faking it

Writing a blog post on post holiday beauty, you would assume I would be talking about your typical skin care routine and hair treatments - well this is one instance where you shouldn't assume anything.

Following a holiday in the sun, you catch up with friends and show off your beautiful tan - wrong! Not everyone has this luxury.. 

So if you are one of the few who would love to be able to show off a tan to your friends or just like me you want to look less like you went away and  spent your time under a tree (which I did) then this tan is for you. The St. Tropez Dry Luxe Tanning Oil is the best tan I have used. Having been through a lot of fake tan I have used most graduals and instants you would find on the shelf in Boots. I have recently discovered what a lot of fake tan really meant when clearing out my bedroom.. 5 half empty bottles later I would still go right back to this tanning oil. However, avoid wearing it when you know you will be sweating a lot as it can rub off in patches - not hot.

I swear by St. Tropez, I find St. Moriz is a good cheaper alternative but I think if you have the money and don't want to worry about how the tan will sit on your skin/fade/blend then get yourself the the St. Tropez stands and shelves. I always thought all tan was the same as a youngster, it all did the same job and as a dancer I applied a lot of the stuff to get that subtle orange glow that goes so well with stage lighting. After switching tans every fading moment from instant to gradual, from mousse to lotion, from Dove to Boots own depending on the mood, or the special half price offer, for the past few years I have finally settled on my favourite brand for all of my tanning needs.

My mum uses the gradual to maintain her sunbed tan she catches so well and it leaves a lovely colour on the skin - no streaks or orange tint. The same goes for the instant mousse which I have been using for the past year, another advantage to this mousse is that it leaves a light colour after a shower. Now some may not want this and feel it stains the skin, if so I recommend using La La Madame Instant Mousse which is fairly resilient against light rain (light being the operative word there) and yet still washes off really well with a light exfoliation (no vigorous scrubbing necessary).

This tanning oil however is totally different, if you want to maintain a gorgeous colour for up to 10 days this is your best friend. Apply a light coat and give 8 hours to develop, it dries really quickly so you don't need to stand around nude yet the oil blends in really well giving the gift of absolutely no sign of streaks. Moisturise daily to maintain an even fade and you are laughing with your friends about how miraculous it is you finally caught a tan on your jolly hols!

Fake Tanning Tips:
1. Always use a mitt, no matter what type of tan - no streaks and no orange hands! And there are no excuses because they are cheap as chips..
2. Create a claw with your hand and brush the mitt lightly over the top to tan your hands with the remainder of the tan on the mitt
3. Let yourself dry...
4. Don't apply to peeling/burnt skin that might peel (without moisturising at least) to avoid patchiness
5. Use the remainder of the tan for your face, try not to use a full blob!

I also recommend the ever affordable options of the St Moriz collection. Alternatively I love Dove Gradual Tan as a daily tan application (I have used this before, during and after holidays before now to give myself a glow) or as a top up that smells divine. Rimmel Instant Tanning Lotion is a cheeky one to apply to legs and arms (maybe even chest ;) ) before a night out in any country and clean away in the morning before a trip to the beach.

howard's beauty stash

my little best friend, chloe howard is one of the most beaut ladies i know, so it is only natural that when I went to her house I completely raided her make-up and beauty stash! She called me nosey, I say I'm curious..

Once she showed me all her fave products I thought it only fair that I dedicate a post to her as planned... Showing off every single beauty secret and guilty pleasures she has in her stash! And here are her reasons for loving each and every one of them...

chloe cleanses...

Chlo's got many favourite products as you can see, she is like me. And so she has a lot of cleansing products, just like me she knows how important cleansing is for your skin and also your hair. 

On her hair she uses the Lush It's Raining Men Honey Rich Shower Gel for Body and Hair, which is like nothing I have ever smelt. It's definitely lush. Chloe loves this gel as a shampoo because the ingredients such as ginger and honey are naturally sourced from the rainforest and so it's all pure goodness unlike he previous shampoo's. 

Then she uses Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers Shimmering Colour Conditioner because she finds with this conditioner you only need a small dollop to get your hair lovely and soft and is cheap enough for her student budget. 

Even though the Lush shower gel is for hair AND body, Chloe loves to the vegan appropriate Original Sources Lime Shower Gel because it feels nice on the skin (and again it's naturally sourced and packed full of limes).

Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash from The Body Shop is Chloe's go to face wash because it is lovely and gentle on her pale and sensitive skin, and its really good for when she doesn't need or want any rough exfoliation. It also smells really nice and has the all important Vitamin E in it, healing any scars or blemishes and improving the skins tone.

Clean & Clear Exfoliating Oil Free Daily Wash  is perfect for Chloe's stash because you only need a little bit to exfoliate your face and know it's doing it's job. It's not too harsh and has no oil's in so you don;t end up with and oily complexion.

chloe moisturises...

There is one moisturiser that works miracles for Chloe's skin, it's Dove Nourishing Intensive Moisturising Cream. It seems that any issues or bad skin days Chloe has can be cured by putting this on and the next morning she wakes up a new woman. She says it makes her skin really greasy which worried her, but this probably means it draws out all the good oils in her skin to help moisturise and heal and dry skin or blemishes she has. Sounds bloody perfect if you ask me!

In the same line as her favourite Vitamin E Facial Wash is the Moisture Cream and Nourishing Night Cream. Loving them for their Vitamin E qualities, treating her skin to a little healing vitamin love.

And for her little hands, a woman by my own heart, with the Soap & Glory Hand Food. I love this for the marshmallowy fragrance. Chloe loves it because it's the best hand food she has ever had. And more relevantly, it's non-greasy unlike other hand creams.

chloe powders...

A secret wonder in Chloe's amazing stash of beauty goodies that totally took me by surprise (and I have to say I am going to invest) is the Lush Silky Underwear Dusting Powder. you heard right, powder for your knickers to make them silky and smell amazing even after you have washed them. Chloe pours it all over her knick knacks so they are super soft and pretty smelling, (and they slip off easily!)

For the rest of her body to keep it super soft she uses Johnson's Baby Powder (who doesn't love some talc!).

chloe treats herself, she tans, masks and oils...

To get a lovely natural build up tan Chloe uses the Sugar Baby Glow & Beyond Natural Tinted Self Tan Gloss that she annoyingly bought in Australia! But the link will take you to a place you can get it online ;) She likes this tan in particular because it is a really natural colour and tops most tans she has used (she has good experience with fake tans as she is a pale gal like me). It is really easy to apply, no streaks and you can apply before a shower and still have a lovely naturally looking tan afterwards! (Chloe recommends applying the night before a night out and showering the next day to stop yourself looking like your faking it!).

When having a pamper night we all love certain face masks. Chloe has a particular favourite that is the Strawberry Souffle Moisturising & Purifying Masque. Strawberry & Whipped cream fragrance and meant to soften and nourish your skin Chloe loves how her skin feels after 15 minutes in this bad boy!

Another Johsnon's baby product Chloe loves for treating her skin is the Johnson's Baby Oil with Camomile. Camomile is a lovely ingredient that has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory capabilities and this oil also locks in double the moisture. Chloe loves it because it's the perfect post shaving product to get the silkiest smoothest stems.

So there it is, the top picks of Chloe Howard's beauty stash! Next post will be my mums left overs and products she has sworn by since I can remember. (plus tips I learnt from her)

Bah bye :)

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