Fake Tanning On A Budget - Tanatomicals The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale*

I meant to pop this post up yesterday but I had relatives over all afternoon so I never got round to it - sorry! Still nothings changed really has it, it's still dull and it's still raining, there have been some tiny sunny intervals both yesterday and today but the latest rumour is this horrid weather is going to last for at least two weeks - sob :( What does bad weather mean ? well no suntan for me  :( I know I talked about the importance of SPF the other day and I still stand by everything I said, but it is possible to get some colour safely and with protection, just not in this weather so I think I'm going to have to dig out the faux glow.

I'm not a fake tan junkie by any means but I do like a bit of extra colour especially during the summer months. I will freely admit that St Tropez Mousse is my fake tan of choice but it's pricey so I've decided to try out a few cheaper alternatives for my benefit and for yours :)

The first budget fake tan product I'm going to try out for you is by quirky brand Anatomicals' , fake tan line Tanatomicals.

Whatever your self tan preference creams, sprays and mousses Tantatomicals probably have a fake tan for you. As I said before I am a mousse girl so I was delighted to be sent the quirky named The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale Instant + Self Tan Mousse.

Enriched with moisturisers such as Aloe Vera, this mousse is pH balanced to minimise dryness, and irritation. It's designed to give the skin an instant glow which will then develop into a natural tan.

Ahead of using the product I made sure that my skin was well exfoliated and that I'd been using a body moisturiser for a few days prior to using the product particularly on my drier areas such as my knees and my ankles. As you can see from these before pictures my legs are pretty pale :(

The mousse itself comes packaged in the traditional pump action dispenser. It is a sort of mustard / brown in colour which is quite unlike the green tinged products that I normally use.

I applied the product to clean, dry skin using my favourites method of application the tanning mitt (I have a review of my preferred mitts coming soon). The first thing you notice about the product apart from the colour is the smell - none of your hideous self tan smells here this product smells of a summery cocktail, think   coconut and pineapples yum! The next thing you notice is the colour to be honest it looked very scary after the initial application, it looked very orange on my skin, personally there is no way I would have gone out with my skin that colour - it's looking OK in this picture but it looked a lot more orange toned like irl

So the instant tan aspect was a bit of a fail for me so I left it to develop overnight. This mousse I have to say dried really quickly, and left the skin feeling matte and without any stickiness. I was able to go and sit on the sofa and dress with about 5 minutes of applying it. It left no marks or the furniture, my sheets or my clothing. I also noticed that the Pina Colada smell lingered and it never developed that horrid digestive biscuit aroma.

By the next day the colour on my legs had changed dramatically, instead of the unflattering orangey shade, my legs had developed a very subtle and natural looking tan. It's not that easy to see it in these pics but as I say the colour was very natural.

I decided to pop on another coat just to see if you could go a bit darker with this product, again I left it over night and this was the result

Again the lighting isn't the best but I did go a little bit darker so you can definitely build up the colour if you want (ignore the sock marks lol)

I have to say I really liked this fake tan, the initial colour didn't work on me at all but it developed into a super natural looking tan. It smelt great, it wasn't drying or sticky and the colour faded pretty well, without any major patching or dryness. If you like a super dark, obvious fake tan this isn't the one for you, if your a fake tan newbie and you want something natural, just ignore the instant colour and this colour be the one for you .In fact I've already bought my godmother a bottle of this tan purely based on the smell - she hates the usual fake tan smell and this one seems to be suiting her down to the ground - Look even Jasper wanted to try it out - I'm sure he's got enough of a tan already though hasn't he ;)

Tanatomicals The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale Instant + Self Tan Mousse 150ml retails at around £6.99  from Superdrug and various other retailers. Have you tried any of the Tanatomicals products? and what's your favourite fake tan product? let me know in the comments x

*Sample

Brightening Up A Dull Day With A Bit Of Chanel

Looking out of the window today you would definitely think it was January not June. Despite the enthusiasm of yesterday's posts I really think that summer is over at least for the time being! The weather forecast today predicted that this dull, drizzly weather could last for a fortnight argh. Anyway I've done what every good beauty blogger does in times of mediocre weather - I've tried to cheer myself up with a super bright nail polish

Chanel 212 Biarritz was released as a limited edition as part of their 2006 summer collection, not only does the name make you think of sunnier places, but the colour itself will also make your day just a little bit brighter :) It's a lovely peach / orange shade with a teeny tiny bit of gold shimmer. Surprisingly for Chanel this actually went on pretty well, it still needed two coats but the coverage really wasn't bad.

