Summer time, and the livin is easy...

Though getting a tan in Scotland isn't quite so easy! We had a week and a half of us being so warm we melted onto the pavements, then the torrential rain came out and we froze, gazing longingly at our abandoned maxi dresses and sandals. I even wore my uggs to work for three days! sigh


So I've given up on a real tan and have reverted to old faithful fake tan (it's better for your skin anyway). I normally slum it with St Moritz (£2.99) which does the trick, but being a beauty blogger and curious as to what's out there, I've tried a couple of other brands since. As you might have seen in my May empties post I had a Fake Bake tan I got on a deal from BuyaPowa. I did love it but it's expensive compared to St Moritz and wasn't THAT much better. So onto attempt no 2!

I got this free in my last SheSaid beauty box and was over the moon when I saw it! I'm sad to report I'm not quite as happy now. We got quite a big sample, which was great and it was the medium/dark shade which I was also fairly happy with. It's billed as an everyday moisturiser, so I figured it would be a bit like the Dove or Johnsons ones I've tried before and build up slowly. WRONG.

As you can see it just looks like a normal, unassuming body moisturiser, it doesn't smell like biscuits and it glides on nicely. The only problem is it's hard to tell how much you've put on or if it's all even as it soaks straight in and is sheer once smoothed out. The result is horrendous streaking. The tanning agent is great in that it develops over the next four hours, and I would say after four hours you already have a sun-kissed look, not a full tan but not my deathly pale shade of normality!

So I put this on once yesterday morning and at night saw how patchy and streaky it was, so in the evening applied more to the bits that needed topping up, thinking this would solve the issue. Oh Emma, how naive and hopeful you are. Look at the state of this:

I'm not a glutton for punishment and I don't have supermodel legs so please understand I have sacrificed myself in the name of science (well, beauty) in putting pics of my legs up here haha! I've also had to make them XL so you can see the lines properly!

Brown knee, random brown patch on side of calf, random brown patch near ankle, vague hint of tan everywhere else??? I honestly was so careful when putting this on, trying to smooth it out evenly to avoid this happening. I don't know if the pictures do the streaking justice, but it is really bad in real life. So, as I'm going to a wedding on Sunday, I'm going to have to scrub this all off and start again with St Moritz if I want to look bronzed. St Tropez 0 St Moriz 1

Little brown knees, streaky uneven legs. Woot woo!

Sorry if anyone out there loves this, it has put me off the whole range to be honest, though if I see the normal tanning products on a deal I could be tempted.

4/10 but only because it tans really quickly and doesn't stink

SheSaid Beauty Box June 2012

It's Beauty Box time again! My friend Claire at work, who sometimes reads this so hi Claire if you're reading, alerted me to the fact that this was due to arrive today, and we both got rather excited about the contents. I quite like the fact that SheSaid give you the chance to have a sneak peek at what you're getting before it arrives, if anything it makes the anticipation greater. So my lovely box arrived today:

I'm really happy with its contents, I've read loads of blogs bitching moaning about the fact that there have been lashes in quite a few of the SheSaid boxes but I love lashes so this makes me happy, I have a nice little collection which I intend to grow! Plus they're usually at least £6 for each set to buy so it makes the box worthwhile.

These are Let's Go Lashes in "Tease" which to be honest might not have been my first choice of  the lashes which were available, but this is a good thing as a lot of my lashes look similar. I'm really looking forward to trying these out. These are £8.95 normally.

Next up is an Elemis Spa@Home Bath Elixir. I love Elemis, I use their lip balm so was glad to see this. Tranquil Touch is a very warming scent, almost spicy and comforting. I can imagine soaking into this with aching muscles to relax. We got 50ml and it is £19.00 for 300ml.

Now isn't this a sight for sore eyes (and pasty skin)? This is the ideal time of year for us to get a tanning product, it was either this or the Perfect Legs spray which I believe washes off so for me this was preferable. I've thought about buying the full size product before, but for £14.30 I've always ended up getting full fake tan or another cheaper gradual tanner so this is great to be able to give it a try.

