I always love this time of year leading into high summer, as
the beauty launches are so up my alley. I don’t think I could ever get sick of
a bronzer the size of my hand or a juicey, nude lip balm. For me, summer make
up is all about nude, glowey skin (although, who am I kidding, I do this make
up all year round).
Side note: This eve I am heading off to London for a holiday. Mu Mum and I are doing a Mums and daughters trip to visit my sister and her babies. I will be spamming posting a lot on Instagram stories, so follow me there. I MIGHT also try my first Instagram-Live while I am there, depending on our plans.

MAKE UP
CLARINS LIMITED EDITION BLUSH & BRONZER COMPACT
Clarins launch a limited edition summer compact every
year and I always get really excited about this product because it is always do
darn beautiful. This years version has tortoise shell packaging which is embossed with tropical leaves
and flowers, so gorgeous. The compact is made up of three matte shades
(YEEESSSS) and a slightly iridescent coral blush shade at the bottom. There is
not much more to say here, than I absolutely adore this. I love the pan size
for swirling a large fluffy brush in and I love the iconic tortoise shell
casing. I still treasure the previous year’s compacts, and am very excited to
add this one to my collection. The shades are so on-point without ever being
too orange and the coral blush is the perfect addition to this years’ version.
It works really well with my complexion.
ELIZABETH ARDEN FOUREVER BRONZING POWDER – R550
Arden always seems to produce bronzers that I just
really love. The shades are beautiful every year, and this version is no
different. You may remember that one Summer Bronzing Palette that I basically
have used more than any other bronzer in my collection? Well, it’s still a
fave.
This year’s compact is divided into 4 with a bronzing
shade, a contour shade, a highlight shade and a pop of subtle pink. They speak
of using the shades separately or swirling a brush and combining all four
shades. I do the latter as think the little quads are too small to use
individually but I love the results. I do use the corner of my brush in the
pink shade for the apples of my cheeks, but as a combo they work beautifully.
The pigment is great, yet also quite subtle which is why I love it. It’s
fool-proof and leaves no muddy, orange powdery effects on the skin; just a
sun-kissed glow. It comes in Medium and Deep, I use Medium.
SELF TANS
I love a good fake tan. SO much. I am pretty lazy about
actually doing it and wish I was better about this as it makes me feel and look
so much better. I am pretty much allergic to the idea of lying in the sun, so
self tan it is! There are such great options out there and you guys asked for
some of my favourites over on Instagram.
CARIBBEAN TAN TANNING SPRITZER – R79.95
This is such brilliant value for money and a great
option to avoid looking orange. Caribbean Tan offer 3 shade options – A, B and
C. I generally use B but have recently been using C which works perfectly for
me. I guess I good judge is how your skin would usually tan, and my skin does
go pretty brown when I lie in the sun (which never happens anymore).
The Tanning Spritzer is a tinted liquid that comes in a
spray bottle so it’s very easy to see where you have or haven’t applied
product. It smells very strong and can be quite messy to apply, but you just
have to look past that part. I do it in the shower with a mitt (obviously no
water in the shower, just to avoid mess). The end results are all worth it, it
has no orange under-tone and gives a very natural looking, olive tan. The price
point is also brilliant, so I feel nothing lathering myself in this stuff.
My only gripe is that the mitt that comes in the box is
pretty useless as it doesn’t have the waterproof protective lining inside, so
the tan soaks through and stains your hands anyway. I mean, it still provides a
level of protection but I opt for my other mitts which mean my palms get no tan
on them at all. Otherwise, great product and an old faithful of mine.
CLARINS SELF TANNING MILKY LOTION – R365
I absolutely adore this stuff. It’s my go-to
recommendation for lighter skinned girls who want a touch of colour; nothing
too hectic, and still very natural. It smells very subtle and has fig extract
in it which makes it feel quite luxurious to slather on. My biggest bonus about
this product is that I feel it hydrates the skin beautifully. Other self
tanners tend to dry my skin out, whereas this one doesn’t do that at all.
The tan is buildable, so you can put a few layers on to
get the tan darker. I also love how it fades – no glaringly obvious peeling
that makes you look a sight. It is more pricey than the above, but I adore it
for my upper body (my legs don’t get the special treatment my arms and chest
get!). Buy here.
Vita Liberata Extra Rich Tinted Self Tan (Dark) – R795
This is most probably my ultimate tan brand and if I
could afford to use this one only, then I would. The Extra Rich version is my
ultimate as the tan it gives it SO unreal; think a deep, natural olive tan. The
formula is moisturising and the tan fades evenly. I don’t have a bad word to
say about this stuff and I love using a product that is non-toxic, odourless
and free from parabens, perfume, alcohol and all chemicals of concern.
I have actually finished my bottle and need to pluck up
the courage to splurge again. Really, it’s THAT good. Buy here.
Next on my list is to try the Loving Tan Dark lotion. I
hear it’s brilliant and see Muse stocks it. Buy
here for R699.
Prep The Skin
I have had so many people ask for the best spray tan
recommendations and I’ve actually just started doing this at home myself – it’s
way cheaper and gives you the same results. The main step you have to be sure
to do in order to get an even tan that lasts well is to prep your skin! And by
that, I mean exfoliate properly.
KAHVE SCRUBS – R280
I have been testing out two scrubs from the new local
brand called Kahve Skin. The brand is
brand-new and comes in beautiful packaging – it reminds me of Frank Body Scrubs
from Aus. The scrubs are super gritty (just how I like them) and come in two
variants; Coconut
Matcha and Coffee
Cinnamon which go for R280 each. They offer free delivery in SA (yay) on
their online store. My personal favourite
is the Coconut
Matcha just because I like the scent more.
Hi :) Can you use the Clarins self tanner on your face too?
ReplyDeleteYes you can x
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