I wasn't sure about this colour at first hence it's sat in the drawer unloved for a while but I have to say it's really growing on me - It looks really nice with a tan (out of a bottle obviously see tomorrows post ;) and I think it's a really pretty colour  for Spring and Summer x What do you think of Biarritz?

Be Safe In The Sun and Get Super Soft Lips All Year Round With Ultrasun

You may not think when you look out the window today, but it is technically summer. Yes despite the return to grey skies, wind and rain summer is officially here. We've only had a couple of days of proper summer up till now but here's hoping there is more to come. One thing we always need to think about at this time of year though is SPF, it's so important that we protect our skin when we're out in the sun. It's ridiculous and quite frankly scary how many people are still blase about using SPF, you only had to look out of my window the other week to see people walking around looking like lobsters.

I have to admit I've got burnt in the past, I always used to think that you needed to burn in order to get a tan - how dumb was I as a teenager? As I've grown up though I've realised the importance of SPF, not just for it's anti-ageing benefits but also more importantly for it's health benefits.

Putting SPF on every half hour or so though can be a bind, especially when your on the beach with all that sand sticking to you yuck! so that's why so many people are turning towards sun care products that you apply once a day. Swiss company Ultrasun are sun care specialists, they don't produce make up or nail polish, sun care is all they do and they do it very well indeed, all of there SPF products bar the one I'm going to talk about need just one application a day, no matter how many times you jump in and out the pool, you protected against the suns rays. There products are available on prescription for people with certain health conditions and they are also supplied to employers of councils, the police force, and building contractors, where employers have a duty of care to protect there employees who work outside, high praise indeed for a simple suncare product.

I'm not going to talk about any of the sunscreen products as I haven't tried them yet, I have tried the after sun though which I would thoroughly recommend. What I am going to talk about here is the Ultrasun Ultralip SPF 15.

I was very kindly send this product a couple of months ago and since then it's been a constant in my daily routine. The skin on our lips is probably one of the most delicate areas of our body, our lips have no oil glands so extremes of temperature both hot and cold can damage this delicate area and leave the lips sore and chapped. The lip balm is described as Care and Protection and is designed to do exactly that as well as the SPF it contains moisturising ingredients such as shea butter, beeswax, and blackcurrant seed oil.

At first glance it doesn't look like the most different or exciting product, it's in a small white twist up tube - exactly the same style of packaging as 90% of lip balms on the market.

It has a slightly yellow appearance but it actually goes on clear, and it doesn't have much a smell or a taste- still not very interesting but what sets this lip product apart from a lot of similar high street products, is the texture, so many of these balms feel greasy and slimy on the lips not this one. Just one small application leaves the lips soft and moisturised but with no greasy or oily residue. The creamy but none greasy texture also means that this is a fabulous base for lipstick or gloss, it's especially good for those lipsticks which can look bitty or patchy on less than perfect lips. You can also use this stick around the outside of your lip line and your upper lip for extra protection from the sun.

Yes unlike the rest of the Ultrasun line you do need to keep applying this but that's no great hardship for us ladies who are constantly applying our lippy ;) Don't think this is just for ladies though the neutral packaging means this product will be great for men and children too. Oh and don't think this product is just for the summer, I can imagine it will be great in the colder weather too and I can definitely see myself using this product all year round - it really is one of the best lip care products I've used. Ultrasun Ultralip Care and Protection SPF 15 4.8g retails at around £5.00 from various retailers including John Lewis, and Waitrose, I would definitely shop around though before you buy I've found it for £3.99 from Fragrance Direct and of course QVC always do some great priced bundles. For more information on the Ultrasun line please check out their website. If you have any questions please leave me a comment, and I'd also love to know if you've tried Ultrasun x

(Ultrasun Ultralip Care and Protection SPF 15 4.8g Was Provided By PR For Review Purposes)

In The Pink With Paint For Life And Beauty UK

If your a longtime reader of LouLouLand you'll already know that I'm a huge lover of nail polish and that I'm also a huge lover of budget and drugstore cosmetics, one brand that combines these 2 factors perfectly is Beauty UK. As well as budget friendly eyeshadows, lipsticks, and blushers this super brand also produces a myriad of nail polish colours. Whilst pursuing the aisles of Superdrug last month I can across a new offering to the Beauty UK stable - the Paint For Life trio.

I'd already received some information regarding this trio so I purchased it with some funds that Mummy Lou had provided ;) This trio of nail polishes all came about thanks to a fellow blogger. Last year Beauty UK launched a competition to name a new nail colour. 

