Rimmel Radiance BB Cream

I'm in love with the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation so when I saw this BB Cream on the Asos website a while back I couldn't help but purchase it. The packaging reminded me of the Wake Me Up Foundation and also the radiance factor promised from this product. I thought this would be perfect for the summer as BB creams tend to be a lighter coverage than any foundation. I had the same thought when purchasing this as I had when purchasing the foundation, that is that this product would not suit my oily t zone and had the potential to make me look like a disco ball projecting light. But the foundation proved me wrong so I was hoping that this product would do the same.

This product claims 9 benefits in 1 product which are:

• Primes
• Smoothes
• Conceals
• Minimises the appearance of pores
• Natural coverage
• Moisturises for 24hrs
• Awakens tired skin
• Brightens skin with Vitamin C complex
• Provides a radiant finish

This formula of this as I thought, is a much lighter coverage but I expected that and for those hot summer days then this is much better than a heavier foundation. I prefer applying it either with my fingers and then blend with my Real Techniques sponge or simply just use my sponge. I do believe that you can build the coverage up but I do find that it can get cakey the more you apply so I stick to just applying one layer. If I'm having a bad skin day then I will definitely use concealer on top of this product to help cover up my blemishes and always under my eyes.

As mentioned I don't find that this product makes my face look like a disco ball although I do powder after using this product and will have to top up with powder throughout the day. This product, alike to the foundation, works super well on my dry skin patches without making them looking worse and flaking. The colour range isn't great but they never normally are in BB creams and this product only comes in three shades. I purchased light but I do feel that it is slightly too light for me especially when I have a tan. But I feel that medium would be too dark therefore I would of had to purchase the two and mix them together which is just a pain.

Overall I think this is a great product for the summer months when you really don't want to put much make up on your face. I think this will be a great product to take on holiday with me and can just simply throw on my face whilst I'm not sunbathing. Let me know your thoughts on BB creams and if you've tried this particular one :-)

St Tropez Gradual In Shower Tan

Trying to get my hands on this product to begin with was a hard mission, it was only in Boots stores and was sold out online for quite some time. As soon as it came back into stock, trust me I checked daily, I snapped it up ASAP. It was also on offer which was a bonus and I believe I paid £9.50 for this 200ml tube. I must admit I wasn't sure whether or not I thought this would work, it all sounded to good to be true. An in shower tan that you slap on, wait 3 minutes, rinse and voila! Tanning can be such a chore with all the prep you have to do beforehand so this sounded like a perfect new idea.

There are definitive positives and negatives about this product so firstly lets starts with the positives. I cannot get over how easy the application of this product is, it could not be easier. Turn the shower off and slap it on, just remembering to wash your hands after you've applied it everywhere. The formula is super thick and creamy and leaves my skin actually feeling really moisturised after application. Another positive is that even with an easy slap on application, this tan leaves no streaks which is such a bonus. This was the one thing that I was worried about with this product but it simply leaves no streaks, no lines, nothing.

On the other hand there are some negatives and the main one I find is that this product only leaves you with a slight hint of colour which comes up gradually after application. So if you're after something with much more colour pay off then this product is not for you. Yes you can tell that your skin is left with a hint of colour but it's definitely not intense. The other point is that 3 minutes doesn't sound like a long time, but when you're in the shower butt naked it feels like a lifetime. I tend to take my phone and time 3 minutes that way and I also tie this in with one of my quick hair masks. Also I feel like this would be much nicer to use in the summer when it's warmer, I dread to think about standing there for 3 minutes in the winter waiting for this to develop. This tan washes off super easy and then you're ready to go. I just tend to pat myself dry when I get out of the shower to try not to take it off.

Overall this product is great if you're only after a subtle hint of colour or if you're new to tanning. The formula is great and I can only see new tanning products coming out in the future similar to this one. I think this product would be great as a top up tan after a holiday but not something that I would use if I'm after more of a tan. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this product if you've tried it :-)

Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil

I have loved Palmer's as a brand for many, many years and recently with having my skin turning dry this sounded like the perfect product to help that out. This is a dry oil which can pretty much be used anywhere on the body, including the face. This oil aims to help improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, dry & damaged skin and uneven skin tone. Due to it being from the brand Palmer's it smells absolutely incredible therefore I love putting it on my skin.

This oil is fast absorbing so you're not left feeling sticky or unable to do things after you've applied it. This works super duper well on my dry patches I have on my knees and ankles and really soothes them. This also helps the dryness on my face and I tend to apply this more in the evening and leave it on overnight. Simply because I find it then has longer to absorb into my skin and work whereas in the morning where I'm rushing I may not have enough time to apply this. It's not the quickest product to use ever but it's definitely worth it.

