Good To Glow

Summer is all about glowy skin. Not all of us are blessed with having that delightful natural radiance, but here's some tips on how to be good to glow -

Drink plenty of water. Health inside the body reflects on how you look on the outside. If you don't drink enough water it will show on your skin, hair and nails. Try to drink 2 litres a day, it may sound like a lot but once you get into the habit it's so easy and you will notice a difference. Hydration is key!
Exfoliate 2-3 times a week. If you have blemish prone skin don't use those nasty exfoliators with large beads in as they'll spread infection and irritate the skin, acidic exfoliating toners, like this one from Clarins, are much better. They will remove dead skin cells and help your skin to look fresh and a lot less dull.
Make sure you moisturise too, using a serum before moisturising will help lock in the goodness and you'll have baby soft skin in no time. I love Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate.
Fake it with makeup! Stay away from the full coverage foundation, yes it may be good at hiding blemishes but you don't need it smothered all over your skin, especially in the warmer months. Let your skin breathe! Let your natural skin shine through and cover any imperfections you're more self conscious of with concealer, but try and embrace how you are naturally…honestly, no-one cares and if they do then they're not worth your time or energy.
Liquid highlighters or illuminators work the best for getting that summertime glow. NARS 413 BLKR is my current obsession. You can just dab a bit where you'd like to highlight (cheekbones, down the nose, on the brow bone), or mix a little in with your foundation for an all over dewy look. Another amazing tip is to mix a bit in with body moisturiser, or dab some down the centre of your leg to create the illusion of slimmer legs…thank me later, ladies!

What's your favourite product

to help you achieve

glowing skin?

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My Favourite Fake Tan - St Moriz

I'm not a big tanner, in fact I only ever really put on fake tan when I'm having a night out or it's some other special occasion, but it always makes me feel a lot more confident and brightens my mood. 

The tan I always reach for and it's never let me down is St Moriz.

St Moriz is a brilliant self tanner that isn't too dark, isn't orange and doesn't make you look green either (like St Tropez can). I use the tanning lotion in medium (it's also available in dark), but St Moriz also do a spray which I find quite difficult to apply, and a mousse which I found was quite drying.
The lotion is definitely the best in my opinion, I apply it with the St Moriz tanning glove at night then go to bed, the lotion sinks in really quickly, and I wake up looking quite dark but once you have a shower and apply some moisturiser the tan looks natural, even and doesn't smell either.

I don't know why I don't see more hype on blogs about this tan because it really is great, it's won awards and been nominated for lots as well - very deserved.
The only negative thing I have to say about it is they've changed the packaging of the lotion, it used to come with a pump and now you have to tip it upside down and squeeze it out…not ideal, and I have no idea why they changed it.
Oh and don't use this on your face, I learnt the hard way. I didn't apply much and did exfoliate and moisturise before but it goes patchy and your face soaks up more than your body so it'll end up looking very dark. It also broke me out. I use Clarins Liquid Bronze on my face, review here.

The absolute best thing about this tan though is the price, you can buy it HERE from Feel Unique for £4.99! I know they also sell this is Savers, Tesco, Wilkinsons and now Boots as well for the same price. BARGIN.

What's your favourite fake tan?

My Top Skincare Tips

I've always looked after my skin, I like to have clean and moisturised skin. I hate the feeling of my skin feeling clogged up or dehydrated. I don't have perfect skin by any means, I get the occasional breakout like everybody else, but my skin is quite good and that's because I do take care of it, so I thought I would share with you my top skincare tips.
(please note, I am not a professional nor an expert, these are just things I have picked up and things that work for me, a lot of these tips are just common sense)

1. ALWAYS remove your makeup before bed. Not removing your makeup before bed will mean your pores get clogged up, which is the main cause for skin imperfections. Your skin needs time to breathe, during the day it's been covered in makeup or faced with outside pollution, it needs a break!
A lot of people say "your skin mends itself at night', that is complete rubbish. Your skin is repairing itself 24/7, but at night when your asleep it doesn't have makeup, pollution or sunlight on it, so it can focus on repairing.

2. DON'T use makeup wipes. I think more or less everybody I know uses makeup wipes, and I used to until about 10 months ago, and the difference I have noticed in my skin since I stopped has been amazing. Makeup wipes contain alcohol, which dries out the skin and if you have sensitive skin they will make her skin more red. Alcohol will also strip the skin, and is a breeding ground for bacteria. Stick with a non-foaming cleanser, much better for your skin and actually takes your makeup off better. Also, if you wear makeup during the day remember to double cleanse at night.

3. DO watch what you eat. About 99% of what your face is showing comes from what you eat. Basically, cut out the crap. Fast food, chocolate, sweets, microwavable meals - all are not good for your skin and if you cut them out you will notice a big difference. Cut down on dairy, so many people I know who have had problem skin and cut out dairy noticed a huge change - humans are the only species that eat and drink milk that comes from another mammal, it's not a natural thing to do.

