ST TROPEZ GRADUAL TAN EVERYDAY TINTED BODY LOTION

The St Tropez In Shower Gradual Tan is one of my most popular blog posts. I’m not a big tanner but I do like a gradual bit of colour, especially if I’m going away or if the weather is nice enough to get my legs out. The newest Gradual Tan to St Tropez's collection is the Gradual Tan Tinted Body Lotion. The tinted moisturiser gives an instant hint of bronze to illuminate the skin. You can gradually build this up to create a sun kissed glow. I have been applying this twice a week to build up the colour, but you can use this daily as it instantly perfects the skin and blurs imperfections. In the photo above it shows before and after one application and I think you can really see a difference straight away. I like to still use a tanning mitt with this product as it comes out bronze so you can see where you’re putting it, but the directions say you can use your hands. It’s lightweight and hasn’t gone streaky on me at all. The tan has a new mood-boosting fragrance, which isn’t overpowering at all but I can smell it from time to time throughout the day. I like to leave it a few minutes before doing anything else, but it is quick-drying and you can see an instant difference in your skin tone. The formula seems to be thicker than other tans I’ve tried from St Tropez but this means my skin is hydrated for longer which I like. I’m quite pale but I’m sure this would work on all different skin tones. I can see myself going through this tube quite quickly as the lotion is so thick. If you were applying this every day it could be an expensive buy at £15.00 a bottle, but topping it up every few days is definitely worth it. Or you could alternate between the In Shower version, which I think I might start doing before my holiday. I’m really impressed with the natural colour and it’s nice that you can build it up over time, instead of a full blown tan. I have also found that because I’ve been exercising more regularly it doesn’t come off when I sweat or transfer onto clothing or towels. A couple of people have even commented on my skin tone and have said it looks like i've just been on holiday, which definitely is a mood changer.

It would be great if you could get a miniature version of this product to take away with me! I think Marie Claire were reading my mind as they are giving away a free sample of this product in June's issue, which I need to get my hands on! I will definitely keep topping up the colour, I especially like the way it looks on my arms and legs. I would absolutely keep using this after my holiday too, to top up the tan! I’ve seen emails about a darker shade of the In Shower Gradual Tan coming soon, so I would be interested to try that when it comes out. Another winner from St Tropez!

What’s your favourite St Tropez product?

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CHLOE EAU DE TOILETTE

Chloe Eau De Parfum has always been my favourite, signature perfume. I have tried most of the fragrances from the Chloe line and I’ve liked them all, some more than others. I have been through a few bottles of the original scent, but have been without it in my collection for a while now. I had moved on to other things and really got into See by Chloe Eau de Fraiche which I have recently used up, I really need to repurchase it. After Christmas I saw on the Debenhams website the Chloe Eau de Toilette gift set on offer for £30.00. I had £5.00 to burn on my Beauty Club reward card, so for me it was a no brainer. A 50ml perfume and a 100ml body lotion for £25.00, you can’t really go wrong, the perfume alone costs £58.00.

Chloe scents are always delicate, iconic and centre around roses. I sprayed it once and was so pleased it was back in my life. I’ve never had the Eau De Toilette version but I love it. I believe the Eau de Toilette has been reworked and this version was released last year as an update. The Eau de Toilette is lighter and softer but still has the same gorgeous scent as the Eau De Parfum. Chloe is known for being a fresh and feminine fragrance and when I smell it, I know the scent straight away. The fragrance has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon and Magnolia. Heart notes of White Rose, Gardenia and Rose Buds and Base notes of Cotton Flower and Musk. I think I like it so much because Bergamot has to be one of my favourite scents. I think this is the perfect fragrance to wear as we come into Spring and is great as an everyday scent. I find Chloe perfumes so long wearing on my skin and original Chloe stays around all day. I love the classic packaging, this version comes with a white ribbon instead of the original pink one. I have seen that they have just released the Eau de toilette of Chloe Love Story, so that will be next on my list.

