Now here’s a post I never ever saw myself writing, a fake tan review! I’ve always been a bit scared of the stuff to be honest, I’m so pale (see evidence below) that I assumed that even a light shade would leave me looking like I’d run through a shower of orange paint. Still, when Lauren’s Way sent me a bundle of goodies I figured I had nothing to lose and bravely ventured in to new territory.

This is a photo from last Summer but shows what my legs are like minus my usual nude coloured tights. Even two weeks in Spain the year before that did little to change my colouring and over the years I’ve just got used to the fact that whilst everyone else turns golden (by natural or un-natural means) I was destined to stay milk-bottle white.

I was sent the gradual tan* as well as a tanning mitt* for easy application. Apart from the fact my “after” photo is really bad quality taken on my phone (how hard is it to capture your own legs on screen? you can see that after just one application there is a subtle, golden sheen going on which is exactly the kind of result I was hoping for. I was a bit put off by the “medium to dark” label on this, but as it’s a gradual tan the idea is you can build up the colour you want with a number of applications. This was after one application, about an hour later. Overnight the colour did deepen a little but still looked lovely and natural.Another thing that had put me off of fake tan in the past was the faff involved in applying it and then waiting around for it to dry and develop. After just 60 seconds of putting this on you’re good to get dressed again and I didn’t notice orange all over my bed sheets in the morning either which is always a bonus because I hate washing bed sheets and making up a double bed at the best of times.

Although I don’t have anything to compare it to having never tried DIY tanning before I was really impressed with this and will be using it all over before I head to Spain at the end of the month so I look like I’ve seen some sunshine this year. A 250ml bottle costs £13.95 which I think is pretty reasonable as for me, using just one application, even full body you’d get quite a few tans out of this.

Have you tried Lauren’s Way before? Let me know what you thought of it, and if there are any other tans you’d recommend I try.

I was also kindly sent some lovely Daytime Dazzle lashes which I’ve tried numerous times to apply and review. Laura and fake lashes just do not get along though- no reflection on the brand at all, it’s happened with every pair I’ve tried. Any fool proof tips gratefully received as these look seriously lovely and I want to wear them!

Can a girl ever have too many makeup brushes? I like to think not and I’ve recently added a new set to my collection thanks to L.A.B 2. They kindly sent over their strokes of genius* eye brush set for me to put to the test.

For those who don’t know the brand then L.A.B 2 stands for “live and breathe beauty” and in the UK you can pick up their brushes in Superdrug. They create affordable but high quality brushes with innovative features perfect for everyone from those just starting out in makeup to the experts.

The strokes of genius set contains five must-have brushes for creating everything from a natural to something more dramatic and sultry. I had already tried out the brow and eyeliner brush in July (see here) and was impressed with that so I was pretty excited to see what else the brand could offer.

Both the eyeshadow brush and the crease brush are super soft and make blending colour a breeze. They distribute the shadow evenly- something I’ve had an issue with in the past with some other brushes and soften out any harsh lines.

The pointed liner brush is perfect for using with a gel liner to create a precision finish. I’ve pretty much used this daily since it has arrived and although I don’t profess to be an eyeliner expert my flicks are looking pretty well, flicky! This brush is easier to use for liner than the brow and eyeliner brush which I’ve reserved purely for a defined finish on my brows. The brow and lash groomer (double ended) brush is a handy addition to my collection and I’ve been using it to set my brows with clear mascara on the days I’ve fancied a simpler, quicker makeup look.

At £18.99 this brush is good value in my eyes and with it’s durable fibre technology they are easy to clean and will last for years without shedding or getting out of shape. I’d really like to try some of their face brushes next, I have my eye on the make me blush brush as I really struggle to deposit just the right amount of blusher on my cheeks when I’m rushing around in the mornings!

Have you tried any L.A.B 2 brushes? I’d love to know your thoughts on them too and opinions on which I should try next.

There are some brands that I grew up with and still love today, one of them being Vaseline. I remember how we always had a tub of the original petroleum jelly in the bathroom cabinet when I was a child and since then I’ve tried pretty much everything they have made; I remember the insane coveting I went through when the iconic lip therapy tins first came out!