Well the winner Sam Hay came up with the suggestion of a range of pink nail polishes designed and named with the aim of supporting cancer research (click the screen shot to enlarge) . Beauty UK loved the idea and went on to develop the Paint For Life trio. This trio of pink nail polishes retails for £5.99 and £1.00 from every purchase will go towards breast cancer research. This is the biggest charity partnership to date that Beauty UK have been involved in and they are committed to donating at least £50,000 to Cancer Research over a 12 month period.

Each of the three nail polishes in the collection feature the breast cancer care ribbon on the bottle and they have all been given inspirational names - from left to right Love, Strength and Hope

The three colours cover the full spectrum of pinks from the palest almost French manicure pink to a hot, cerise. I've done a few nails shits for you just so you can see how fabulous the quality is - first up Love

This is a proper bubblegum pink shade, it has a lovely creamy texture and a nice finish. This is two coats x Next up Strength

This is a hot cerise pink, ideal for summer. Again this is two coats x Finally Hope

This was the colour that I was most apprehensive about if I'm honest shades like this don't always look that great on my skin tone and application isn't always the best. This one though was different the colour wasn't too bad there was just enough pink in it to make wearable. The streaking wasn't too bad but you still needed at least two coats for a perfect finish x

I have to say I think this kit is great value for money, all the shades are decent quality and they are very wearable no matter what your age. I can definitely see myself picking another one of these kits as a gift. The Paint For Life trios are available from Superdrug stores or from the Beauty UK website for £5.99 till at least October. For more information on Paint For Life please click here and please also check them out on Facebook and on Twitter to find out more about the campaign. I'd also really appreciate it if you could take a little look at Cancer Research UK to you see why your donation is so important x Will you be picking up the Paint For Life Trio?

Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel And Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel - A Review For My Pure*

Over the last week and a bit the warm weather's meant I've embraced the salad big style, I love salads all that fab crunchy fresh veg, raw carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes - yum...OK I know tomatoes are technically a fruit but you get the idea ;) We all know how important it is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, the vitamins and minerals that they provide are essential for our bones, our skin, our hair and our general well-being, but in this era of chemical, high tech ingredients we often forget that fruit and vegetables can work wonders in our skin, body, and hair care preparations.

US company Yes To Inc have used humble fruit and vegetables as the basis of their skin, haircare and body care lines. They have ranges of products based on blueberries, cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes tailored towards different hair and skin concerns. My first foray into Yes To was with the Yes To Carrots C Me Blush Lip Tints (click here to read my review), I have to be honest and say it really didn't rock my world but I would never let one product put me off a brand, so last month I went for two products from the Yes To stable to try out for My Pure.

I really couldn't decided what to choose so in the end I went for two body washes, one from Yes To Carrots and one from Yes To Tomatoes. Both of the body washes are formulated for different skin types and skin concerns and contain different active ingredients, but they both stay true to the Yes To philosophy and are free from parabens, SLS, and petroleum.

Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel

The first shower gel that I tried was from the Yes To Tomatoes brand - This product is described as a purifying shower gel which is ideal for combination skin. The key ingredient in this shower gel is obviously the humble tomato, tomatoes are really good for the skin, they contain huge amounts of lycopene which is an anti-oxidant which can help soothe, and smooth the skin. It also contains loads of other natural ingredients including watermelon extract which can help with clogged pores, green tea, red pepper extract, jojoba and sweet almond oils, and dead sea water.

The first thing you notice about this product is the size of the bottle, it is huge you get a massive 500ml of product - you can see the size of the bottle compared to my hand here!

The bottle has a flip top cap, so all you need to do it give it a little squeeze and the product dispenses quite easily. The gel itself is quite runny in texture and is a pale pearlised pink in colour.

You can use it in the shower where is produces a soft, gentle foam or in the bath where it produces loads of soft, silky SLS free bubbles.

This product feels great on the skin whether its used in the bath or the shower. I probably have normal skin on the majority of my body but my back is prone to a little bit of oiliness and I really think that this has helped. Don't think that if you have dry skin you wouldn't be able to use this, it's a brilliant, gentle shower gel for all skin types. I've really enjoying using this shower gel not only because of the feel but also because of the smell - OMG -  you not going to smell like tomato sauce, it actually has a beautiful soft fresh powdery smell, if you love Elemis Milk Bath or even the Ahava Salt Scrub I reviewed a while ago you will love this!!! - Great product, great smell!

Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel

Since we allegedly heading into summer I thought I'd try another shower product this time something to counteract summer dryness. Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel is marked towards people with normal to dry skin.

