UTan and Tone's Coconut Tanning Water : the fastest and easiest way to tan your face!

 I cannot be the only person out there who is a total wimp when it comes to using fake tan on my face. I'm good with tan, I like it, I love it, but there's something about wiping the mitt all over my face that makes me ever so nervous.
So nervous in fact that I'll let you into a secret.... I hardly ever fake tan my face (unless I'm desperate.). I'll tan up to my neck/chin and then pop on darker foundation when doing my make-up! 

NEW Cocoa Brown Kind Shampoo & Conditioner

When Cocoa Brown annouced their new haircare range my first thoughts were.... what? wait? tan for your hair?! But I'm blonde!
Of course... I was having a total mad moment - obviously they have just branched out and added haircare to their already fabulous range!

So... Kind shampoo and conditioner, hello new friends! This duo is specially formulated for sensitive skin and scalps, which is perfect for me and my new bleached head hair!

Free from parabens (yay) and pH neutral (double yay) - which means not only are these fine to use daily but it also means this stuff won't interfere your fake tan, helping your glow last that bit longer! 
Since I've been back to my gym classes I've been washing my hair a lot more so I'm pleased these are suitable for that!

I've used these a few times now and have been so, so pleasantly surprised.
The products smell lovely (and no smell of biscuits anywhere!) with cleansing agents such as coconut oil and fruit sugars they have a lovely fruity, fresh scent.

The part I am most impressed with is the pricing - I pictured these being around £6.99 each.... but online they are just £2.65!
Cheaper than Herbal Essences and Garnier half the time - these are a total bargain and I hope they are going out to all Superdrug's to make it easy for everyone to get their hands on them.

High Five Cocoa Brown - another fabulous product!

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My Everyday Contouring Duo

Contouring has been talk of the make-up town for at least a year now and although I'm no Kimmy K when it comes to shaping my face, I do use a couple of products in my everyday routine to give me a little definition, colour and shimmer.

These two have been a solid make-up favourite and in my make-up bag since the day that I got them. It was literally love at first use and I know I've talked about them a fair few times already on here but I do feel like they deserve another mention! 

These two are both from the ever-growing cosmetic brand theBalm - on the left the Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter and on the right the Bahama Mama bronzer - and I cannot rant and rave about these enough.

The highlight is a gorgeous pinky silver shimmer highlight which gives a gorgeous sheen and glow to the skin and the bronzer is a fantastic matte tan shade, which I always find hard to get hold of (For under £25 anyway!) - together they are a dream team!

I start off my doing my usual base of make-up - primer, concealer and foundation. I then use my Zoeva Sheer Luxe Cheek Brush to sweep the bronzer into the classic '3' shape from my forehead round to my cheekbones and then down towards jawline. At this point I look a bit OTT and ridiculous but that doesn't last long.

I then use the other end/side of the brush to start of the highlighting.
 With the Mary-Lou I usually pop a bit alongside/above the line I had made along my cheekbones, then down my nose, a tad on my forehead and a little on my cupids bow and chin.
Then it's time for the blending - I use my big fluffy Real Techniques powder brush to buff it all together in small circular motions, blending away those harsh lines and creating a soft, subtle and wearable bronzed and highlighted look.

As you can see.... these are running thin and I'm already panicking about running out! Even though I'm trying to save money this next year these will have the be a re-purchased as I really can't see me living without them anytime soon.

What are you favourite bronzers and highlights? Have you tried either of these?

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My Winter Essentials : Fake Tanning

Sad (or exciting) as it is, Winter is nearly upon us! The clocks have gone back marking the official end to British summertime and our wardrobe's are slowly changing from flip-flops and shorts to jumpers and coats!

BUT just because summer is gone doesn't me can can't still be fabulous and glamorous. Winter is one of my favourite times for beauty, warm tones, seriously amounts of shimmer and glitter plus the perfect time to use that trusty old fake tan!

Over the next month or two on the lead up to Christmas and the New Year I have decided to start a new small series of posts on here named "My Winter Essentials" I'll be sharing the products and items I can't live without and maybe a few cheeky wishlists too!

First up today I'm going to be talking about Fake Tan - the stuff that keeps us looking slightly healthy and un-casper like through the dark and cold months before Spring arrives again!

In my time (we'll say the last 5 years) I have been through my fair share of different tanning products to change my dodgy pale complexion to a half decent bronzed glow but there is always one that sticks out to me and one that I have always recommended to friends and family alike and that is St Moriz.

