Bloggers, Beer and the Beach

 A bit of a throwback post today, I completely forgot about all these photos on my memory card from a couple of weeks back! After a busy day at work I headed out with my wonderful friend Aftab for a bite to eat down on the beach! 

One of my favourite haunts in Bournemouth is Urban Reef, with it's prime beach front location and tasty grub (I can thoroughly recommend their breakfasts & their carrot cake too!), it makes for the perfect spot to celebrate the end of the week.

Because this is me we are talking about, food was of course the primary concern of the evening. Aftab opted for the giant beef burger and said only good things, especially about the chips! I went for the chilli beef nachos and they defeated me, I couldn't finish them! 

Since I was driving I skipped the rather delicious looking Peroni that Aftab had, and instead ordered an Elderflower Lemonade. It turned out to be a good choice, incredibly refreshing and satisfied my sweet tooth too! 

If you're ever in the Bournemouth area, I'd definitely recommend Urban Reef, if only for the relaxed atmosphere and stunning views! 

 We went for a little beach stroll to work off the vast amount of calories we consumed. I love this portion of the beach near Southbourne, it's much quieter than near the piers, and it's such a good place to just relax, and catch up with friends whilst watching the waves roll in!

 We finished up with cocktails at the bar Con works at, and if that's not the perfect Friday, I don't know what is!

26/52 - Organised Bedrooms and Blogging Breaks

With all the tragedy gracing the front pages of our newspapers this weekend, it seems extra important to spend ten minutes this morning taking stock of all the good in our lives.

1. Finally having the long-needed giant sort out of my bedroom at home. I got rid of all the junk the twelve year old me thought I might need, as well as a carload of old magazines! It's amazing how much junk you can fit in one room! My room is tidier than it's ever been now, and it finally feels like a space I can relax in.
2. To celebrate my squeaky clean bedroom, I picked out some new bedding. I have an obsession with hotel bedlinen, the kind that slides across your skin and feels soft and cosy but cool too. And is, of course, white. Now my room feels like my own private hotel room! I just need to pick out a new throw and some cushions and I'll be set! Maybe I'll share a few snaps when it's all done? 
3. Having a blogging break. I took three blog-free days at the beginning of the week, and I've been a little sporadic since, but it was much needed. Sometimes you need to just give yourself a few days off, it's good for the soul, I'm sure!
4. I've gotten back into granola again now that I've finally found a gluten free granola and dairy free yogurt I actually like. Whilst it might not be the healthiest breakfast, when it's piled high with berries it makes a good Monday (and Tuesday) morning treat!
5. I love this packing guide on A Pair and A Spare, I'll definitely be using this as packing inspiration before I go away! 
6. This week my lovely friend Aftab invited me along to review a restaurant in Bournemouth. I didn't have particularly high hopes since the restaurant is actually part of a casino, but I was pleasantly surprised! The food was delicious and the service was fantastic (but more on that next week). Most of all, it was good to get a night out with a good friend.
7. After a long day of a lot of work and hip pain, having a quick dip in the jacuzzi, followed by a glass of Rekorderlig and an early night. I slept so well that night!
8. Finding a pair of Primark shoes that I've had my eye on for a while in the sale for only £3. I'd been looking at them for ages but they never seemed to have my size in stock, so I lucked out finding them in the right size in the sale! 
9. Having a little Saturday lunch date with my sister! She works full time in the week and stays at her boyfriends, so I only get to catch up with her on the weekend. She's off to Singapore on Friday, and when she comes back I go away, so it'll be a while before we get to spend any quality time together!
10. Friday night kitten cuddles. There's nothing more comforting than a fluffy kitten cuddle.

I hope that this Sunday you and your loved ones are all safe and sound. Don't forget to tell them how much you love them every chance you get. x

The Morning After The Night Before

We've all been there. A night when just one drink seems like a really good idea, until you're trying to drag yourself out of bed the next morning. Hell, I've been there even without the alcohol, when insomnia strikes and at 3am I'm watching the clock tick and reliving every embarrassing memory I have. Sometimes, you need a little help looking, err, alive, in the mornings.

