Review- Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Range

Hey Hey,

Today I’m going to give my personal thoughts and share my experience of using the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Range Spray & Lotion.

The spray version is the original version. I remember when I first discovered this a few years ago and I remember feeling like yes! My prayers have been answered!! I was instantly in love. However over the years I have made new discoveries and opinion of the product has grown.

The tan is geared towards your legs but personally I use this all over my body, wherever it is needed.

Colour

This range is an instant tan range. So on application it will be the colour it is going to stay. It does not develop over time. There are four colours in the range which are light glow, medium glow, tan glow and deep glow.

Ease of Application

I find both the spray and the lotion extremely easy to blend. It is quite thick in consistency (the lotion is slightly thicker than the spray) but super blendable. Also a really cool thing about this tan is that I have found is that, like make-up, it can be sheered down or built up. So you can decide how heavy/dark you want the tan to be. I use a tanning mitt to apply the tan. It will wash off your hands if you choose to apply with your hands only but I just can not be bothered with all that faffing about.

Time to dry

It can take a while to dry or it will transfer. This is the biggest issue I have with the range. Once dried it will take a bit of scrubbing to get off but it can take up to a half an hour to dry (well for me anyway) and I have been using these products for years. I have ruined outfits and had to choose new ones because I didn’t leave it try properly and the colour transferred onto the clothing.

Colour Payoff

I do love the colour. I use medium glow and like I said you can build it up and sheer it down so for day-time and work I use it with a light hand and for nights out I build it up for a dark tan.

Lasting Power

I know they have brought out a water proof version recently enough but it is fairly water resistant as it is. I find that you have to scrub in the shower in order to get all of the product off my skin.

*Tip* if you have a drink spilled on you while you are wearing the tan DO NOT RUB OR WIPE. Let it dry naturally or pat softly with a cloth and your tan will not be disturbed.

Spray OR Lotion???

Personally I would choose the lotion and heres why –

·         Application is less messy than with the spray (I have destroyed many a bathroom with the spray)

·         If you don’t use the tan for a while the spray version can tend to go green… you do not want to realise this just before application, before you are heading out… nightmare!

·         The lotion is more expensive but you get more product.

·         I find the lotion slightly more blendable and easier to work with to get your desired shade light-dark.

Rating out of 10

8/10 this is only because it does take a bit of time to dry otherwise it will transfer, other than that I love this product!

Conclusion

I think this is an excellent range and I really do think that Sally Hansen were ahead of their time when it comes to modern day tanning. They have created a range that gives us as consumers what we want. A tan that we don’t need to develop, that has really good coverage for veins and scars, that isn’t orange, water resistant but yet washed off in the shower. what more could you ask for? It really is make-up for your body. Honestly I don’t think there is ever a long period of time where I actually don’t have a bottle on hand. So if any of you are looking to try out a new tan you haven’t already tried this I’m recommending you give this a shot.

If you give it a go let me know what you think

Thank you for reading

xox

My Self – Tanning Routine (Pre – Post Tanning Body Care)

Hello Everyone,

So as is it the season for tanning I thought I would share with you how I prepare my body for self-tanning and how I take care of the tan once it has been applied.

Days leading up to the tanning application

Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate –

It is very important to have smooth skin when applying self - tanner. This means removing all dead skin. I usually exfoliate at least once a week anyway but I make sure to use a tougher one like a sea salt scrub when I know I’m self-tanning. The one I have been currently using is the Avon, Planet Spa South Pacific Sea Salt Body Polisher. It’s very gritty and perfect for leaving you with smooth soft skin. The only thing i find with this product is that it will leave an oily residue so it should not be used right before tan application as it will create a barrier.

Deep Condition/Moisturise the skin –

Tanning can be quite dehydrating for your skin so when preparing for self-tan application I always apply either a rich body butter or moisturiser. I have been using either Macadamia Oil Extract Body Butter or a combo of Vaseline Spray & Go – Cocoa Radiant and Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil (I Have a review coming up of this). First I apply the Vaseline Body Moisturiser and when that is completely dry I apply the Garnier Beauty Oil. 

Remember these steps are most important the night before tanning application. Also any shaving or waxing should be done the night before as well.  

Day of Tan Application

I usually apply the tan during the day, leaving it to develop over the course of the day and showering off before going out that night or going to bed.