Now I first stumbled across this brand when doing a bit of bargain hunting on Fragrance Direct back in 2010! I purchased a couple of bottles on a whim as they were only £2.99 and back then there was noway I could really afford to splash out on things like St. Tropez and Fake Bake.

I remember it arriving and being slightly dubious and applying it initially but once I had a mitt in hand I thought I'd give the mousse a go and if it went wrong I'd just wear jeans and long sleeves!

But it never really did go wrong, I so pleased with the results, it was so easy to apply and the results were just what I was looking for.

That was with the Medium shade and I have ALWAYS used the medium shade until recently when the awesome people at St. Moriz contacted me!

St. Moriz Instant Shimmer, Dark Mousse & Applicator Mitt*

 Dark shades of fake tan have always made me a little nervous. Naturally I'm pretty pale (having a red headed mother will do that for ya!) so I've always stuck to the middle of the road medium tones which I knew I could always build up if I wanted to make it darker.

After years of this though I have now felt more confident to try out things a little more bold. So when St. Moriz sent me one of their 'dark' mousses I was excited to give it a go! I haven't been back from Florida long so it was also good to use to try and keep the slight tan I got there!

The mousse has always been my favourite product, alongside the mitt provided this is, for me, the easiest way to tan my body and gives the best results!

The dark shade left me with a great natural bronzed look, perfect for a night out with my girls!

 The instant shimmer isn't something I would use as much just as the weather here isn't always great I would be nervous of t running if I was to get caught in the rain! 
It works great though to give the legs a subtle shimmer and dewy shine - much better than my usual dull wobbly calves, shins and thighs! 

Tanning is the best way to get your body looking slimmer and more toned without actually having to do anything plus you can even get your limbs and abs looking naturally defined and strong with a bit of contouring if you feel brave enough. 

A Few Fake Tanning Top Tips from Myself & St. Moriz

• Always exfoliate before tanning, Getting rid of those nasty dead skin cells will help your tan sit better on your skin, avoid patchness and also make sure it lasts longer!
• Moisturise your skin! Keep it hydrated and soft - another way to prevent patchiness across yourself and to help prolong your tan!

• Always shave at least 24 hours before tanning - there's nothing worse than getting a saving rash from tanning!
• Start from your feet and working your way upwards! It's the best way to get an even tan when doing it yourself. It helps you avoid those creasing marks from bending over!
• Always use a mitt - a mitt is a tan's best friend, especially when using a mousse! It helps you blend it evenly and also saves your hands from getting in a horrible stained mess!
• Tan in front of a mirror if you can! You can always see then if you have missed anywhere or if anywhere needs more blending!
• Don't tan on carpet - it's not the easiest things to get out but if you have no choice when either stand on a towel or even do it when stood in the bath or shower!
• Pop your mitt on the end of a wooden spoon! If you struggle to get those hard to reach places on your back an don't have a helpful sole around who could do it for you then just grab a wooden spoon and attach your mitt to it! Easy peasy!
• Wear loose clothing to bed! 9 times out of 10 your going to fake tan over night so you can let it develop while you sleep - make sure you wear loose clothing that way it hopefully won't interfer with your masterpiece tanning job too much!

St. Moriz is by far the best value for money tan I have ever used! Their products range from just £4.99 and the results truly are as good as higher end products which I've tried!
 The mousse is a product that I will repurchase again and again and for less than £5 I urge you all to give it a go!
 You can find St. Moriz is soooo many places now Boots, Asda, Feel Unique, Tesco naming just a few so there's got to be some near you wherever you live :)

Have you tried any St. Moriz products?

What's your favourite fake tan?

What are your Winter Essentials?

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POTW #25 : The Body Shop Honey Bronzer Powder - Medium Matte

Happy August people - its the 1st, it's a Friday so it's my Product Of The Week time!

A product I've wanted for months is finally mine! Yes a couple of weeks ago I was on the mainland (yes that's what us islanders call it) and hopped into the nearest body shop giving my boyfriend no choice but to traipsed in behind me! Although this trip I knew exactly what I wanted and went straight in for it and managed to leave without picking up anything else - miracle much?

It's the honey bronzer from The Body Shop! I have been looking at reviews/photos etc of this online for ages now but for some reason hadn't picked it up until now! 