One of the latest products to be released by the brand are the Spray Moisturisers, claiming to be perfect for Summer days, providing a quick, light and effective burst of moisture that absorbs in seconds. I suffer with really quite dry skin, as does my Mum so we were really excited to try out a couple of cans from the range and give our thoughts.

We were sent the cocoa radiant* and essential healing* tins and there is also an aloe vera variety available. Now, my Mum and I are notoriously hard to please when it comes to body products, often ditching a product after only one or two uses so I like to think we were the right people for the job of testing these out!

What we both really loved about these sprays is how easy they are to use, they spray from all angles making it super simple to reach those otherwise hard to get at places. I found the cocoa radiant spray the perfect remedy after stupidly allowing myself to get sunburnt on my upper back when I fell asleep on a beach and although Mum isn’t a fan, I just love the smell of cocoa butter.

The sprays really are fast absorbing too and skin feels instantly soft without any sticky residue or faffing around waiting for the product to sink in. Ideal for taking away with you and for me, it’s made me more inclined to moisturise morning and night as it literally takes seconds- my skin has never felt so good!

All in all these are a really great launch from Vaseline and with an RRP of £5.99 aren’t going to break the bank either. I vaguely remember these being around a few years ago too and I didn’t get on with them as well, either I’ve grown up and become more capable at applying body care of Vaseline have made some tweaks to the system, either way I’ll be re-purchasing these in the future and would recommend them to anyone looking for a quick dry skin solution!

Available from Boots (half price last time I checked!) and Superdrug (again half price). Stock up now!

As a relative novice to the world of skincare I’m still a bit hesitant in splashing my cash on full size products even if the reviews are brilliant. I have pretty sensitive skin and the last thing I want is to drop £20+ on a fancy new face cream only to find it brings me out in a dodgy looking rash.

I recently received a few Dermalogica samples in the post and thought I’d share my thoughts on them and whether I’ll be investing in the full size products.

Pure Bright Serum:50ml of this product will cost you £72.50 so a sample or two before you try is really quite essential. I got on ok with this, it promises to brighten skin and balance out pigmentation and un-even skin tone. I certainly noticed my skin being brighter with this, as I suffer quite a dull looking face most of the time. It’s not a product I could afford to buy unless I was feeling really indulgent but it was lovely to have a few sachets of this to perk me up when I needed it most.

Skin Perfect Primer: I really, really like this and almost wish I didn’t as again at £34.85 for a 22ml tube it’s on the pricey side. This is a product I’ll be saving up for though as a little goes a very long way- each sample sachet did three full face applications! The primer provided a perfectly smooth base for my foundation without drying my skin out which is often the case with primers. One for the “I would purchase” list.

Daily Defence SPF15:Sadly for my bank account this is another product for my “I would purchase list”. A lovely light-weight daytime lotion that helps combat skin ageing and provides vital protection from the sun. At the grand old age of 28 skin ageing is something I’ve started to panic about so this multi-tasker would be a welcome addition to my skin care collection. A 100ml pot of this will set you back £33.70 which actually seems quite reasonable to me!

Body Hydrating Cream: I’m really, really fussy when it comes to moisturisers for my body. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve bought one, declared it perfect then ended up abandoning it after a couple of uses. I hate anything that’s slow to sink in or leaves my skin feeling greasy, which this one didn’t at all. It made light work of my dry elbows and shins and also fixed up my sore, cracked hands. Prices for this range from £10.95 for a 75ml tube up to £34.95 for a 473ml bottle. I’m thinking of treating myself to the smaller size to keep in my work bag, I’m yet to find a hand cream that I really love, but this has made the world of difference especially after a morning of scrubbing my hands and wearing endless pairs of clinical gloves.

Are there any Dermalogica products you’d recommend I’d try? How do you feel about samples? I’ve seriously under-estimated them in the past, but now I’m taking a quality over quantity approach to skin care they really are the best way to make sure you’re getting value for your hard earned cash by not buying something that everyone has raved about but that you personally hate!