How to choose the right Fake Tan for your Skintone

Summer's coming, for a lot of us out there it feels like it's already here too! So here I'm going to tell you how to avoid a common dilemma with an ubiquitous Summer product.
How many of you out there have used fake tan only to leave the experience looking like a Cheeto/human hybrid? Or even something more interesting? This has scared lot of girls into never going there again or worse, shelling out far too much money at the professional spray booths. Sunless Tans come in a massive array of brands and varieties that it can be hard to find which one will work for you, but hopefully you will know your skintone, and that can make selection a lot easier.

Aveeno Skin Relief

As I've previously mentioned, my mother wasn't someone who I learnt a lick of my beauty routine or knowledge from, while my grandmother's on the other hand have occasionally given me great pearls of wisdom over the years. For instance, one of my grandmothers believed in oatmeal baths for itchy sensitive skin to calm it right down. We didn't know the science behind it but by goodness they worked a treat.

The goodies from Aveeno

Aveeno have taken the science behind this phenomenon and rolled it into their amazing Skin Relief moisturising range of skincare products.They were kind enough to send me both their Skin Relief Body Wash and Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion to try out and I couldn't wait to get my mits on them. They have been on the scene since 1945 and the world famous Mayo Clinic was their first customer! Aveeno have got to be doing something right!

I'm not great at keeping up the routine of applying moisturizer after every shower I take but I promised myself to make a good effort to try out the wash and moisturizer every time I got my body wet, and my skin is singing with joy that I did! Left to its own devices my skin can get really awful, to the point of scaly even. But normally it itches up such a storm that I have to take action before then. While using Aveeno, the wash was a very gentle clean with a light lingering softness, while the moisturiser replenishes the moisture that showers and baths can unfortunately sap. My skin after over a fortnight of use is softer, more even toned and it even has a nice glisten from being so damn happy!

One of the really good things to note about Aveeno and their ranges is that their products are also backed up with science and testing, a lot of companies out there make outrageous claims about what their products can do with barely a step into the laboratory. Like so:

"Alright folks can it moisturise?"
"Well it moisturizes until the high alcohol content content dries it up ..."
"Good enough! Lets label it quick drying and be done with it."

You always have to look for the asterix in the claims people. Aveeno spend a lot of time making sure their products do a really top job of what they say they're going to do and because of this standard of quality they have been recommended by dermatologists for more then 60 years.

What I didn't like about the moisturiser was the smell, there is a subtle lanolin kind of smell to it, and while it is very subtle it still reminds me of the sheep on my mother's farm. Lucky there's fragrance free varieties too then!

I would definitely recommend both products to those with sensitive skin, they are incredibly gentle products that soothe and smooth skin that normally like to riot. but even if your skin isn't sensitive I would say they are a good choice for fuss free and thrifty body care products.

The Quick Drying Faux Glow Advantage - Le Tan Tanning Gel

Tanning is something I used to do a lot of while I was in Fashion School, I had a strange perception of what was a healthy size back then as the vast (VAST!) majority of classmates were a size 10 or under. I felt huge in my then smaller size 12-14 frame. I used to give myself a little self esteem by at least having a great fake tan. It's something I haven't done in a few years, but at least I have a great array of new products to try!

Le Tan Tanning Gel in Bronze (Product does not come with mitt)

One of the first I purchased is Le Tan's Tanning Gel in Bronze, being pale skinned and a novice again I didn't want to try the deeper tone. What particularly drew me to this product is that because it's a gel, it dries fast and works better with oily skin. All the better to defeat that icky product coated feel you can get with creams.

It's a clear formula with only a hint of the colour that's to come, This is fantastic when you're trying to keep the colour off your clothes and sheets but very problematic when it comes to knowing where you have applied the Tanning Gel. This can be alleviated with the use of those great application mitts you can usually find right next to the Tan range at most stockists.

My first impression is great as this is certainly one of the better smelling Tanning products on the market, there's a subtle coconut smell that doesn't start to resemble fake tan until a few hours later. If you pop the gel on just before going to bed, you won't even notice it. The products glides on nicely and there's no need to really works with it, just make sure you have applied it evenly before it quickly dries. As you can deepen the colour by applying a second layer once they first one dries. A big positive is that it won't rub off once it has dried the way that some others can, once its set it's pretty much unstoppable.
With one layer the colour is nice and subtle and hard to pick as fake, but I have to recommend you stop there, if you want to go a little deeper you ought to apply a tanning moisturiser over the top. Two layers of the gel was just too much when I gave it a go. Of course to keep the colour looking as good as possible you need to moisturise at least once a day, twice is ideal.
So in summary:

What I liked about it - 
The quick drying formula and scent.

What I disliked about it - 
Transparent formula.

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

What on earth is dry body brushing and why you should do it

Dry body brushing is a beauty treatment that everyone should be doing regularly, but few even know what it is. One of the problems I had for a long time was knowing if I was doing it correctly, and making the effort to do it on a regular basis, but what exactly is it?

Using a stiff bristled brush created specifically created for the task, you brush your dry skin. Usually undertaken before a shower or another treatment to enhance the effects, it should be done on a daily basis for the best results.

So why should I do it?