What's your favourite Chloe fragrance?

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LUSH VALENTINE'S DAY LOVER LAMP BATH BOMB

My last post was all about the Lush products I picked up this year for Valentine’s Day, one of the ones I had to try first was the Lover Lamp Bath Bomb. This bath bomb is not the most exciting to look at, but the red heart shapes in the white bomb are very cute. This bath bomb contains Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute and Brazilian Orange Oil. Everybody said this one smelt like Chocolate Orange but to me it was very subtle a little bit like Vanilla, maybe I didn’t get a strong scented one. Once the bath bomb hits the water, the bath turns to a milky white shade. At first lots of little red heart confetti comes out of the bomb and then as it dissolves some more three bigger red cocoa butter bath melt hearts come out and float on top of the water. I massaged these into my skin as they took ages to melt. I used the Prince Charming shower gel in my bath as well, which has to be one of my favourite shower creams I have tried from Lush so far. It turns my bath into a pale creamy pink colour which looked lovely. It felt really moisturising on my skin and was like I was in a bath of silk, this would be great on all skin types. It was such a nice bath to relax in, it dissolved really quickly but the hearts made it feel luxurious and reminded me a bit of the Yognog or Star Dust bath bombs from Christmas. It might have been nice if a different colour came out of the middle of it, but I enjoyed it as it is. This ballistic is priced at £3.95 each and I definitely think it’s worth it as you are getting the bath bomb and bath melts in one. I wish I had picked up a few more of these, they’re now out of stock online but I’m sure they will have a little stock left in bigger Lush stores and they still have some of the Valentine's range still online. Hopefully it will return next year! I’m looking forward to the new Easter products coming soon and hitting Lush Oxford Street next week.

What was your favourite product from the Valentines range?

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LUSH VALENTINE'S DAY COLLECTION 2016

I rarely buy anything from Lush’s main range, but when it comes to their seasonal collections I have to try everything! It seems like their Christmas collection has just left the shops but the Valentines range has been available for a few weeks now. My bathroom is still stocked up on Lush Christmas items, but it’s nice to treat yourself to the Valentines items if you haven’t got someone to treat you. Soon the Mother’s Day and Easter ranges will be hitting the stores, I have seen a few photos and they excite me a lot, but I should really use what I’ve got before treating myself to any more.

The first thing that caught my eye from the collection was the Kiss a few frogs Knot Wrap (£4.50). I must admit I don’t have too many knot wraps, I missed out on the Christmas Snow Angel one but they’re great to store loose Lush items in as online items don’t come in packaging. I love the cute design and the bright neon colours. This knot wrap has been created in partnership with Arthouse Meath and re-wrap. Arthouse Meath is a social enterprise showcasing the talents of those living with severe epilepsy, learning difficulties and physical difficulties, drew the charming design then re-wrap – a women’s co-operative from Mysore, India – provided the fabric.

A release that I tried last year is the Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar (£4.25). This year it has come back slightly different, with added lustre and without the stars. This bubble bar has a relaxing lavender and neroli scent and creates lots of fragrant pink bubbles. I prefer the appearance of last year’s unicorn horn but that bath water is definitely a nicer pastel unicorn colour. I can get about two-three baths out of one unicorn horn.

A new Valentines Bath Bomb is the Lover Lamp Bath Bomb (£3.95). This bath bomb contains fair trade organic cocoa butter so it’s really moisturising on the skin. It has butter hearts which slowly melt and soften you to leave you with silky skin. The scent combines fair trade vanilla absolute and Brazilian orange oil so it smells just like a chocolate orange. The bath turns a milky colour and the scent lingers on your skin which I really like.

