Lauren's Way Darker Than Dark Lotion Review, Before and After

Now that summer is over and my tan has officially faded I thought I'd get back into the self tanning routine. Instead of going back to my old favourites, I thought I'd try something new. The Lauren's Way range has been created by Lauren Goodger from Towie. Immediately I thought of "orange" and I know you *probably* are too. I thought I'd give it a go anyway and instead of ordering the full size lotion, I opted for the starter set. 

The kit comes with the self tanning bronzing lotion in darker than dark, a tan enhancing moisturiser, glam tan, body polish and a tanning mitt.

I done the pre-tanning routine as I'm sure you know if you're reading this. I put a little moisturiser on the dry areas and also on my hands and then applied the tan using the provided mitt in circular motions on my body. The initial colour guard is scary looking - it looks black/green but it's what you want to apply it evenly. It dries really nicely - not too fast yet not slow that it leaves a sticky feeling meaning you have to wait ages before getting dressed. I applied three layers and then went to bed.

In the morning I woke up with the best deep bronze colour. No streaks and perfectly even, despite three layers which I did at 12.30am when I was half asleep. After I washed it off in the morning I was left with the colour below. It a deep brown with olive undertones which makes it really natural looking compared to others with a neutral undertone. And so much darker than I was before. Muy bien!

So far, I've worn it for five days without adding any more layers and it's faded really nicely. I've still got  colour - not as intense as the first few days, obviously - yet still looking like I've been on holiday. 

Any negatives? Yes it does smell like fake tan. Burnt cookies, you know the scent. Yet it's not as strong as any other tans I've tried which is a plus and the smell fades after a day. I don't recommend putting this on your face. It doesn't say you can't but as it's a quite thick lotion, it could possibly clog your pores up. I've fake tanned my face and it wasn't pretty - just use a darker foundation or add lots of bronzer.

I'm really impressed with this product. Definitely don't discard trying it because of the Towie branding, Lauren definitely knows how to create the perfect tan. I've just checked the website and their are so many other variations such as mousses, sprays and different shades to suit everyone.

I think this has become my new favourite self tanner and I have just placed my order for the full size :)

Best of 2012

I just wanna start of by saying happy new year!

My posts will lack during January because of my exams so I thought I would do a pretty extensive blog post reviewing all my favourite products (as well as books, movies and music favourites) of 2012 today. Links are added to reviews :)

Best eyeshadows (palette): Urban Decay Naked 2
Best mascara: Rimmel Volume Flash Scandal Eyes or Clinique High Impact
Best pencil liner: Avon Supershock or MAC Stubborn Brown or Rimmel Scandal Eyes in Nude
Best liquid liner: Maybelline Master Precise
Best eyeshadow base: MAC Paint Pots
Best eye lash glue: Revlon Precision Lash Adhesive
Best eyebrow product: Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash

I'm not a lip product fan, the only lip products I use are MAC lipsticks. My favourites, and most used, during 2012 have been: Myth or Hue or Honeylove or Sunny Seoul.

Best liquid foundation: Esteé Lauder Double Wear in Fresco and Desert Beige
Best powder foundation: NARS Powder Foundation in Fiji
Best primer: Smashbox Photofinish
Best concealer: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in Fair
Best bronzer: NARS Laguna
Best blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
Best powder: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

Best volumising product: TRESemmé Volume and Lift Mousse
Best dry shampoo: TRESemmé Instant Refresh
Best heat protector: TRESemmé Keratin Smooth
Best treatment: Moroccan Oil or Leo Bancroft Instant Sleek or Kerastase Nectar Thermique or Macadamia Oil
Best straightening balm: Redken Power Tame 16 or Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

Best self tanner: St Moriz Mousse in Dark
Best face moisturiser: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel
Best body moisturiser: Shea body butter from The Body Shop
Best hand cream: L'Occitane
Best universal cream: E45 or Sudocrem (not pictured)
Best acne/red skin treatment: Mario Badescu Control Cream