I'm an evening showerer, mostly because I hate having to blow dry my hair when I'm half awake, but a brisk shower always helps get the blood flowing when you'd rather stay in bed. Pick a shower gel with an uplifting scent (I love the Original Source and Soap and Glory Ones) to help wake you up, and if you've got time, use a body scrub too. Once you're out of the shower it's time for a little skin TLC to wake up the complexion. I like to use a cleanser with a gentle exfoliant to it, like the Lush Let The Good Times Roll. The sweet smell helps keep me awake, whilst the scrubby particles make my skin look like new!

I love to use a quick fix moisture mask too, it seems like a silly thing to do if you're in a rush, but something like the Origins Drink Up Intensive only needs 5-10 minutes to make a difference. Chuck this on to work it's magic whilst you have breakfast/pack a bag/feed the cat, and rinse off any residue. It'll give your skin a much needed moisture boost, and the orange scent does wonders first thing in the morning.

Before going in with my (very simple, usually) makeup routine, I like to use a spray toner to spritz a bit of life back into my skin. These are seriously cooling and refreshing on the skin, and something like the Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner will pack a bit of moisture too. If you're really tired, chuck one of these in your handbag to spritz on your face whenever you need waking up!

I always suffer with dry, dull eyes after a long night out, so I like to keep a bottle of the Optrex Brightening Eye Drops* on hand. These instantly sooth dry, irritated eyes, whilst adding a bit of sparkle, making you look more awake even if you don't feel it.

For makeup, I always recommend going for what's tried and trusted. Go for your favourite base, your favourite lipstick, and a blush that brightens your complexion. Now's not the time to be faffing with complicated smokey eyes or precise winged liner, think simple and reliable. I would recommend picking up a nude eyeliner, like the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in Nude. It only costs a couple of pounds, and will eliminate any tell tale redness on the waterline!

This is a pretty versatile routine, it's what I do after a late night, a long flight, or when I'm just not feeling tip top!

What are your top tips for looking fresh after a long night?

Clutch Bag Essentials

The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that today's post is the first all week. Whoops. I've had a few days of sorting out, I cleared out my bedroom back home, cleaned out my car, and had a bit of a rethink vis-a-vis blog posts. I think I was stuck in a bit of a rut, so it felt good to just stop, clear everything out, and start again! 

You eagle eyed lot will also note that despite having a big home sort out, I still haven't ironed my bedsheets. I'll get to it, I promise.

Now! That beautiful Whistles clutch I picked up in the sale needed an a proper christening, so when it accompanied me out on Tuesday evening, I snapped a few pictures of it's contents, mostly so I could mention in a post how much I love this clutch. It's just dreamy. I have a couple of these Whistles small leather pouches now and they come in so handy, but I couldn't resist this one, this powder blue shade is my favourite! 

Clutch bag musings aside, here's a rundown of what made the cut! This bag is surprisingly roomy, you can fit a lot in it!

iPhone: Pretty self explanatory. I'd love to be one of these people that leaves the house without a phone, but I know that with my luck, that'd be the day I get a flat tyre, and have to call my Dad/AA to come help me! 

Chanel Les Beiges Powder: Because when I don't take a powder, I get shiny. This is my favourite for on the go since it never looks cakey, and it comes with a little powder brush that isn't totally shitty. Also, it looks damn good, doesn't it? 

Perfume Rollerball: Because you never know when you're going to get a little sweaty. This one is the Tease Noir scent from Victoria's Secret, I don't normally go for their fragrance, but this is a good'un.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector: I don't love these as much as everyone else, but it's what I went for this week. I like that it's dinky, so it doesn't take up much room in the handbag, and you can apply it without a mirror if need be. Whenever I go anywhere involving food, I go for a light coloured lipgloss or a tinted lip balm, cause ain't nobody got time to touch up a red lip post burger.