In the morning I will shower and exfoliate only using shower gel and a body brush or exfoliating gloves. This means there will be no oil residue from exfoliating products to cause a barrier for the tan. 

I don’t always apply a moisturiser afterwards but if I do it will be an oil free one. This depends on time constraints. The one I have been using has been the Cocoa Brown Chocolate Whip (I will also be post a review of this product soon too) I then apply a regular moisturiser to the tough areas of my body – elbow, ankles, knees, knuckles.  

I make sure all this has set in before I apply my Tan.

After I Tan I make sure not to shower or moisturise or do anything which will cause me to sweat until the tan has fully developed. After the tan has developed I will rinse off the excess in the shower and not apply anymore lotions or potions.

The next day

Shower lightly. This means no loofahs, body brushes, exfoliating gloves, nothing rough or abrasive. Lightly exfoliate with a soft exfoliator on areas where the tan has gathered if needed – knees, elbows, ankles, knuckles. The one I have been using is the Avon Be Bronze Self Tan Corrector Scrub.

Apply Oil Free Moisturiser to keep the tan from drying out your skin.

*Repeat this process over the course of the tan for even fading and smooth appearance.

Do you have any tips or hints for me? Im always striving for the perfect self-tan.

Let me know if you have tried any of the products I have mentioned and let me Know what you thought of them.

Thank you for reading

xox

Bronzed Summer Make-up look

Hello everyone,

So as I have been Loving the weather we’ve been having here in Ireland I thought it would be appropriate to show you all the look I have been going for to make my skin look all bronzed up and glowey.  I have also found that the copper on my eyes really make my blue eyes pop. 

To find out how I achieved this look just keep reading - 

• I primed my face (Maybelline Baby Skin Primer)
• I applied my foundation using my real techniques expert face brush (Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin, Nude) 
• I applied my concealer in the shape of 2 Vs under the eyes and dotted it on my chin and forehead. I then blended this out into my base. I use this to cover dark circles and as a highlighter for the centre of my face. (Essence Stay All Day 16hr Concealer)
• Next I applied Barry M eyeliner pencil 29 to the lashline and into the outer V of the eye. I blended this out with a MAC 217 blending brush and used this as my base eyeshadow. I then applied some bronzer in to the V to the give the look more dimension. (Catrice – Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder)
• I use the darker shade in my eyebrow kit on my top lash line, winging it out slightly at the outer edges (Catrice – Eyebrow set). I then soft blended the edges with my 217 brush.
• Next I apply translucent powder to the centre of my face, where I have already applied concealer. (Catrice- Prime & Fine Translucent Loose Powder)
• I move on to contouring. I apply this under the cheekbones, on the temples and jawline and neck. (Catrice – Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder)
• I tight line the upper and lower waterlines with black eyeliner pencil (Avon – Colourtrend – Black). I lined the lower lashline with that copper eyeliner pencil (Barry M - 29). I then took my bronzer again and blended it across the lower lasline.
• Next I curled my lashes and apply my first mascara (Catrice – Lases to Kill, Ultra Black, Volume Mascara).
• And on to the eyebrows. For this I use powder. I have used pencil in the past but I prefer powder now to define and fill them in (Catrice – Eyebrow set)
• Next for my lips I applied Maybelline – Sultry Sand followed by Maybelline – Rosy Dream and topped it off with Barry M lipgloss 12
• Next my first coat of mascara has set so I curl them again and go back in with my second mascara that I use (Catrice – Lashes to Kill – Fibre Lash mascara)
• Next I applied seventeen WOW Tan Liquid Glow on the top of my cheekbones for and added glow
• And finally I set my face using my Urban Decay – All Nighter finishing spray

For my hair I decided to put it in a cute side braid just to keep it out of my face in the hot weather

 Also the tan I'm wearing is the St Moritz self tanning lotion in the colour medium. I am currently trying out the range so I can do a full review for you guys. 

Thank you for reading

xox

Essence - Gel Nails at Home

Hey hey,

Lets face it who doesn't want pretty nails and I for one have always been a fan of pretty nails. A couple of times a year I will get Gel Nails but in general I like to keep my nails long and well groomed. I enjoy doing my nails and think that there is not much sense in paying a salon 60-100 euro when I can use my own creativity and do it myself. I always get asked are my nails real and 9 times out of ten I’m proud to say they are. 