This product is so pretty I didn't even want to use it at first!
 It comes in a lovely brown compact with slight honeycomb pattern, open it up and you get the amazing bronzer!  I choose the medium matte shade. It's quite hard finding a matte bronzer for a cheap(ish) price, the only one I've used alot and love is the one in the sleek contour kit, so this is fab! I thought the light shade would be way too light for me especially with it being summer and hopefully I'll be getting some form of a tan at some point.

A perfect bronzer added to my daily make-up routine! I'm in love with this, so easily blended and can't wait to take it to Florida with me!

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Karora Cosmetics Skin Sensation CC Cream For Face & Body Review

I'm definitely more of a CC cream girl than a BB cream girl - I don't think I have actually ever even bought a BB cream! This is mainly because I like more of a full coverage base, but when CC creams came out they intruiged me with the promise of banishing redness aswell as evrything else so I've bought my fair share over the last year to try.

  Something I had yet to try until now is 1. a 'one shade fits all' CC cream and 2. a CC cream that is made for both face and body - and that is exactly what this product from Karora is!

Karora is a brand I hadn't really heard of until a couple of months ago where reviews seemed to be popping up everywhere featuring their tans and creams! So when they asked if I wanted to give their CC cream for face and body a go I thought... why not!

I like CC creams for this time of year especially as they do feel a bit lighter on the skin while still giving a fairly good coverage!

Karora Cosmetics Skin Sensation CC Cream For Face & Body*

The bottle is alot bigger than your regular cc cream/foundation - it is 100ml and comes in a lovely purple tube. It's obviously bigger because this stuff is for your face and your body!

The product comes out a slight grey colour but adjusts to a skin tone once it you starts to blend it.

The texture is nice and creamy and with a buffing brush blends in easily.  With ingredients such as green tea leaf extract and argan oil this cream provides serious hydration for your skin and leaves it feeling smooth.

I have one slight problem I have with this cream is the scent. It smells a bit funky to me, a bit of a fishy tint - which kind of lets it down for me, especially if you're wearing it on your face (near your nose!)

The colour is slightly too dark for my face at the moment but will be fab once I have a bit of a tan, so I'm sure this will be joining me in Florida!

 As for using on your body this stuff is fab for helping to blend in any imperfections or marks on the skin and give you an even complexion, good for things like hyper-pigmentation and age spots.

Karora's Skin Sensation CC Cream is priced at £20.99 and with there not being many products like this around and the size of the bottle you get, for me it is a suitable price range.

UPDATE : Since writing this post Karora have approached me and revealed they have produced a new formula for this particular product in which they have improved the smell, so I will hopefully be trying that beauty out soon.... stay tuned.......

Have any of you tried this out yet? I would love to know if you found the smell a bit off too? Or is it just mine?

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OOTD : The LBSD

Another fashion post today - I'm really loving doing more posts about clothing and fashion, finally getting a bit more confidence with it all!

Today is all about the LBSD (Little Black  Swing Dress... duh!). For me black is classic and if I'm ever stuck with what to wear it normally ends up being something black - although I don't see it as depressing at all like many!

Black is a colour that you can wear all year round - obviously just accessorise it differently if the sun is shining!

This is a dress I received recently from the fabulous Mrs. Blak - this is a new website to me and I have become obsessed with browsing it's pages!

 I'm the sort of person who sometimes goes on a site... looks at the dresses and refines the search options to my size and black. This site literally only sells black clothing - perfect if you're looking for an LBD right?

With pieces from ladies such as Lydia Bright, Amy Childs, Binky and Jessica Wright aswell as their own pieces this site is great and there are prices to suit everyone - to see everything they have to offer sign up to their fun newsletter - here!

Excuse my white face.... I think the powder I used was a tad light - shame on me, I look ill!

Swing Dress : Mrs.Blak*

Necklace : New Look

Shoes : New Look (£5 in the sale - total bargain!)

Legs : Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs Instant Spray Tan*

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Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Dark Mousse Review

I love a good tan and I've been known to dabble with a fair few products in my time. Gradual tanning moisturisers, mousses, instant sprays and most recently a professional spray tan done! I love the confidence you gain with a tan, it makes you look healthier and of course I love the fact it makes me look slightly smaller!