Makeup Forever Aqua Liner: Because eyeliner on the waterline is always the first thing to go, and sometimes I want to look dark and mysterious. The eyeliner doesn't really help with that, but I can pretend. 

Rescue Remedy Pastilles: Just in case I start to get anxious. Better to have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.

Hair ties & pins: With this sticky humid weather I've been wearing my hair up a lot (I basically live in a perpetual state of milkmaid braids), and I always seem to unravel halfway through the night. Extra pins are a must, and extra bands just in case. 

Naked Bar: Just in case dinner takes too long.

Spare camera battery & memory card: The amount of times my camera battery dies or my memory card claims to be full five minutes after I get somewhere, these are total necessities!

What makes your clutch bag cut? 

Fathers Day

 Whenever Fathers Day rolls around I secretly dread it. Not because I don't love my dad, because I do. Not because I don't think he deserves a big ol' day celebrating how awesome he is, because he does. Fathers Day is just really bloody difficult because my dad has expensive taste, and is pretty spendy. If he needs something, or sees something he likes, he just buys it, which makes gift giving the hardest thing in the world.

This Fathers Day the pressure was on for my sister and I, since my mum is off sunning herself in the Mediterranean. I've mentioned before on here that I don't always get to see enough of my dad, so whilst the idea of making Fathers Day plans stressed me out for the whole of June, the prospect of hanging out with him for the day was pretty exciting too.

We started the day with little plan, but after a leisurely morning we decided to hop in the car and head to Lymington. In all the years I've lived in Bournemouth, I've never actually been to Lymington, despite going to college one train stop away.

We parked up at the top of the high street, taking a slow walk down, swooning at the oh-so-Pinterest homeware shops (my Dad walked into one and joked he wanted everything wrapped up and delivered to our house), and ended up down in the harbour. We headed into the Ship Inn for a drink, and after managing to bag an outside table, we decided to stay for lunch. 

 As luck would have it, the sun came out, so we had a leisurely lunch enjoying the warmth! My dad had the scallops to start, whilst Con and my sister shared a baked Camembert (much to my disgust). I had the Soup of the Day (Leek and Potato) which was delicious, but not exactly Instagram-worthy. 

The service was good and the waitresses were super helpful, bringing extra bread for the Camembert and extra veg without butter later on, but for some reason nobody came to clear our starter plates, so they were still there when our mains were served. A bit weird, but they were busy so I can kind of understand it!

When it came to mains, us three Rocketts opted for the Roast Beef, whilst Con inexplicably went for the burger (why anyone would order a burger when you could have a roast is beyond me). The food was delicious, especially the roast potatoes that just fell apart when you stuck a knife in them! The carrots were delicious too, super soft and tasty!

 I'd never actually heard of Elderflower and Lime Kopparbergs before but Oh. My. Gosh. I never want to drink anything else now! They're so tasty, and perfect for summer, I need to find a supermarket near me that sells them! 

I'd definitely recommend the Ship Inn if you're ever in the Lymington area, especially if you can sit outside! It was so nice to soak up the sunshine and watch the world go by.

We headed home so stuffed, I ended up having an afternoon nap! Needless to say, we all skipped dinner in the evening (although I may have split a bag of Dorito Roulette with Con before bed, but shhhhh). Sometimes the chilled out, have no plans, see-where-the-day-takes-us days are the best.

The Only Lip Product I Need This Summer

Now, by now you guys know me well enough to know that bold lips just ain't ma thang, I'm a neutral lover through and through. So, this lipgloss in the tube appears to be nothing I would even remotely enjoy. But, I love it. 

This is the NARS X Christopher Kane Lip Gloss in Mezmer is really the only thing from the collection that caught my eye. A Bright neon pink in the bullet, this applies as a sheer wash of pink, just giving the lips a glowy tint of colour. It's not sticky and it applies incredibly smoothly, to feel lovely on the lips. But the best thing about it is the tint of colour that hangs around all day, it's just a hint of tint that stays put on the lips long after the sheen of gloss has gone. A pretty pink that stays put all day? Yes please.

