Xen Tan Dark Lotion Weekly Self Tan

I have now been using Xen Tan's Deep Bronze Luxe and Xen Tan Moroccan Tan for around two years and haven't looked back. Xen Tan's product range is just superb, the products don't come with that usual biscuit-y smell, they are free from parabens and all have their own unique benefits.

Recently I purchased the Xen Tan Dark Lotion to add to my collection and I have put together a review for you here:

Xen Tan Dark Lotion - Weekly Self Tan

Left - before application. Right - immediately after application.

Unlike the other products the Xen Tan Dark Lotion comes in a drip-free pump action bottle which immediately won me over. This puts an end to fiddly caps and squeezy tubes leaving marks on furniture and spilling onto surfaces. A couple of pumps onto my mitt and I was ready to go.

The guide colour is immediately fairly dark and I panicked that I would need to blend quickly to avoid darker patches from the guide colour. However when I rubbed it in it actually faded back to a more subtle bronzed look with no patchiness or streaking. In fact I would be happy to venture out and about in the summer with this guide colour on as it is more of a 'glow' than a heavy duty dark colour. You can see how subtle and natural the guide colour looks immediately after application in the picture on the right - above.

The product smells delicious (as usual) no biscuity fake tan smell. When applying with the mitt the product spread and blended beautifully, the consistency is smooth and silky and goes on effortlessly.

The colour developed quickly and evenly, giving a gorgeous olive tone to my skin. It looks very natural and sunkissed.

This product retails at £24.45 from Feel Unique.

Four hours after application.

                              

OOTN - My Saturday night outfit featuring Topshop, Zara, Marc Jacobs and ASOS

It's Tuesday and I still feel as though I'm recovering from Saturday night's shenanigans! My feet ached from dancing, my cheeks from laughing and my head from a few bubbles ;)

It was the 30th birthday of a dear friend of mine and we celebrated in a newly opened venue in the city. We had a fabulous night and I'm going to do a quick run down of my outfit as I forgot to take any photos whatsoever!! 

The dress that I wore was an asymmetric drape dress from Topshop which I actually found on Pinterest and fell in love with but couldn't get hold of in white for months! Finally it came into stock online so I purchased straight away for this evening out! 

RRP £46 - link to buy from Topshop here. 

I accessorised with a pair of combination Zara sandals in nude and coral with a beautifully delicate thin gold stiletto heel which have been sat in my wardrobe since last summer waiting to come out and play. 

Shoes from Zara's S/S '13 collection, no longer available.

To tie in the coral I used Rimmel's Coral Romance (review here) on my nails.

Rimmel Salon Pro RRP £4.49 - link to buy from Boots here.

I took along my white envelope clutch with gold accents from ASOS.com.

Clutch from Asos' A/W '13 collection, no longer available. 

Finally to compliment the gold accents of the heels and clutch I wore my Marc Jacobs Henry watch. I don't tend to wear that much jewellery but I adore the masculinity of this statement watch and think it sets off the structured look.

RRP £259 - link to buy from Selfridges here.

I hope that everyone also had a fab weekend! x

Revlon Photoready Skinlights highlighters

As I'm not a huge fan of heavy foundation or a very 'made up' look I prefer to have a more natural finish when it comes to my makeup. To compliment my tinted moisturiser I've tried various types of highlighters - mainly powder based - but find that they can sit heavily on the skin and give an unnatural look.

Recently I started using Revlon Photoready Skinlights and I have fallen in love!! The product comes in 4 shades to suit all different skintones and are designed to be used as a base for your makeup to illuminate and even out your skintone. However I also frequently use mine as a very simple and subtle liquid contouring product.

Revlon Photoready Skinlights

I own two shades - 'pink light' the lightest available and 'bronze light' the darkest available. Using the lighter shade I dab this onto cheekbones, down the centre of my nose, between my brows, along the arch of my lower brows and onto my chin. I dab the darker shade along my temples, below my hairline and beneath my cheekbones. I then gently buff it until it is blended for a natural glow. 

Contoured for a heavier evening look using Revlon Photoready Skinlights  'pink light' and  'bronze light' beneath Revlon Photoready foundation.

For daytimes I use a little 'pink light' mixed with a my moisturiser to add a dewy glow to my skin when I feel a little dull. This also works well as a primer before applying your foundation over the top for a dewy but full-coverage look.

Daytime dewy look  
Revlon Photoready Skinlights in 'pink light' mixed with Boots No7 tinted moisturiser.
 (Isabella wears a mixture of weetabix and orange juice!)

I'm completely sold with these products, the finish lasts all day and the product lasts for an absolute age as you really don't need to use very much at all.

I think they're a really fab alternative to powder highlighters :)

RRP £11.99 for 30ml from Boots.com

Christmas Eve hair - feat the Enrapture Encode Totem Styler

So today is Christmas Eve and we have a whole lot of family and friends to visit, bearing gifts! Yippee!!

As I'm short on time this morning I needed to get ready quickly, but wanted a semi-glam hair look so I've styled my hair using my Enrapture Encode Totem Styler, using code 2-2-2 for loose, romantic curls. I just wanted to share the results with you, as this hair look only took me around 15 minutes to create but is really effective. (Let's see if it manages to survive this wonderful weather!)

The Enrapture Encode styler creates a whole range of looks at the click of a button and is available from Boots, Debenhams and Argos. It retails at £59.99 but if you're quick you can get it from Boots for just £39.98 here: http://m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/Enrapture-ERIR1000UK-Encode-Totem-Styler-Hair-Tong_1230530/

Have a fabulous Christmas Eve everybody!!

*Naked Fake it - Gotta Glow Giftset

As you probably saw in my recent Christmas Wishlist post this little beauty is firmly 'up there' on my 6 most-wanted items in my stocking this year. And, actually, I have to confess that I managed to get my mitts on this gorgeous gift set a little early courtesy of Naked Bodycare (thanks guys!!).

So, like a naughty child, I've opened my pressie early and am thrilled with the results!!

Naked Bodycare: Fake It - Gotta Glow giftset - RRP £14.00

The set contains Naked's 'Fake It - Glow It up' self tan lotion, in a fab 150ml size, teamed with Naked's 'Fake It - Dust Me' mineral shimmer powder.

First of all, it's important to note that both products are totally free from any horrid chemical products like parabens/SLES/SLS and are also fragrance free. This is great for those with sensitive skin, or those like me who choose not to use products which contain these sneaky nasties.
The tanning agent used in the lotion is 100% natural, so totally safe to use and the lotion is also enriched with shea butter and cocoa butter for a gorgeous tan with gorgeous skin!

I found the colour to be very natural and it developed into a wonderful golden tone. It's not overly dark, so suitable for everyday wear in the colder months, and also very nourishing which, again, is great for the dry winter days. It is naturally fragranced with pink grapefruit blends and vanilla extracts so smells really REALLY scrummy and not of that usual 'biscuit' waft!!

The shimmer powder is fabulous! This is now a firm favourite of mine whenever I am invited out for a glass of mulled wine and need to bare a little skin. It looks great on arms, legs, décolletage or anywhere else you may care to brush it! It has a gorgeous bronze undertone and gives skin a flawless, healthy appearance. 

A perfect stocking filler for any female friends, family or colleagues (fab Secret Santa option too!!) this little set retails at £14.00 from Naked Bodycare.

(It's also worth checking out their other gift sets for those who don't use self-tan all too often as they have some incredible alternatives for your mum, auntie or even grandma - think Coco de Mer bath products or Marshmallow shampoo collections...yum!!)


*This product was sent to me for review by Naked Bodycare.