Today is a product I had been so so excited to try out - it is the Cocoa Brown (by Marissa Carter) 1 Hour Tan Mousse. (*)

Now although I am always chopping and changing what tanning products I use - from LW Tan to St. Moritz I have always gone for the sort of 'medium' shades. 
Where I have a fairly pale skin tone I've always been nervous about going the whole hog and getting the dark dark shades but after having a dark spray tan recently it's made me a little more confident with embracing my inner TOWIE.

I had heard alot of Cocoa Brown - lots of bloggers have raved about it, twitter is full of recommendations and I recently noticed it in my local Superdrug, so I was super excited to try it out!

Mousse's are my favourite type of tan to apply because well... I find them the easiest! Pump onto a mitt and away you go!
After just 2 or 3 pumps I had completely covered my leg (yes just the one - I wanted to capture the difference for you guys.... the things I do for this blog!)

"Easy to apply this first-of-a-kind formulation combines hi tech accelerating agents, which are activated upon contact with skin and speed up the tan’s absorption and development, to deliver a rich, cocoa brown tan."

The first thing I noticed about this stuff was the scent. There was not a hint of the classic 'biscuit' smell at all! There are lots of brands that say they don't have the smell but there is always a slight hint of it but with this - not at all!
Also, the colour of the mousse was so much lighter than I was expecting! Seeing as this is a dark, fast developing tan I honestly thought the product would be alot lot darker than it is!

So tanned up I pottered around my flat for the next hour or so - thankfully this stuff dried more or less instantly and isn't sticky in the slightest so there was no trouble with needing to get on with things!
Before I knew it is was time to wash it off! No shower gel or soap needed just rinse it off and the tan will continue to develop for up to 3 hours afterwards (crazy!)

A great tanning product with great results! I love the gorgeous golden shade this has left after just 1 hour!
 A fab product perfect for when you're in a rush and want a great tan quickly that's going to last for longer than 1 night! I can't quite believe that it's only £7.99 - what a bargain!

Have you girls tried this stuff out? I'm definitely more confident with going for darker shades now!

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Product Of The Week #5

March is here and I've finally seen some sunshine - yay! But even though the rays have been out it's not like I'm off to go and soak it in a the beach anytime soon.

 Last week I made the decison that I had enough of my pale skin and agreed to go and get a spray tan!

Now I say agreed because my beautiful friend who does them has been trying to give me one for months but until now I've just been too shy and too self conscious about myself to head on over and strip off.

 But I decided that I no longer wanted to be the pale one in all the photos from the weekend and too just go and suck it up - it is only one of my closest friends after all!

Now to keep a tan looking good and even moisturiser becomes your best friend. Lots and lots of it was needed to keep me looking sunkissed and glowing so I thought why not whip out something I had been saving - The Body Shop Shea Body Butter.

This is the second time that a Body Shop product has made it into my POTW - which is pretty impressive seeing as this is only number 5!

This reminds me that I really should buy more often from them - they are an awesome brand who rarely disappoint.

Now - back to what I was talking about. 

I had bought this at the end of last year when there was a half price sale on (you may remember my haul). I only bought the small one as it made it a total bargain (about £2.50) and as I was on the budget I thought I could buy more if I bought the cheaper options/smaller sizes of everything.

I had been saving this... I'm not sure why but I thought it would be lovely to use in the summer or when I went on holiday!

 But seeing as my tan had come early it seemed like the perfect product! This stuff smells incredible - like totally amazeballs! I couldn't stop smelling my skin when this was on it, Shea is one of my favourite scents for products!

It is thick and creamy but  sinks into the skin with ease and as you can see by the picture I have definitley used a fair bit!

This was a great, great product to help my tan stay even and keep me smelling lovely! I am already looking at buying the larger size of this so I can use it daily!

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Time Bomb Cosmetics : Holiday In A Bottle Review

Has anyone seen the sun lately? Nope - me either! 

This winter has sucked and summer cannot come quick enough! At the moment it's still more rain, wind and hail than any form of vitamin D so what could we all need more than a bit of a holiday in a bottle. 

Which is exactly what this stuff is - Time Bomb Cosmetics : Holiday In A Bottle.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels a bit pants when pale. I've said it before but having a bit of colour and a glow has so many benefits - the biggest being looking healthier (for me anyway!)

With the weather we've been having the last few months I'm as white as a sheet and hating every minute of it - I could really do with any form of tan! 

This is where Time Bomb Cosmetics comes in!