I can't stop wearing this gloss, and I don't see that changing in the near future! I'm hooked! 

What lip products are you loving right now? 

25/52

Can you believe we are nearly halfway through the year? This week has been a weird one, a fly in visit to London to make final arrangements for our flat made our week fly by, it's been busy, busy, busy. Our tenancy is up at the end of July and whilst we'd love to move somewhere with a little more room, we haven't found anywhere that's just right yet, so we've decided to stay put a little while longer. After months of not knowing what's going to happen after July, it's nice to have the decision made, and know we'll be calling London home for at least another six months. 

Happy things! 

1. Enjoying a little quiet time with Con. When we are back in Bournemouth we are constantly surrounded by family, we don't get much alone time. It felt good to get a few hours snuggled up watching Orange is the New Black without being interrupted by siblings!
2. A lunch date at my favourite pizza place with The Boy, I smothered mine in garlic oil and it was bloody delicious.
3. I spotted a Banksy! I've never actually seen one before, but it turns out I've been walking right by eat on a weekly basis.
4. We finished watching Orange is the New Black, and to be honest, I didn't think this season was particularly good. I did however, love Grace and Frankie, a new Netflix original series about two seventy year old women who's husbands announce that they're gay and getting married. The show follows their lives in the aftermath of the revelation and is equal parts sad, funny and feelgood. 
5. Enjoying my very first Cinnamon Swirl Frappuccino. If you like cinnamon, you need to try one of these. It tasted so good with soy milk, I imagine it's incredible with normal milk!
6. Getting excited for my holiday! I literally can't wait! I've been doing a ton of research for things I want to do, but also blog posts I'd like to write! And of course... planning my packing list! I love this packing tips post, it covers all the bases!
7. Seeing my elderly labrador a bit more lively, she's on different medication now and she's much more herself! 
8. A dinner date with my wonderful friend Aftab, complete with walk on the beach and mocktails! 
9. I had my very first Berry Cooler from Costa this week, and it was amazing, they taste like berry yoghurts!
10. I sat on the kitchen floor cuddling the pups yesterday, and errr, fell asleep. For an hour. In front of the fridge. It was weird and wonderful.

Have a great week! x

Currently Loving

It's been a while since I've done a round up of the bits and pieces I'm currently loving, so I figured it was about time I had a root through my makeup bag & handbag to see what's been getting the most attention recently!

Firstly, I want to mention a weird hair product, the Percy & Reed Shine and Fragrance Spray. Firstly, that bottle is beyond gorgeous, isn't it? So pretty! This stuff is coming in handy for post braid hair, when my locks are looking a little dry and frizzy, a spritz of this on the lengths gives it back a healthy, glossy look, without making everything greasy. It smells amazing too, floral, but not too heavy, you just get a waft every now and then! 

I've been seriously into a few cheek products recently. After a prolonged absence (read: getting lost in a handbag)  I've been reunited with my beloved Creme Blush de Chanel in Revelation, and things have never been so good. This soft pink blush has a moussey texture that blends into the skin beautifully, and looks super natural. I've also been reaching for the Illamasqua Blush Duo in Lover and Hussy, which looks terrifying, but is utterly beautiful when applied with a light hand. Super pigmented, soft and long lasting, both shades just give the skin a glowy, subtle pop of colour.

I mentioned the Maybelline Master Sculpt Contour Kit in a haul recently, and the verdict's in. Whilst I really like this, it's soft and pigmented, easy to blend and super natural looking, I do think I should have gotten the darker shade, this light shade is possibly a little too subtle. That being said, it's great for days when you want a little face slimming, but not a full on chiseled jaw. I've been loving applying this with the eBay dupe of the Nars Yachiyo Kabuki Brush, it's perfect!

