my lips!

Coral Clothes

Got this bright coral jacket while doing the weekly grocery shopping at Tesco: 

I'm sure that I'll get many opportunities to wear it throughout spring/summer here in Northern Ireland.

Tesco has been great for corals as I got this F&F dress from it last year: 

I haven't worn it yet but hoping to this year. It's a linen piece so it would be great for a hot summer - fingers crossed!

Coral Make-up

I've noticed that this Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef has been flying off the shelves...oh and look at how it matches the Antique Coral nail polish!

It's easy to apply, smooth, shiny and rich in colour. A great shade for spring/summer.


Light & Simple Coral Make-up

Cheeks: Ben Nye blush in Coral

Eyes: Smashbox Smashing Backlight Blush/Soft Lights Duo

Lips: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef

 Do you enjoy wearing corals?

Jillian Dempsey for Avon Professional Multi Pencil

Now you know how I love a multi-tasker...but hey who doesn't. A while back Avon released a creamy pencil with a lip & cheek colour at one end and an eye colour at the other. These are coordinated shades for the eyes, lips and cheeks which are supposed to help busy ladies achieve a complete day look using just one pencil. They come in three shades: Twice the Spice, Sugar Plum and Rose Petal. I own the Sugar Plum one which is basically a berry like pink shade for the lips and cheeks and a very light, pearly colour for the eyes.

I am very impressed with the lip/cheek part of the pencil as it has a very very smooth, creamy consistency and applies like a dream. I love using it as a lip liner as well as a lipstick. It goes on like buttah - I couldn't believe it. It feels very light on the lips and very moisturising.
This shade also looks sort of glossy on the lips so it's not just a flat colour. Works great on the cheeks as well and is long lasting on the cheeks. The lasting power on the lips isn't that great so be ready for frequent applications which isn't a problem considering how easily the colour goes on. This particular shade gives the lips a natural sort of 'just bitten' stain when wearing off.

I'm less impressed with the eye end of the pencil though. Unfortunately it doesn't offer the smooth application as it's lip/cheek counterpart. The eye colour tugs on the eyelids and thus makes application unpleasant. I also particularly don't like it as an eyelid colour and prefer to use it as a highlighter and also in the inner corners of the eyes.
I will probably get through the lip/cheek part of the pencil rather quickly and am keen on getting the other two shades as well - even if it's just for the lip/cheek colours - and who knows...perhaps the eye colours on Twice the Spice & Rose Petal will be easier to work with.
Fingers crossed!

Here's me sporting the Multi Pencil in Sugar Plum on my lips, cheeks and the inner corners of my eyes:

Gillette Venus Spa Breeze

A couple of days ago while doing my grocery shopping at Tesco I went to roam around the beauty product aisles the way I always do. Although I wasn't looking for anything in particular I did spot what seemed like an astounding bargain and the lovely packaging was just screaming out at me: take me, take me, go on, go on...and how could I resist seeing that this product was reduced from like £8 or £9 (can't really remember) to £2! Yes £2!!! So how could you possibly overlook such a deal.

The product which I am talking about is as stated in the title: the Gillette Venus Spa Breeze disposable shaver. It comes in a case which contains the razor and two refills. The case is very handy as you can store the refills inside it and it has a holder with adhesive attachments meaning that you can attach it to your bath or shower wall.

The handle has a rubber grip which is very easy to handle and not slippery in your hands. The razor itself consists of three blades and built in soap/gel bars which means that there is no need for shaving gel. When wet, the razor slips over the skin with great ease and releases a subtle scent. Skin feels silky soft after use.
The razor and the gel bars flex allowing for a closer and smoother shave that adjusts to any curves.

I have to say that I am over the moon with this product as it has turned shaving into a very pleasant experience for me instead of a chore. I love the fact that I no longer need to apply a soap or gel onto my skin prior to shaving - so it is quite time saving, plus I haven't experienced any nicking even when shaving in a hurry! The only downside to this product is that the gel bars do become a bit slimy and gooey so make sure to keep the razor out of the way of water between shaves.

I have yet to see how many uses I can get out of one gel bar as I've only used it now about 3 or 4 times - but I'll be sure to keep you updated.
Overall I am extremely pleased with this product and it really doesn't feel like you're using a razor!

Current Skin Care Favourites

I say current as being the beauty addict that I am I tend to vary my products and like to experiment. Here are my thoughts on the ones that I am liking and using at the minute on my normal/dry skin.

Cleansers
I've got two favourites at the moment.

The first one is the Loreal Perfect Clean Foaming Cream Wash.