This stuff isn't a fake tan or a stain - just a gorgeous liquid sunshine type product! A product to put on under your foundation (well that's when I've been putting it on anyway!), this stuff is a gorgeous instant complexion boost and that quick hit of sunshine we've all been dying for!

If you've read my blog before you know I'm all for a shimmer and a glow and this stuff really does the job!
Holiday in a bottle comes in two shades and the one I have been using is in the shade 'Sunkissed'.
The only ever product I have used that is similar to this stuff is Soap & Glory's Glow Job and that was a long, long time ago and I have to say I do prefer this version from Time Bomb.

When pumped out this product comes out a grey, silver-type colour - a bit like a highlighter. But as soon as you start to mix and blend the product the micro-pigments start to burst and it immediately turns into the glowing tan shade you imagine which helps enhance your natural complexion.

This stuff does need to be blended well especially into the neck and I've found it best to do it just with your hands, no make-up accessories needed.

Just one pump spread around the face seems to be enough for me - a little goes a long way. That is one of the features I really like - the pump action. I hate product that you have to try and judge yourself so the pump makes it alot easier to ration out this stuff (especially with the £28 price tag) 

This is great for all skin tones and gives a great subtle glowing base to start your make-up for the day with - or you could even just wear it on it's own!

This is the first product I have tried from Time Bomb Cosmetics and I've been really impressed I really want to try out more of their range - they have sooo many products from skincare to haircare to jewellery!

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(***Disclaimer : This product was kindly sent to me by the lovely people at Time Bomb Cosmetics. All thoughts, opinions and ideas are always my own and I would never include an item or product on A Yellow Brick Blog that I didn't truly believe in.)

Seventeen Instant Glow Cream Bronzer Review

Another new product from that ever growing brand Seventeen? Why yes... yes it is!
I spotted this when I spotted the new Tan Liquid Glow Skin Wow (Review here) and thought it looked like a winner so picked it up!
It is the Seventeen Instant Glow Cream Bronzer.

Cream bronzer's are something I've had my eye on for a while but still were yet to pick up and try out!
I've really been loving Seventeen's products this past 6 months, they keep bringing out such fantastic new products which I haven't seen from other drugstore brands! (The skin wow! highlighter being my ulitmate fav!)

This stuff is a lovely warm tone with a slight shimmer in a neat square compact (although I had a bit of a struggle trying to get into it the first couple of times! - I blame my nails)

The bronzer is a fab lightweight creamy texture which is so easy to build up to your desired colour.

In the photo below this stuff looks a little orange.... damn my pale white skin! (To be fair I haven't seen proper sunlight in a good month or so I reckon, the joys of England!)

Once rubbed in this bronzer fades into a gorgeous natural glow - perfect to wear with or without make-up! 

I have been popping this on after my foundation to help contour my cheekbones and am loving it!

This, along with the skin wow instant tan, is an absolutely perfect product for spring and summer!

This bronzer is just £4.99 - and so so worth picking up! I'm hoping to go on holiday at some point this year (and hopefully sooner rather later) and this will be top of my make-up picks to take with me for a minimal make-up look in the sun!

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Seventeen Skin Wow! Tan Liquid Glow Review

Seventeen are a brand I have been loving this past year - one of my favourite products that I have gone on and on about time and time again has been the Skin Wow highlighter (review here) and they've only gone and done it again with the Skin Wow Tan Liquid Glow

As the skin wow highlighter was one of my favourite beauty finds of 2013 this was a no-brainer - I had to try it out.
When I saw it I immediately thought  to myself oooo first a highbeam dupe and now a sunbeam - and I was not far wrong although this product is more of a bronze shade than a gold!

Like the Skin Wow Highlighter this stuff has multiple uses for making you look glowing and fabulous!
 You can use it on your cheekbones to help give yourself a lifting, flattering summer shimmer (my personal fav), to help contour or even mix with your moisturiser and give your legs a gorgeous tanned sheen!
The photo does make it look a little orange - it isn't! Once blended in it gives a lovely healthy looking glow!

I think this product is going to be so perfect for the upcoming spring and summer months (not long to go now!) when we can all emphasize our tan's and healthy looking skin! Right now I may be a little too pale (although with a bit of foundation and fake tan I'm thinking I can use this also as a highlighter type product under my bronzer) but roll on summer where I'll probably be rocking this head to toe!

I am loving Seventeen - loads of their new products are becoming staples in my make-up bag, I can't wait to see what they come out with in 2014!

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