I've also been using that brush with the Makeup Forever HD Setting Powder, which is possibly the best powder I've ever used. Yes it's a loose powder, which is a bit of a faff, but oh my is it worth it. This stuff is so soft and finely milled, it glides onto the skin, mattifying any dewyness, without compromising on glow one little bit. It keeps my makeup in place and glowy all day long. 

For under the eyes (and down the bridge of the nose) I've been using my Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 Concealer and Highlight, and I've fallen in love all over again. This stuff really brightens up the complexion and keeps me looking semi human. 

My MAC Quads have been pretty neglected recently, but I've recently cracked them out again, and I've fallen head over heels for the shade Mulch. It's a golden bronze shimmery shade that looks incredible just blended across the lid on it's own. Perfect one step summer smokey eye. I've also gotten back into using my Shu Umera Lash Curlers, and I forgot how much of a difference they make to how awake I look!

And lastly, I can't remember the last time I wore something other than the NARS X Christopher Kane Lipgloss in Mezmer on my lips. A gorgeous sheer neon pink, that I'll talk about more tomorrow!

I've also just posted my current non-beauty favourites over on my lifestyle blog, so make sure you head here and check those out too!

What are you loving right now?

Currently Loving

 It's been a really long time since I did a little favourite thing round up, so I figured I'd best do it now! I've also got a post up today on my beauty favourites, over on my beauty blog, which you can read here. 

Graze Herby Bread Basket: I know I talked about this in yesterday's post but I'm just obsessed. Garlicky, herby, carby goodness, I'm amazed at how long this bag has lasted.

Women's Health: I know this is last month's issue but I only just got around to reading it! I've gotten more into reading Women's Health recently, and actually enjoy having a flick through (especially when lying in the sun snacking!). 

Happy Jackson Travel Wallet: With trip planning in progress, this gorgeous travel wallet finally has a reason to live. I love that it's so big, there's plenty of room for our passports, travel information and tickets, and it's so cute. I don't think I'll struggle to find this in my bag at the airport either! 

Nakd Cola Infused Raisins: More snacks I know, I know, I'm obsessed. These sound totally disgusting but they're actually really delicious, and do a good job of suppressing sweet cravings. A good handbag hunger buster.

The Secret Garden Colouring Book: I finally found my pens so I've been able to use this again! It's seriously therapeutic to sit back with this in the evenings, and the designs are so gorgeous. 

Sony ZX310 Headphones: I mostly use my in-ear Beats, but I wanted to pick up some inexpensive over ear headphones so I can switch between the two styles when I'm wearing them a long time. These were all of about £15 and they're surprisingly good, I'm really impressed with the quality, and they're comfy too. 

SuAtelier London Stickers: I found these in Fenwicks and had to pick them up because THEY HAVE NANDOS SAUCE STICKERS. I mean honestly, who doesn't need those. 

Makeup Mishaps and How To Fix Them

The world of the beauty addict is not always plain sailing, and when makeup disaster strikes, nothing makes your life easier than knowing how to solve it - fast.

You've put on too much blush. This is a near daily occurance for me, but over blushed cheeks are far from a good look. Try taking your foundation brush or a dampened beauty blender around your cheeks to calm the colour down.

You've spilt nail polish on your dressing table. This is a real act fast scenario. Use a cotton bud dipped in acetone free nail polish remover and dab the polish until it comes off. It's better to use a small cotton bud so you're less likely to damage your surface! This works on leather too (don't ask!). Follow up with an antibacterial wipe immediately to remove any traces of the polish remover and you're all good! 

You've fallen asleep with makeup on and now your sheets are covered. Particularly problematic if, like me, you're a fan of instagrammable white sheets. The best thing for this is a bottle of Vanish Gold Powergel, use the 'rubbing head' to massage the gel into the stain, allow to soak for a few minutes before washing as normal! So simple! This also works for foundation on necklines, or if you have a good cry on a friends shoulder and cover their favourite tee in mascara. For other stains, check out the Vanish Stain Solver!