We then got a couple of smaller samples, Yardley seems a bit of an old-lady brand to me but this is a special perfume for the Jubilee, and I actually really like the smell, it's floral without smelling like a granny, and quite zesty too. Also, it's ony  £9.99 for100ml which is a massive bargain. Then a sample of Ginvera Green Tea BB Cream. From what I can find online, Ginvera is a company founded in Singapore, which will make this the first authentic eastern BB cream I will have used which is very exciting. Look at the cute packaging and instructions inside! Tap tap tap! (if you can't see it that's the writing around the girl's face)

I'll let you know how I get on with this! Last but not least Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream, which is worth £6.00 for this size. I don't like this at all, despite it being a multi-award winning product. It works fairly well as a hand cream, is very thick and does what it says on the tin. But my hands don't feel very soothed. My main problem, though, is that I DETEST the smell. It's a bit like the Neals Yard products, most of which I also hate, as they smell too strongly of essential oils. This has Lavender in, which I really like but the patchouli comes through far too strongly and it reeks!! I will be donating this to my mother.

Generally speaking, this was a really good box, even the hand cream works well just smells horrid! My 3 month subscription just ran out, and I think I will re-subscribe!

What did you get in your box and were you happy with it? xxx

She Said Beauty Box May 2012

Is there anything more satisfying that the doorbell ringing and seeing the postie there with a spanking new beauty box for you? If there is then I don't know it. How cute is the little note on the packaging?

I'm such a sucker for sweet things like that, it really made me smile :) So, onto the goodies inside! This is the box with all the samples laid out, there were three full size products, which I thought was great this time round. I'll just feature pics of my favourites.

I am in LOVE with the eyelashes, from the Vintage Cosmetic Company, a brand I had never heard of which you can find here. The site and design is super cute and girly, very glam and 50s which is adorable. I got the Gracie lashes, which come with enough glue to wear them a couple of times and I am saving them for a night out with the girls. Check them out:

There was also this cute soap, it's meant as a relaxing soap based on yoga scents and beliefs, the packaging is nice and well designed. Not what I would normally buy but I reckon it will be nice to use in the bath, maybe with my Umi bath soak.

Last pic is of an Inika Lip Whip in "Apricot", these retail for around £14.00 so I was very impressed to get a full size one in my box! I have heard alot about Inika, specifically the eyeliners, but never tried anything by them. The product is billed as being vegan, cruelty free and halal, amongst other things which is great. The gold and black box is timeless and very classy, and I always love being able to see how much product is left in the tube. This shade is almost bronze in colour and has a stunning metallic shimmer, it is smooth but not sticky and looks fab on. I'm a massive fan already.

We also got some samples from Snowberry, another brand new to me, which I have not tried yet, a sun lotion (the weather won't permit use of this for some time yet!) and a Kim Kardashian perfume rollerball. Firstly the rollerball would not work, the packaging is very TOWIE and the perfume smells like you are being smothered with pot pourri. AVOID. So, have any of you received this box and if so what is your take on it?

She Said Beauty Box April 2012

Beauty boxes are something I have been very cynical about, especially after reading many people's disappointed reviews of particular months where they have felt a little cheated. So I did my research and stumbled upon a good deal for She Said Beauty Box, where I'm pretty sure I got a three month subscription for about £27.00 including postage.

My first box arrived recently and I must say I'm quite impressed! A gorgeous turquoise box with magenta paper hid away goodies nestled on straw. They even sent us all a Lindor egg for Easter (shameless chocolate bribery). There's a handy little guide included, and if you review the products on their website you get points towards a free box!

In this months box we all got a Mischa Barton lipgloss which was about as memorable as the actress herself (I've lost it already), a Filthy Gorgeous nail varnish which looks good but is a sort-of blood red colour so I will be keeping for Autumn, a selection of Comfort Zone products, a face scrub which smelled ODD, an Erno Laszlo selection and an AMAZING Bellapierre shimmer powder.

It really is gorgeous, and worth £12.99 new so really paid for itself. The shade "Champagne" would suit any complexion, the powder is really finely milled but still highly pigmented. There is nothing worse than chunky bits of glitter all over your eyes, and this just gives a beautiful glowy finish.

Comfort Zone- meh. Nice packaging but I broke out in reaction to the scrub and one of the creams, as did another reviewer on their site. Avoid.

Erno Laszlo: I very nearly fell in love with all these products, which are named after Hollywood screen sirens, especially the Ava Gardner eye cream, but the samples were a little too small and the RRP extortionate (from £85.00)! But hey, Erno, if you have any spares kicking about, sling them my way.

All in all a great box, I will probably do a full review of the BellaPierre shimmer powder at some point. For more info on SheSaid Beauty Boxes, and what's in this box, click here.
7/10