I use the pink one which is for dry/sensitive skin types. It comes with a soft rubber scrublet. To use you just simply pop out the scrublet and slide it between the fingers, then apply some cream wash onto it, wet your skin and gently massage your face and neck using the soft, flexible scrublet. After use you just simply rinse the scrublet with warm water and replace back in the pack or should you prefer you may also attach it to your mirror or bathroom tiles. Prior to using the flexi brush on my face I like to use the cleanser on my eyes to firstly remove all my eye make-up. The cleanser lathers up really well and the scrublet feels great on the skin. My skin feels extremely clean and soft after use.

The other one which I like is the cream cleanser from the Essentielles collection by Vichy. 

Now I am aware of the fact that a lot of other bloggers have complained about this one as they seemed to have developed an adverse reaction to it but it's worked just fine for me.
The cleanser smells fab, lathers up beautifully and I adore the consistency of it - it just feels so silky and creamy. Does a great job of removing make-up and acts as a toner as well. My skin feels squeaky clean after use.

Exfoliator

Vitamin E Cream Exfoliator from The Body Shop

 I love this exfoliator. In fact it's the only exfoliator that I've been using on my face for a longer while now as it's so very creamy and gentle. The exfoliating beads are soft and hence not too abrasive which means that it doesn't feel harsh on the skin. Once washed off it leaves my skin feeling very soft, smooth & glowing.

Moisturisers

Also from the Vichy Essentielles collection, I have been using the facial cream for dry skin as a night time moisturiser only as it unfortunately doesn't contain an SPF. I find it to be light yet hydrating on the skin and I love the subtle rosy scent as well.

Avon Liiv Botanicals Vital Day Cream SPF20

Avon's Liiv Botanicals range is all about natural beauty. The products are a fusion of active plant extracts that are meant to revitalise the skin.

 They are:

• fragrance free
• dye free
• preservative free
• suitable for sensitive skin 
• contain green tea, fennel, flax seed & crape myrtle extracts

The day cream is a great product for spring/summer as it's very light and contains an SPF of 20. It goes on smooth, doesn't feel greasy and gets absorbed very quickly. It acts as a great base for make-up and has a nice fresh scent which reminds me a bit of cucumbers, hence it feels very refreshing.

Also new to the collection is the -

Essential Skin Repair

Avon says:

Delightful lightweight lotion helps renew, revive and nourish your skin over night, boosting clarity and helping restore youthful vitality. 

I've been using this lotion about 3 times a week and I use it in place of a night moisturiser. It feels very light and absorbs quite quickly which is great as I don't enjoy getting into bed with a greasy face. I'd say that it's a serum like product but unlike previous serums which I've tried this one doesn't seem to be making my skin feel tight - which is a good thing for me.
It makes my skin feel soft, firmer and it just looks healthy in the morning.

Liiv Botanicals Eye Cream SPF15 

Also a very light and gentle formula which absorbs quickly. The cream feels cool and refreshing. Although Avon states that it helps to reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles it has done nothing to banish mine. However, I still enjoy using it as it has a nice consistency and the SPF of 15 is an additional plus.

Avon's New Summer Must - Have item

Avon has just introduced a couple of summer must-have items one of which is the New Pro Brow Enhancer which is available in two shades: Light Brown & Dark Brown. The Pro Brow Enhancer resembles a concealer pen and has a rubber bristled tip as can be seen on the picture below -

Avon says: Enhance your brows to help them frame your face. Gently tinted gel helps define and control brows, whilst the micro-fibres fill in sparse areas.

Now I'm all into defining the eyebrows and that's exactly why I had very high hopes for this product & hence purchased both shades. The dark brown is a brown tinted gel containing dark brown fibres which look like tiny eyebrow hairs (kind of disgusting actually) & the light brown is a clear or a bit yellowish looking gel with very light micro-fibres.

To apply you need to turn the dial which will release the gel like formula and then you sweep it through your brows. The super-fine fibres suspended in light gel are meant to enhance the brows and keep them neat.

My verdict: Personally I just don't get this product and will be sticking with my good old eyebrow pencils, gel and shadow liners. I found this gel quite hard to apply and feel that the tip of the pen is no good for application as it just creates a mess. I ended up with very dirty looking brows. The light brown gel didn't do anything for my brows either apart from making them look wet. I will say though that the gel is quite long lasting as my dirty looking brows remained dirty looking throughout the day.
Momentarily I've put the product away and will probably give it another shot in a day or two...maybe I'll master the art of application or it will grow on me.
The special introductory brochure price for it is £5 but it will normally cost £6. 


Please let me know if you've tried this out and if I'm missing something here?