As mentioned it aims to improve many areas of the skin and I find that this does slightly help with the scarring I have on my face from my blemishes. It doesn't make a massive difference, like they're gone completely, but you can tell the difference if applied enough. It does say to apply this product three times a day which I do find excessive and something that can be hard to do if you work full time like me. So I will normally just apply this in the evenings, every evening, and then I can see a difference.

Overall this is a great product and such a huge sized bottle that will last a life time! You barely need any product so it really will last ages. I'd definitely recommend this if you have any dry patches and/or scarring you would like to sort out. Let me know if you've tried this product and also what your favourite Palmer's product is :-)

Tips & Tricks #7

This is a pretty recent new tip that I have picked up but I really am loving it so much that I couldn't hold out much longer and therefore needed to share it with you. I've read a lot about clarifying shampoos recently and how good they can be for your hair. I had never tried one before but when I had to purchase a few other bits from Boots I thought I would pick one up and try it.

So from what I've been reading the aim of a clarifying shampoo is to deep clean your hair and get rid of all of the nasty stuff. I also read that you're only supposed to use this once a week, not entirely sure why but I've been sticking to that roughly. I've been using this shampoo for a few weeks now and have been loving the results on my hair. There's nothing special about using this shampoo, it's just like any other, but the way my hair feels after using this is amazing. It leaves my hair feeling super soft and squeaky clean. I have also found that when I use this my hair doesn't get as greasy as quickly therefore I don't have to wash it as often when it's the time of the week to use this shampoo.

I'm unsure whether there are other clarifying shampoos out there on the high street as on the Boots website I could only see this one. I'm sure there are and I'm just unaware of them so if you have any recommendations let me know. But this one from Pantene definitely seems to be doing the job and it was only around £4 for this large bottle. Considering you're only using it once a week as well means that it's going to last a long time.

Overall I love this little tip and it has worked wonders on my hair. I will continue to use this and repurchase another clarifying shampoo after this one. I love that my hair feels so soft with the use of a shampoo as I find that's normally the conditioner or mask you apply to your hair. But when I'm using this shampoo I just use a small amount of conditioner and no mask as it really works. Let me know if you've ever tried a clarifying shampoo and your thoughts on them :-)

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

I had been after this concealer for quite some time after hearing lots about it and it also being recommended to me. I'm always after a good concealer that will cover my blemishes without leaving them looking caked in make up. I had recently purchased the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer which I absolutely loved but have found that recently as I'm using it more and it's getting older that it's becoming more dry. Therefore leaving it not looking as flawless on my blemishes as it used to look when I first started using it. This prompted me to try this one from Urban Decay and also I had a £5 off voucher on Feel Unique so couldn't help but spend it.

Urban Decay say that:
"Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer gives you buildable, even coverage with a luminous, demi-matte finish. Ultra lightweight, this high-tech formula melds like a second skin effect and gives you full coverage in an instant. For complete coverage, just keep building; no matter how much you apply, Naked Skin Concealer always blends beautifully and won't settle into fine lines."

This description to me sounded pretty perfect and the last part of that description completely sold me. The fact that it states that you can apply as much as you need to build the coverage up without it leaving lines or looking cakey was exactly what I was looking for. Firstly the packaging of this concealer is simple but I really like it as it's nothing to in your face. I really think the simple yet classic packaging of products really makes them look a lot better and more expensive. This concealer is relatively expensive and does cost £17.50 but compared to other high end concealers it is one of the cheapest.

I've been using this concealer every day since I received this in the post and can say that I have really been enjoying using it. It really does feel light on the skin, not heavy at all considering it is classed as a full coverage concealer. I use my Real Techniques sponge to blend this into my foundation and it does so effortlessly. On some of my blemish/problem areas then I will build this up slightly but not by a lot and I do agree that it doesn't look cakey. If I have a blemish that is particularly dry then I won't do this as it just won't look good but on a normal blemish then it works really well. I find this concealer lasts a relatively long time on the skin, it does just tend to slip on the oilier parts of my face.

Overall I'm really impressed with this mascara and love that it can be built up or left depending on what you wish to cover up. It is on the pricier side but I am really enjoying using this concealer and find the colour matches me perfectly. I would definitely recommend this concealer if you're after a full coverage, buildable finish. You can buy it here from Feel Unique. Let me know you're favourite full coverage concealer and your thoughts on this one if you've tried it :-)