Not a Valentine’s Day exclusive, but one I’ve wanted to try for a while now is the Rose Jam Bubbleroon (3.75). I love the Rose Jam shower gel and I’ve seen a few demonstrations of the giant pink bubbles this product creates so I wanted to try it for myself. I think this is the first bubbleroon I’ve tried, but the design is really cute! This bubbleroon contains; lemon, rose and geranium oil so it will help perk you up as well as containing Fair Trade cocoa and shea butter which leaves your skin feeling and smelling lovely. This is definitely a new favourite and one I will be repurchasing, I will have to try out the other bubbleroons.

I also picked up a 250g bottle of Prince Charming Shower Cream (£9.75) which I haven’t tried before. I really like the scent of this, it contains fresh pomegranate juice and grapefruit oil. It also contains marshmallow root, Fair Trade vanilla pod and Fair Trade organic cocoa butter which softens the skin. I was a bit worried the texture would be as thin as the Lord of Misrule Shower Cream, but this scent is much thicker which is great when you want to foam up the product.
Also in the Valentine's Day collection is a gorgeous looking soap which I didn't pick up called Roses all the way, which is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. They also have The Kiss lip gloss and lip scrub and of course a few lovely looking gift sets, the Lots of Love gift set is just stunning!

What’s your favourite Valentine’s Day Lush product?

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MITONIA - BEAUTE MEDITERRANEA COSMECEUTICALS SKINCARE

Mitonia is not a company that I had heard of before, but when I started doing my research I was excited to try them out for myself. Mitonia is a new company, devoted to cosmetics and perfumes and has a number of brands they have selected for their consumer. Mitonia is the distribution link between the brand and the consumer, taking into account trends and what the consumer has to say. Beaute Mediterranea is one of the brands and the only brand products I have tried from Mitonia. Beaute Mediterranea is a Spanish laboratory led skincare brand which products are formulated with active ingredients to get the best out of your skin. The brand has paraben-free cosmetics and are new to the UK market.

 I picked out some products based on my oily skin tone, the Regenerative line seemed to be most suited to me. I was really excited to try the Beaute Mediterranea Micellar Cleansing Water (200ml £20.00). I am a big fan of Bioderma and use a micellar water as my first cleanse before I go in with a full cleanser most evenings. I’m always looking for an alternative and trying what else is out there in the market. The cleansing water is formulated with marigold and elder floral water and snail secretion extract, which leaves the face free from impurities and can be used in the morning as well as the evening. The snail secretion part put be off a little, but I know it is used in quite a few beauty products for its collagen, glycolic acid properties and other compounds that regenerate skin cells. I’m really enjoying using this product so far, I normally just use it in the evenings before my evening cleanse and just put a small amount on a cotton wool pad and sweep it over my face. The micellar water gets rid of most of my make-up and feels refreshing on my skin. The cleansing water seems to make my skin look a lot clearer, as well as calming down any redness I have. I like the floral scent, but it's not too overpowering on my skin.

The other product I got to try out was the Beaute Mediterranea Snail Cream (50ml £34.00).  This cream is formulated with organic certified snail slime extract rich in allantoin, collagen, elastin and other micronutrients to help moisturise, soothe and attenuate skin blemishes. It combines aloe vera and marigold extracts with UV filters that ensure an active skincare. I also apply this one in the evenings after cleansing my skin and gently massage in it until it’s all absorbed. I like that it comes in a pump bottle as it dispenses just enough product for my face. I find this cream to be really moisturising, not too heavy on my skin and sinks in nicely. I have seen a difference in my skin since I started using the products every evening and I'm looking forward to seeing the continual results over time. I really like the packaging, it reminds me of the brand Korres. I really liked trying something new, the ingredients are of high quality and I look forward to trying more from the range. Also in the regenerative range is; Dragon’s Blood Regenerative cream, Snail Body Cream, Snail Concentrate Serum and Snail Eye Contour Cream. But they also have other ranges to suit other skin types like the moisturising, anti-aging and expression lines collections.

Will you be adding Beaute Mediterranea into your skincare routine?

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