There are a wide range of benefits from dry brushing your body, not just for beauty reasons but health too. I found after doing it on a daily basis that the look of my skin improved dramatically, it was no longer dull and had a much more healthy appearance, and my cellulite dimples were less noticeable. Here are some common benefits:

• Improving the appearance of cellulite.
• Helping the lymphatic system to drain toxins from the body.
• Excellent exfoliation.
• Encourages blood circulation.
• Awakens your skin.
• Helps to tone muscles.
• Enhance the effects of any lotions applied afterwards.

What is a dry body brush?

You can get dry body brushes with natural or synthetic bristles, Natural bristles are preferable as they are gentler on your body and are less likely to irritate your skin. You can get them with either a short or long handles, depending on your flexibility a long handled one could help you reach body parts you couldn't with a short handle.

Dry Body Brush available from The Body Shop

How do I properly dry brush my body?

The process can take as long as you like, but generally you can get it done in under five minutes. Firstly you'll have to nude up and be completely dry, just before you go for a shower is the ideal time to dry brush your body. Start by using the brush on the soles of your feet in a small circular motion, then use long sweeping strokes up your entire legs and body. It is proper technique to always stroke towards your heart. Finish off by brushing along your arms from wrist to shoulder, it's advisable not to brush your chest. Afterwards jump in the shower to clean off all the removed dead skin cells. After your shower dry yourself off briskly before applying any moisturisers of cellulite creams.
Ideally you should do it everyday for around five minutes, if you do it less often it's not a bad idea to turn up the time taken to around 10. If you are using the method to decrease cellulite then you'll want to focus on your problem areas for five to 10 minutes each day with great dedication.

Do you dry body brush? What benefits have you found?

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Product Review: Parissa Warm Wax with Strips

Lets face it, this is one of those things that no lady likes to admit to, but I have hair. Shaving just doesn't give me results for long enough to make it worthwhile, so it's only effective in a bind. Because of my European ethnicity I have dark hair, noticeable hair, and it grows rather quickly too, 3-4 weeks between waxes? Yay.
Because of this frequency I find it beyond expensive to do all of my hair removal at a salon ($120+ per month to get my legs, arms and lady parts done? And even more expensive to get a good job done??Yeesh!) So DIY is certainly the way to go.
This brand is one that I've only seen recently so I thought I'd give it a try, Parissa are a Canadian brand started 25 years ago, for that longevity, they have to be doing something right! With an emphasis on using natural ingredients and keeping as many nasties out of their formulas as possible, they have a stong social resposibility that they are proud to uphold.
Also no animal testing!

This is the variety I tried if you want to pick some up yourself.

Kit contents

The Kit I bought was the Warm Wax kit with strips which is the style that you slather on with a spatula tool, smooth a strip of cotton paper over and then zip off again. I find this technique to be quicker then the strips that come pre waxed.
The product itself come with a complete kit of everything you'll need to get the job done, the wax, strips, spatulas, instructions and Azulene oil, You need the oil to get rid of any excess wax after the job is finished but it doubles as an excellent post wax treatment to soften and protect your skin from any post waxing problems like ingrowns and rashes.

After using the wax on my legs I'd have to say I'm happy with it, the smell is not offensive, it warms up quickly in the microwave to a good consistency, is easy to work with, and it does what it's supposed to do. Afterwards, the only thing left were the odd barely-out-of-my-skin hairs and gorgeously exfoliated and smooth legs. the strips work well, and the Azulene oil was a great finisher.
There isn't a whole lot of product that comes in the kit, I used up half of it on my calves alone, but I think that's fine for the price. If you are going to be doing a big job in one go, it might be worth buying a few kits though.
The other thing worth noting is that the wax is incredible. It was sticking to everything and it doesn't wash off with water, water just makes it more sticky! lol. The oil removes it but you still want to be very careful and even lay down newspapers over your work area, even if you are quite experienced at waxing. All the better to grip your hair with! I wound up with newspaper sticking to me, but better that then the carpet.
In the end I would recommend the Parissa Warm Wax Kit to anyone who likes to work with strip wax, it's easy to spread, highly effective at gripping hair and ultimately, as I've found a problem with some others, it does what it's supposed to do!

Have you tried any of Parissa's range? Tell me what you thought!

Tip of the day: How to make legs appear longer and slimmer

Of course I would make a post about this while the weather is utterly monsoonal in Brisbane ...
A quick trick for making your legs appear longer and slimmer is an oldie but a goody, and the more (Fake) tanned your legs are the better the effect will be.
Take one shimmery high lightening make up product. The best for this is some sort of stick, but you can also use liquids or even a nude shimmery eye-shadow if you're in a bind. Try to find one that is paler then the skin on your legs for the best effect, silver for pale legs, gold for tanned, and champagne will go with a lot of in between. The next thing you want to do is locate your shin bone down the front of your calves, it's pretty much dead centre, from kneecap to ankle. Swipe your product down the bone and then blend from side to side until there are no tell tale lines.
How this works, is a lot like those optical illusion dresses with darker panels down the sides, by placing a subtle lighter stripe down the centre of your legs, you are creating an optic trick that will fool onlookers into thinking your legs are incredible.
Isn't science fun?

Source: Digitally Refreshing