FAKE TAN: my picks

I grew up in South Africa where there was always a never ending array of sunshine. We were continuously bombarded with information regarding sun protection and keeping out of the sun between 11.00am - 4.00pm. In pursuit of the perfect tan I'd disregard all the warnings and do just the opposite - I'd tan without any protection and during the forbidden hours. Whenever I felt like I was just about to pass out all I had to do was just visualise myself with the perfect tan and that kept me baking.
Crazy!!!!!!! Yes I know - however, I have never ever used a sunbed in my life, have never ever considered using one and would absolutely never ever so much as go near one! So perhaps that compensates a bit for my past stupidity...ok maybe just a tiny bit.

These days things have changed. I live in Northern Ireland now so I hardly ever see the sun yet I do wear creams with an SPF of at least 15 during the winter months and higher in the summer.
I do not sunbathe any more - wouldn't be able to get a sun tan even if I tried - Northern Ireland is a great place for skin preservation:) The down side is that I can't seem to embrace being pale and interesting...I need that bit of colour to feel better.

So yes I am still trying to find that perfect tan in a bottle - and I'm sure that a lot of you would probably agree that it is quite hard. There are however a couple of them that I haven't given up on and keep going back to.

Here are my thoughts on some of my faves:

Fake Bake

Fake Bake gives a nice, intense natural looking tan that actually does look very realistic - it makes you feel like you've just come back from a holiday.
There is no horrible smell! If a tan gives off that unpleasant tell-tale "I've got fake tan on" scent then I give up on it straight away.
It's also easy to apply as the product itself is very dark and you can see where it's being applied. It doesn't streak and won't turn you orange. Although people say that they get a couple of days wear out of it, to me it is more of an instant or wash off tan as it seems to come completely off once I shower - which is a pity as it's pretty pricey. It comes as a mousse, lotion and spray - I've tried all three and they all provide equally good results. Perhaps this might seem obvious but do use the spray in the shower - I didn't the first time round as I thought that there wouldn't be too much overspray - boy was I wrong! I had to clean the whole bathroom including the floor, walls, furniture and tiles. You have been warned.


Vita Liberata Rich Silken Chocolate

Many celebs had been raving about this one and it was also used on the contestants from the last X Factor - you know Olly, Joe and Stacey - so I thought that I'd give it a go.
The product is also very dark in colour so it's easy to see where it's being applied. I love the consistency of the lotion as it's very smooth and so easy to distribute - probably one of the easiest fake tans to apply. Also a little product goes a long way.
It gives you an instant lovely chocolatey looking tan. It doesn't stink, I'd say that it's scent- free but if you place your nose close to your skin and take a sniff you'll notice that it actually has a very pleasant and fresh scent about it. It dries almost instantly, I'm usually able to get dressed right after application. Just as with Fake Bake it doesn't seem to stay on too well - usually just washes off in the shower. I do feel that it's a great tan for when you need a bronzed glow asap. In addition to this it doesn't seem to be as drying on the skin as other fake tanners tend to be.

St. Moriz Instant Self-tanning mousse

You've probably heard about this one as loads of people have been raving about it and comparing it to the much pricier St Tropez. The first time I noticed it on the shelves of my local semi-chem retailing for around £2.99 I dismissed it simply because I wasn't expecting much for that price. Luckily I came to my senses and purchased a bottle. I gave the mousse a go and then stocked up on more. I love this stuff and I love the price as well!
The mousse is easy to apply and gives you an instant colour which is a lovely and natural looking golden brown. It dries very quickly and doesn't smell. In fact it has a sort of fresh soapy scent to it. The other great thing about it is that it is longer lasting than the above mentioned tans as it seems to stay on for about 2 or 3 days or longer whenever I top up with a self-tanning lotion in between uses. The only down side to it is that I find it to be very drying on the skin. I can only put up with applying it two days in a row max and then I need to replenish lost moisture with a body oil or rich moisturiser. I wish to also mention that I get about 10 full body applications per bottle so this truly is an incredible bargain.

 Palmer's Gradual Tanning Moisturiser

This is probably one of my favourite gradual tanners. I love using it on a daily basis in order to maintain a healthy glow and keep my skin moisturised at the same time. It has the usual chocolatey scent to it and a creamy consistency. A couple of months ago I attended a spray tanning course. While waiting around for my turn to get sprayed a lot of girls would come up to me and tell me that my spray tan had come out great. They were really shocked to learn that I was still waiting my turn to face the spray gun and wanted to know what tan I had on. It was in fact Palmer's.

What are your favourite fake tans on the market? Please share!