You've had a nap with mascara on, and it's gone all weird. This happens to me far too often, doze off for an innocent little nap, wake up with weird lashes all stuck together. I still need to look presentable, but I don't want to take all my makeup off and start together. This is a little trick I learnt whilst working at YSL, fold a cotton round in half and place the flat edge under your eye. Shut your eye, so your lashes are resting on the pad, and roll a cotton bud soaked in makeup remover across your lashes. This will remove the mascara, but keep the rest of your eye makeup and your undereye concealer intact! 

Your glasses are leaving indents in your foundation. This one is a tricky one to work around. The best thing is to use a lighter hand when it comes to the bridge of the nose, use lighter layers of foundation and press them in with a dampened beauty blender, so that the product is pressed into the skin instead of resting atop it. Set with a good lightweight powder, or even better, a makeup setting spray, and that should do the trick!

Your smokey eye look has gotten a little out of hand. And you've got shadow in places you don't want shadow. Use a pink toned concealer pressed into the skin to neutralise any wayward shadows when you've taken your shadow too high, or too wide!

What are your top tips for fixing makeup fails?

Let's Talk Snacks - New In From Graze

When it comes to dieting, or even healthy eating, I have one almighty downfall. I'm a snacker. 

I'm not one of those people who can eat three big meals a day and nothing else. I like to snack, graze and generally just pick at food throughout the day. I can't help it! And this is where I slip up, because I find eating good, healthy, whole foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner easy, but snacking is hard.

There's only so many cherry tomatoes and apples a girl can eat before she starts to get a little bored. 

Enter stage left Graze Boxes. I've had a fair few standard Graze boxes in the past, my boyfriend used to have a subscription and I'd bag all the flapjacks, as well as a few free box codes that came in handy. But I stopped ordering them a while back since, in all honesty, the standard boxes are quite expensive long term. Great for every now and then, if you're having a busy week, travelling or just out and about a lot, but as a weekly thing? It wasn't really necessary for me, especially since I work from home.

However, a couple of new(ish) releases from Graze caught my eye, so voucher in hand I placed an order for a couple of bits!

First up, a sharing box. This is the answer, I think, for people like me. A one off box like this contains five resealable snack packs, each containing around 20 normal Graze servings. It's a pretty easy process, Graze have 20 different snacks available in this format, you pick out which ones you like the sound of and they'll send you a random five. These little pouches are a great size, I've got one in my desk drawer, and I think they'll be great for taking away with me when I travel too. 

So, in my box!

Spiced Apple and Ginger Granola Topper: Equally good for sprinkling on top of granola for extra flavour, or just snacking on straight from the bag! Inside is spiced granola, dried apple pieces, ginger fudge and orange raisins. That description alone has me dribbling. If you're a fan of cinnamon and ginger, you'll love this. I may be almost out already because it's that damn good.

Texan Corn Salsa: If you're a nacho lover like me, you'll love this. Corn chips, salsa almonds, roasted corn and jumbo chilli corn, a handful of this is almost like a healthy version of tortilla chips and salsa. Not too spicy, just a hint of chilli flavour, super tasty!

Herby Bread Basket: This is my answer to avoiding eating a giant garlic bread on my own at three in the afternoon. Inside are mini basil breadsticks, garlic crostini and oregano rice crackers. It's a carb fix without leaving you feeling bloated and disgusting, and the herby flavours are delicious. 

Cherries & Berries: One of my Graze favourites, I'm so glad you can get a big pack of these now! Inside are dried cherries, lingonberries, cranberries and raisins, I'm not normally a dried fruit kinda gal, but I just adore these. I've had the Tesco and Lidl knockoffs before, but I much prefer these, they're juicier! 