 As you would expect one of the key ingredients in this product is the humble carrot, carrots of full of beta carotene which is a great ingredient for drier summer skin. It also contains dead sea water to help lock in moisture, as well as moisturising ingredients such sweet almond oil, jojoba oil and olive oil

It comes in exactly the same packaging, and in the same massive size. The product itself is similar in texture, but this time it is pale orange in colour.

Again you can use it in the bath or shower, it produces the same soft foam when you use it in the bath, and again a lovely creamy lather when you use it in the shower.

This gel again has a light scent but this one is a tiny bit fruitier. This product, is a great cleanser and it's very gentle. I showered with this after a day in the sun and it caused no irritation or problems - another thumbs up from me x

I have to I loved both of these products - they were both super gentle and they left the skin clean and delicately scented but not dry or tight. If I was pushed I would probably say the Yes To Tomatoes Shower Gel is my favourite based on the scent but I would willing buy both products in the future. If your looking for great value SLS, paraben and petroleum free shower products then I would definitely recommend the Yes To Line - even Jasper approves - well they are cruelty free after all ;)

Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel 500ml and Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel 500ml both normally retail at £7.99 each from My Pure but there currently on special offer at only £5.99 each :) If you have any questions please let me know xx

*Press Samples

*As of May 2018 Yes To is no longer stocked on the My Pure website and these particular products also appear to have been discontinued and very hard to find elsewhere 

In The Merry Month Of May x

Well that's another month over with - is it me or did May absolutely fly by? Never mind it's been a funny month for me if I'm honest I've had some super high, highs, and some real kick me in the guts lows. I've spared you a lot of it on here and it's going to remain that way, here is a place when I am going to concentrate on the positive things in life x

May saw the beginning of Project 10 Pan Round 2 - I haven't been tempted to buy any make up as yet, but I have the strange sensation that the MUA Professional Undressed palette is going to call to me, I will of course ignore it's pleas for the time being ;) I managed to finish one make up item in May which was a start at least I guess but on the whole May was pretty disappointing when it came to finishing products

• Marc Jacobs Daisy EDT 50ML
• n-spa Indulgent Angel Cake Bath Syrup 100ml
• Boots Essential Cleansing Wipes Fragrance Free 25 Pack
• MUA Professional Extreme Volume Mascara - Extreme Black - 7ml
• Silkia Re-Gen Oil 125ml

Total - 5 Items

Yup just 5 miserly items, it was my worst month so far this year, the only reason I can think of is because I've been trying out a lot of new products for reviews this month so some of my old favourites have been pushed to the side. I'm hoping June will be a better month, I can definitely see a few things that I can possibly finish over the next four weeks including a shampoo, and maybe a foundation and a body butter x :)

One thing that was pretty successful in May for once was my spending diet - I did buy quite a few things in May but I didn't spend a great deal of money on anything nearly all my purchases were ebays based, and paid for using my paypal funds.

• Beige Printed Scarf - ebay - £2.59
• White Vest - H&M - £3.99
• Fox Bag - ebay - £6.99
• Silvertone Daisy Ring - ebay -98p
• Silvertone Star Necklace - ebay - 99p
• Arty Style Ring - ebay - £1.19
• Bow Ring - ebay - Hong Kong - 99p
• Total So Far - £17.72
• £22.28 Under

Yes I was £22.28 under my £40.00 limit, I really think not buying make up helped me last month - my purchases were primarily clothing and accessory based which makes a change. I can almost guarantee now that June isn't going to be as successful - I went shopping today and whilst I cashed in a vat of Superdrug points, I did make a few choice purchases which I'll blog about later in the month. Never mind I'm hoping to recap some of my money by ebaying like a demon - It's free listings from Saturday to Tuesday to celebrate the Jubilee and I have some fab stuff to list including a brand new pair of Gina heels, a Miu Miu belt and loads more - I think my designer diva days are over ;) (a link to my ebay page is in the sidebar) My blog sale is also still up and I've made a few reductions so there are some great bargains to be had including MAC eyeshadows, and some almost new eyeshadow palette from Avon, The Body Shop and more - click here to check it out. x Other than that I'm just going to keeping an eye on what I spend and do my best not to go crazy. I have loads of posts planned for this month including some reviews of some high end skincare, some summer products, and some eyeshadow palettes. I'm also planning a few new posts in my budget beauty series, a post on a stylish way to make a charity contribution and a post about a piece of jewellery from an amazing lady x I hope you all had a great May, and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, especially if your in the UK - I have no bank holiday plans but I have some strawberries and some lovely thick cream so I will be celebrating the jubilee with some proper British foodstuffs :) xx Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow with my monthly My Pure reviews x

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