However recently I spotted the Gel Nails at Home kit for essence and decided I would try to step it up a gear. I had never done gel nails before and was intrigued about the product. Why not sure? I bought LED Lamp, the Primer, the cleanser, the peel off gel base and the clear gel top coat. Finally I decided to treat myself to a new essence polish as well. I choose a sparkly blue polish called – It’s raining men.  I decided to go with the clear gel top coat so that it gave me the freedom to wear whatever colour I wanted underneath. 

If you want to find more about the products and how I used them just keep reading. I will include the prices I paid for each item but these can vary from store to store. I purchased mine in Pennys/Primark. 

LED Lamp - €24.99

Small and compact but fits all five nails at once. Connects to the wall with a plug, has and on/off switch on the back and has a small purple button on the top of the device to turn it on. The light lasts 60 seconds at a time. It claims on the front – high-shine gel look, lasts up to 2 weeks.

Primer - €3.99

This primer is recommended to be applied before all the other products to protect the nails. It does come with a warning that it does contain alcohol so it is slightly flammable. I do think a base coat would probably do the same job but this is my first time trying this out so I may be wrong.

Peel off gel base - €3.99

Next I applied this product. I think it’s a very good idea to have a peel off base as personally believe the worst part of having a gel manicure is the process of taking it off. I am definitely a fan of any product that makes it easier.

Cleanser -

This product cleans the nail of any sticky residue that is left over.

Clear Gel Top Coat - €3.99

This is the top coat that when cured is rock hard and enables to help your manicure to last up to 2 weeks.  

     

Gel Nail at Home Process

How I applied the products

• I applied the primer to my nails

• I applied a thick layer of the peel off base coat keeping it at even as possible

• I cured my nails under the lamp for 10 seconds

• I used the cleanser to wipe off any sticky residue

• I applied two layers of Essence Nail Varnish – It’s Raining Men and waited for them to completely dry before moving onto the next step.

• I applied the clear gel top coat again a thick enough layer but keeping it as even as possible

• I cured it under the lamp. This time I left it under for 60 seconds. Im not sure if it was too much but I just wanted to make sure it had completely dry.

• Finally I used that cleanser again to wipe away any lasting residue and it was finished!

After Care & Removal

I found that it lives up to its claim, It really does last a long time without chipping. I put cuticle oil on after each time i do a manicure just to finish it off. I found removal very easy. They do just peal off. I found the key is application. It depends to how well you apply the products on how long it lasts and how easy it is to remove. 

Negative

I found with this product that it depends on the colour nail varnish you use on how shiny it actually it. when i used the nail varnish - Essence -  Berry Now! i found it muted the shine and made the colour darker then what it actually is. This is a shame as Berry Now! is a beautiful Raspberry colour. I think its because the clear gel top coat is actually tinted yellow so I think this has a slight effect on the colour of nail varnish you choose. 

Overall thoughts

I really like this product (Combo of Products) I think it was a great Idea for Essence to release these products. It does do exactly what it promises to do but may have a slight effect of colour change on certain nail varnishes. Essence have also released other types of top coats (Special Effects, French Manicure) so I will be interested to try them. Overall Impressed with the product!!  

Current Top Drugstore/High-Street Pink Lipsticks

Hello Beauties,

First I want to give a shout out to all my Irish girls who are LOVING the weather at the moment! AMAZING!! I will be putting up blog posts on everything tanning soon but I’m just putting some products on trial at the moment. Today I thought I would share with you guys my top picks for pink drugstore/high-street lipstick at the moment. I love love love pink lipstick. Its very girly and compliments most make-up looks.

So here are my top 5 – 

I have 5 different Brands to show you. These are in order of shade and not on how much I favor them as it depends on the day and my make-up look on which one I choose.

Barry M – 100

I love this baby pink colour. The only I don’t like is that Barry M don’t name their products. I love the names of products and think its half the fun of having your own product line. I would love a job where I could just give really cool names to products all day long haha.

Sleek – Babydoll

This is more of a peachy baby pink. Very cute <3

Maybelline – Rosy Dream

As you can tell this lipstick is well loved. It has good pigmentation but is not over powering on the lipstick. It is a luster kind product so it has a light sparkle or shine to it. I think it’s perfect for this time of year.