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Favourite books of the year

- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

- Unwind by Neal Shusterman

- Holy Bible (ESV)

- The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Favourite movies (and shows) of the year

- Project X

- Ted

- Sherlock, both series

Favourite albums of the year

- Born To Die: Paradise Edition by Lana Del Rey

- Take Me Home by One Direction

- Life is Elsewhere by Little Comets

- Babel by Mumford & Sons

- Channel Orange by Frank Ocean

- What's The Story (Morning Glory)? by Oasis

So thats all of my favourite things of 2012. I hope you had an amazing year and I hope that the new year brings you happiness and lots of laughs.

Suzanna xo

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs, £7.49 (on sale!)

A cult favourite of Kim Kardashian, the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs instant self tanner is extremely popular.  

It comes in four shades (light, medium, tan and deep) and provides legs with a "beautifully long-lasting tan." In more depth: the product is designed to cover freckles, veins and imperfections; enhance skin tone; leaves skin silky smooth and is long-lasting. The aerosol can delivers a light mist of colour over the skin that is buildable to the desired depth of colour. 

The can tells to apply the product directly onto the palms of your hand, then to massage it into the skin. When I tried this originally it didn't work. I wasn't pleased with the results - it was uneven and patchy and just not nice. When I tried it for a second time, I sprayed the product into a tanning mitt and then applied it like you would normally do. This worked SO much better! It was streak-free, even and looked incredibly natural. 

It dried fairly quickly, however it does wash off easily. I'd recommend using this before a night out as it starts to look "fake" after you shower. One thing I dislike about this product is the smell and feel of it. It can feel tacky and, as for the smell, its not very pleasant (as are most self tanners, though). Despite this, I'll mostly likely repurchase.

Suzanna xo

St Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Body Moisturiser in Medium/Dark

St Tropez Gradual Tan, £12.50

Two weeks ago I purchased the St Tropez Luminous Glow gift set from Feel Unique. I thought that £25.50 was a reasonable price for what you get: their infamous gradual tanner in medium/dark; the gradual face tan and the rose skin illuminator. All of which full size, can I just say! As soon as it arrived (two days later, gotta love their services) I instantly applied. After doing the "pre-tan" rituals, of course.

The last time I reviewed a gradual tanner I forgot to take a 'before' image. I didn't forget this time. I took a picture the evening I applied it and waited. The next day nothing happened, so I applied another layer. Big mistake. The colour I applied the previous night was just settling in so when I applied the second layer the areas I accidentally missed out were extremely obvious and streaky. I whipped out my tan remover and all was good.

On the third day I surprised at the colour; it looked very natural and holiday-esque.

Before and after. I always wear my white watch so show the colour.

Any fake tan application is difficult, especially if you haven't done it many times before. Having a colour guide makes it 10 times more easier to control where your putting the product. All of the gradual tanners by St Tropez are clear which is a pain because you don't know where your putting it! However, the good thing about the St Tropez line is that if you go over the same spot twice, it doesn't matter and isn't noticeable. You only start getting issues when you miss out areas! In addition, most people hate the smell of gradual tanners. I am one of those people. The smell initially was nice, but the day after was horrendous. It's been two days since I last applied it and thankfully the fake tan smell has disappeared.

I picked up the medium/dark option even though I'm pale. To be honest, I think if I chose the light/medium option I wouldn't see a difference in colour. Bare that in mind.

So here are my overall thoughts on this product...

Pros:

• Luxurious moisturiser as well as a tanner
• Doesn't take that long for colour to show
• Adapts to skin tone
• Reasonable price

Cons:

• Despite getting a 200ml bottle, it seems to go very quickly!
• After application, it has the fake tan smell
• Can make your hands go orange if not washed properly afterwards or isn't applied whilst wearing gloves or an applicator
• No colour guide

I hope this was useful to some!

Suzanna x