4. DO cleanse in the morning. Washing your face in the morning is very important, you may think "but I have just been laying in bed all night, and I cleansed before bed, I don't need to do it again"…so you think bacteria doesn't breed whilst your asleep? You don't sweat? Then why do you ever change bedsheets if that is the case?

5. DON'T smoke. Like I said earlier, it's just common sense. If you smoke it decreases the amount of oxygen in your skin, not to mention the amount of rubbish you're breathing in. But hey, I guess smokers care more about cigarettes than they do for their health and skin.

6. DO take supplements. Obviously this is not crucial, but if you have problem skin I'd recommend taking some supplements that contain fish oil and/or zinc, both are brilliant for the skin.

7. DO use acidic skincare. That sounds quite scary, but acids are very good for the skin. A lot of toners will have acid in, the one I use the Michael Todd Blue Green Algae Toner which contains Hyaluronic acid which helps with cellar renewable (review here). Another brilliant one if you can afford it is Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner.
A toner should be an essential in your skincare routine.

8. DON'T use exfoliators with beads in them. These spread infection.

9. DON'T use sudocream. I know so many people use this, and I have been known to. Yes it does reduce inflammation, but in the long run it clogs pores and just sits on the skin.

10. DO invest in skincare. Now, I know not everyone can afford high end skincare, and I am one of those people. But if you are willing to spend money on clothes or accessories then why not spend it on skincare instead? You only get one face, look after it. Ideally you should have two moisturisers, and two cleansers - one each for morning and night time use.

Product everyone should own - Hydraluron Moisture Booster (I do not own this myself but I am saving up, skincare experts have said everyone should own this - hyaluronic acid can absorb up to 1000 times its weight in moisture, so if you put this on and then your moisturiser then the moisture will stay there. It also helps heal the skin, reduce bacteria, and softens the skin)

There you go, my top 10 skincare tips. I guarantee you if you do those things you WILL have better skin. I hope you found this helpful.

Will you be trying any of these things out?

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Clarins Liquid Bronze | REVIEW

I naturally have very fair skin, I used to be naturally very tanned and seem to go brown quite easily (I have my Mediterranean blood to thank for that), but I am rather pale during the colder months especially. This makes finding a fake tan that doesn't make me look too dark, or orange very difficult. 
I'm not a massive fake tan person, I only really do it for special occasions or if I need a bit of a pick me up, but when I do tan I use St Moriz Self Tanning Lotion which I love, it looks natural on me, never goes streaky and fades evenly, however I do not use this on my face - your face absorbs things more than the rest of your body so you will find your face goes darker if you use normal tan on it - also, normal tan isn't designed with the delicate skin on your face in mind so it'll be likely to break you out or dry your skin. 
So, I was on the hunt for a brilliant face tanner that wasn't going to make me look orange, green, unnatural or go streaky and I have found one! 
*dances around room*

Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tan  for the face, neck and décolleté is an award winning tanner which claims to be 'as refreshing as water and as gentle as milk' which  I 100% agree with. I have sensitive skin and this hasn't once broken me out and it leaves me skin feeling soft.

I use this product before bed, after cleansing, toning and moisturising I apply about a 10p sized amount onto a cotton pad and sweep it all over my face, then I apply another 10p sized amount onto my neck and blend it out at the bottom. The colour of the lotion is white, so it can make it hard to tell where you have already covered but you get used to it - and even if you do miss a bit it won't matter hugely, thanks to the subtle change in colour.

I know due to the fact this lotion sinks in so fast some people use this in the morning and let it develop during the day, but I much prefer using it at night.

Clarins Liquid Bronze on the back of my hand

I will wake up in the morning and my face will have a healthy glow, nothing OTT, it just makes the skin look sun kissed and a lot healthier. I have also found that I have not been wanting to wear so much foundation because this tan evens out my skin tone a lot. 

Another great thing about this is it doesn't smell bad! You know that horrible biscuity smell you get with most fake tanners? It isn't present in Clarins Liquid Bronze, the lotion has a scent but it is more fruiter, and not in the slightest bit unpleasant. 

The tan will last a couple of days before it starts to fade, and it does this evenly.

I just love this product, it's great if I feel like I need a bit more colour, and I don't have to tan my whole body when using it because the colour is so subtle (obviously it can be built up though if you'd like to look darker).

Clarins Liquid Bronze retails for £18, which I guess is quite pricey, however it will last a long time because you only need the tiniest amount, and it does work SO well, so I'd highly recommend it, especially if you are paler. 

You can get this tan here.

Have you tried this product?

What's your favourite fake tan?

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