17 – Fushcia with Blue Pearl

I love hot pinks with a blue undertone (makes your teeth look whiter!!). I love this one I bought it a while back so I think this may be old packaging but nonetheless the product is a hit.

Wet & Wild – Fuschia with blue pearl  

Again another hot pink with blue undertone. This is a recent enough purchase but I just gravitated towards it in the store. It is very hard to find Wet & Wild in Ireland so I was so excited when I spotted a stand in my local Pennys/ Primark.     

I hope you enjoyed my post.

What are your top picks for this summer season??

Thank you for reading

xox

Review – Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser

Hello beauties,

As some of you might remember I posted a haul not so long ago. One of the items I picked up in that haul was the Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser. I have been using it ever since and here are my thoughts on the product.

In general I am a fan of Vaseline products. There are a million things you can do with Vaseline petroleum jelly…. Well maybe not a million but certainly a lot. I may do a post in the future for you guys telling you about some of the ways I use it. When I saw this spray and go body moisturiser on the shelf it certainly perked my interest.

This product claims to moisturise in seconds so you can put your clothes straight on, instantly leaves skin soft, not sticky or greasy. It contains 190ml of product and comes in 3 different scents, total moisture (which is the original) Aloe Fresh & Cocoa Radiant. It has a twisty cap on the top which personally I am a fan of. I hate taking on lids and putting them back on when your hands are sticky. Plus I also have a habit of losing them.

I really like this product. I love the smell! I think that this product does deliver on its claims to dry in seconds and leave you soft without feeling greasy. I have mentioned in a previous post that I am someone who hates the feeling of greasiness or stickiness on their skin so was impressed with this product. I also like the spray application.  

I have heard other reviews where people found that it was messy and left their bathroom tiles slippery but I personally have not had this problem yet.

Overall I would consider this product a hit. I definitely repurchase this item in the future. If you too are looking for a quick no fuss body moisturiser I recommend you give this one ago.

Have you tried this product?? What did you think??

Do have any better or products just as good you could recommend to me??

Just leave me a comment and let me know

Thank you for reading

xox

10 Nail Varnishes I have been loving for Spring/Summer

Hello everyone,

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday. Today I thought I would share with you the shades of nail varnish which I have been loving and gravitating towards in the past couple of months. I have five 5 pastel shades and 5 bolder and brighter shades. 

If you would like to know more about these, just keep reading!! I will go through each polish individually.

Essence – Free Hugs

I love this colour. It’s such a happy, fun in the sun kind of colour

Essence – That’s what I mint 

This colour has recently been getting a bit of hype on you tube and it is well deserved. This colour is the perfect pastel mint colour!! Definitely worth a try!

Angelica – Lemoncello

I'm not sure how available this brand is. I bought mine in pennys/primark. They carry the whole range there. I was very impressed with the products consistency , application and colour selection – especially their pastel range. It is very hard to find a nice yellow. Well I struggle with it anyway. Some varnishes can make your hands look sick or dead. But I really do like this one!!

Barry M Nail Paint – Blue Moon

This is a beautiful baby blue shade. The only problem I had with this varnish is that is quite sheer on application so it can take a couple of coats to build up a solid colour. When you do however it is a beautiful colour.

Angelica – Apricot

As soon as that sun comes out coral screams to me!! And this shade was calling out to me as soon as I spotted it on the shelf. It is such a pretty colour and perfect for this time of year.

Glo Baby Glo

Unfortunately this polish doesn't seem to have a name. but I think that I purchased this in Pennys/Primark again. This for me is a summer nights kind of polish and I love it. Easy application with good colour, strongly pigmented from the first coat

Avon – Sand Shimmer

This was a recent rediscovery that I had in my collection and forgot about. This is Arabian nights, evening at the beach kind of polish. Very pretty.

Essence – Purple Sugar

I was instantly drawn to this polish! I don’t think the camera has picked up on how beautiful it is in real life. Again a fun bright colour for summer fun!!

Rimmel – Misty Jade

I love turquoise for this time of year! I just think the colour looks amazing against a tan!

Avon – Coral beat

Again gotta have coral but this is a brighter more vibrant shade!! I found the same issue with this polish as I did with the Barry M nail paint, quite sheer and needed to be built up.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my current favorite shade of nail varnish

What are your favorite shades for the summer??

Thank you for reading

xox