Sour Cream and Garlic Crostini: For when you're craving pringles! Inside are sour cream and onion cashews, and garlic crostini. I should point out that as a rule I don't like nuts, but I generally always like them in Graze boxes, since they're flavoured and tasty!

This box is normally £15 but you can get your first box for £10, which I think is really good, considering how much you get. Again, it's not something I'd buy weekly (I don't think you'd need to anyway, this stuff will last ages), but for travelling, or as an occasional one off it's perfect! 

I also ordered two of the standard graze boxes, a flapjack box and a chocolate box. Because treats. I love that these are the perfect size to slip into your letterbox, and each individual snack is individually wrapped, and a good size for your handbag!

I've never had a Graze Flapjack I didn't like so the idea of an entire box devoted to flapjacks was a no brainer. Inside was (I definitely ate this one straight away) an Apple and Cinnamon flapjack (my absolute favourite), a Lemon Curd flapjack (a close second), a Cocoa and Vanilla Protein flapjack (I hadn't tried this before but I ate this in a midafternoon slump and it gave me a real energy boost), and a Fruit and Seed flapjack (a solid contender). Not one complaint at all, except that the box doesn't come with a little man to stop you eating them all in one go. 

The chocolate box was a bit of a risk for me since I'm not a giant chocolate fan (I know, I know). I was pleasantly surprised though, these little packs are the perfect afternoon-pick-me-up when you're craving a six pack of Mars bars. Inside I had Caramel & Peanut Track and Field (Salted Caramel milk chocolate buttons oh my oh my, peanuts, fudge, and raisins), Dip Your Own Chocolate Pretzels ( poppyseed pretzels and a chocolate dip, yum yum), Graze's Chocolate Orange (orange chocolate raisins, milk chocolate buttons, jumbo raisins & orange raisins, this tasted like jaffa cakes) & After Dinner Mint (peppermint raisins that were surprisingly delicious, dark belgian chocolate and almonds). Basically, it was all delicious! 

So the verdict? I still wouldn't get a box every week, but as a treat every now and then (or before a big trip) these are just perfect! 

Also, if you want a free box, you can use the code JAYER2WLE to get one! This isn't a sponsored thing with Graze, just a code every customer gets to share with their friends! And I like you guys ;)

Aaaaaand writing this post has made me hungry.

A Faux Glow Even I Can Get On Board With

As a self confessed pasty-lady, I can tell you with little embarrassment that fake tan scares me. With skin so fair that even Caspar would be jealous, one foul move and I'm less week in Barbados, more life in Willy Wonkas factory.  

For that reason, my forays into the world of fake tan have been minimal. I've dabbled with some tinted lotions, attempted a No7 'gentle tanner', and even slapped on some Fake Bake once. Whilst not all the results where totally terrible, I never found anything that made me think 'yes, this is it, this is the one for me'. Until now. 

If you're even somewhat active on Instagram, I'm sure you'll have seen the St Tropez In Shower Gradual Tan pop up in the timeline of most beauty bloggers feed in the last few weeks, like a flu pandemic. The stuff is everywhere. I'd managed to snag a bottle a week prior to the release when some inefficient Boots staff got a little over-eager with the New In display, and I am in fact onto my second bottle now! 

So what makes this stuff different from the rest? Well for starters, it's easy. Not mitt required, just slather this on post body wash whilst you're still in the shower, leave it for three minutes (about as long as it takes to sing your favourite song through) and rinse. Simples. No carefully measuring out product to make sure your left leg isn't more tanned than your right, no risk of streaks. Just apply and rinse, simples.

Now if you're after staggering, instant results after one use, this isn't the tan for you, but if you're after a subtle, natural looking tan than look no further. I've been using this every other shower to build up a natural tan and if I do say so myself, I look good.

Two minor drawbacks, it's a little drying, I like to follow up with a moisturiser for good measure, and it makes your shower super slippy, so take care with it! A small price to pay for a perfect faux glow though!

And best of all, it's currently a third off in Boots! Yay! 

Do you have a go to fake tan?