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Month: June 2013
AOTD: Tanned, Glowing and Manicured {Partially}
LOL.
All it seems to take is that first swipe of self tan, and I am a goner. I did the legs, and then got some sun from horseriding, and then decided it was the arms’ turn.
Behold, one of said limbs, adorned with Xen-Tan Weekly Self-Tan with Moroccanoil {€30}. I was actually quite alarmed when I dispensed some on my tanning mitt. It was dark! Even more taken aback when I applied it to my arms. It was really dark! I mean, there’s fake and then there’s fake. Luckily, I slept on it, having showered post-horse, and had enough for it to dry before I retired for sleepytime.
Next morning, the sheets were free of skidmarks, but I did get some water on my arms from washing up, and things went a tad streaky. I’d say this needs the full monty, in order to stop it developing. Maybe? I’m not sure now that I should have gone to sleep with this on? Ah, sure, it’s grand. It looks like I’ve been on a cruise in the Aegean. It’s the kind of brown that I struggled to achieve in high school. This is my inner teenager’s dream tan.
It’s grander still, with the application of Pixy Glowing Body Butter {€12.99}. The tin, she is small, at just 100gs, but the glow, she is large. I wouldn’t expect to use this all over the bod, perhaps only on highlight points like arms and legs and collarbones, so that’s no big. It smells gorge, too.
And, finally, may I present the 
World Famous Supermodel Thumbnail™, proudly displaying one of essie’s new summer nail varnish colours, the more the merrier {€9.99}. Oh, yeah! And this is after a few hours spent in horseriding gloves, and with no top coat to speak of. Impressive!
And, honestly, that really is the colour of the arm, maybe even a little darker. Photoshop and I decided that there was to be no fakery because it looked true, even for an iPhoto.
Well, that’s me, bronzed for the duration. At least as long as the sun is shining…
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Xen-Tan is available at Debenhams, and/or on debenhams.ie.
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Beach Hair in a Can: Wella Professionals Create Character
I went through a phase many years ago, in which I was pushing the natural waves of my hair into curls.
When I say ‘natural waves’, I mean ‘neither here nor there hair’. It wasn’t going to go all springy all on its own. If left to its own devices, it would sort of half-heartedly swoop itself in the mid-lengths, and then go straight at the ends. The roots? Don’t even talk to me about the roots. They did nothing.
I would routinely haunt the aisles in chemist’s shops, looking for the magical substance that was going to give me:
A} If not curls curls, then at least loads of waves.
B} Plenty of body.
C} Softness.
That last was huge in my book of wavy, because just about every product I tried resulted in a very cripsy, crunchy texture. Did not like. They looked good, but felt awful.
I had a serious flirtation with Moroccanoil Intense Curl Cream: I got softness, and oh! the gorgeous scent, but I found that it dulled down my blondeness. Uh, thanks, but: no. Every now and again I give it go, but am always very distressed by the colour-stress to the tresses.
Yesterday, giddy with vitamin D, I thought I’d give this a try. Wella Professional’s create character | dry seems to be sending mixed messages: it says it’s dry on the tin, but the directions recommend that you spray it on damp hair. Maybe it goes both ways. Which can only be a good thing, really.
I admit to having unrealistic expectations when it comes to haircare. When my hair didn’t immediately spring into waves and curls straight out of a Burne-Jones painting, I was disappointed. Hmmph. I sprayed on some more, and was at least gratified to see some shine. That made a nice change already.
I twisted The Hair up into its usual knot, pre-bedtime, and wondered what the morning would bring.
Waviness!
Pure surfer-gurrrrl, been-at-the-beach-all-day-and-all-night waves!
Verdict: loads of body, if a bit dull as regards shine. It doesn’t feel as soft as I’d prefer, but hmmm, oh look, I’ve got this to hand, too. I’ve been using Wella Professionals SP Luxe Light Oil Spray to fairly good effect in conjunction with the BaByLiss Big Hair {see here}. I had also taken delivery of the Luxe Oil version of this new formulation — no sticky, slippery residence on the hands, or the hair — but I feckin’ lost it. In my tiny flat. Lost it. I even asked St Anthony — no joy.
Anyway, gave The Wavy Hair a spritz, and it helped the very slight crispiness loads. I was tempted to twist it back up into that knot, the knot from which extra-super-waviness emerges, but I resisted. Sure, I’m only going horseriding tonight, the beasties don’t care about The Hair.
Since we have summer this week, though, I think this will be my project. How many days can I get out of one round of this process? Will the use of these products be enough to get a girl through a weekend music festival down the country? Will it?!?!
Waves!
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Wella Professionals create character|dry is €10.50; SP Luxe Light Oil spray is €23.
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‘Phase’, not ‘faze’. Pet peeve!
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A Word to the Wise: Do Everything You’re Told Regarding Self Tanning
That phrase, I don’t know, it doesn’t really make sense. If you’re wise, why would you need a word from me? I had to google that to make sure I was using it correctly and I was. It’s what you say before you give someone advice.
Oh, advice. It’s what we give away, for free, because we’ve no use for it ourselves.
The sight of the sun sent me into a joyful panic. OMG, I have not done any tanning! It is June! I know it’s a year round gig here in Éire, but I am stubbornly sticking to the seasonal aspect of bronzing. So when Apollo finally dragged his auld chariot our way, I found my self feeling pale, uninteresting, and yes, panicked.
So I decided to just whack on some tan, on my legs, and see how they all worked. I had one on each section — calf, calf, thigh, thigh — and since I am an avid exfoliator, I reckoned that I was as ready as I was gonna be.
Oh, I was so, so wrong. Hadn’t shaved my legs, couldn’t really truly remember that last time I’d scrubbed down properly, and I think I may even have been spotty on the moisturising! Shock and horror.
I shaved the next day, and buh-bye browniness. Huh. Everything that us beauty types write is Actually True.
So here my words, wise ones:
A} Exfoliate the day of, or the night before — maybe even both. 
I am adoring Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Scrub, beyond measure, and will talking more about that soon.
B} Moisturise, for the love of the little baby Jesus. Between that and the scrubbing, you will have primed yourself to be a masterpiece of at-home tanning.
C} And if you are a leg-shaver, just do it. Or even better, go get a wax. I had the full leg procedure at Shavata in Harvey Nichols, Dundrum, and I have never felt shinier. I think I may be saving me beans for another go.
It’s just a waste of time otherwise, and I hate the time it takes to walk around the house waiting for this stuff to dry. Oh, but when it is dry, and perfectly applied? There’s nothing like a bit ‘o’ colour to warm up the skin tone.
I am off to work on testing SPFs — I know, I know, so selfless of me — and tonight will be treating myself to a Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan. I am such a grudging tanner, it’s taken me forever to try this. I’ll have to put it on then shower it off, which is grand, and I have been assured by the reviews of others that it won’t come off on my sheets. But then, those others are probs much better at this self-tanning lark than I, so fingers crossed. I’ve also seen the result on the woman herself, Marissa Carter, who has brought out this particular tan. I only hope I can look as well…
Okay, so. I think I’ve followed my own advice, but if not, sure, it’s another cautionary tale to put the fear of Bad Tan into ya.
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Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Scrub: €38
Shavata Full Leg Wax: €42
Cocoa Brown I Hour Tan: €8
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Bright & Beautyfull! 