beauty

Pamper Me Rotten

I’ve been meaning to share this post with you all for a while, a little out of my ‘usual’ style, however hopefully still really interesting for you all. Every now and then, and I do mean quite rarely, I like to give myself a pamper. Despite being girly in the sense that I’m obsessed with clothes, and shoes and bags, I’m actually very low maintenance, it takes me 15mins to get ready in the morning and I have absolutely NO beauty / cleansing routine at all. Purely because I’m lazy and clueless. But, every now and then I do like to take a little time to prim myself, usually in the form of a nail paint and fake tan.

. Laurens Way Tan £18.95 (C/O Glitz and Glam Boutique) .
In a couple of my posts over the last few weeks I have mentioned my new fake tan, and you also may have noticed that I’ve looked a little more bronzed. I’ve been loving the non transparent look I must say.
Now back in my Bournemouth University days I was a fake tan whore, I mean like tango orange, religiously tanning, blending in to the South West version of Essex. Every person I know at uni was the same way, and in hindsight it was hideous. Anyway, post graduating 3 years ago, I’ve returned to normality and almost never fake tan anymore, unless in prep for an event or something.
Since uni, I’ve religiously used St Tropez, it was the first tanner I was ever introduced to, and it worked for me. I liked the lotion, and it’s seemingly easy ability to blend and absorb into my skin. Since my introduction to this product I’ve never thought to look elsewhere. That is until I was given a bottle of Lauren’s Way to review. When this product was first realised I saw reviews left right and centre all over blogs, but now the hypes calmed down you rarely hear about it at all.
 
Having received my bottle, I was totally open to trying it and ready to compare to my trust old St tropez. After multiple uses, I feel I have a pretty good sense of it’s performance, and here are my highs and lows (as well as the before and after):

. BEFORE . 
Application:
High: The bottle I was sent was the moisture spray, this in it’s own right makes application much easier than the lotion I’m used to. The product comes out as very light and sprays like a water spray would. It’s very easy to use the spray mechanic and a couple of squirts gives you a very full coverage. Due to the watery consistency it’s very easy to blend and spread the product across your body. 
 
The product is also a dark brown colour so you are able to tell exactly where you have and have not applied the tan, this in itself is super handy as it means you don’t get any funny lines or marks. Finally as the product is watery, it absorbs almost immediately into your skin, leaving no time for any smudging. The best thing about this is that you don’t have to walk around like a penguin waiting for it to dry, and you get none of that horrible ‘tacky’ feeling other tanning lotions have.
 
Another massive perk of this product is that you don’t get the horrendous tan hands that I always end up with when I use tanning lotions. The tanning product washes off your hands entirely with soap and water, leaving absolutely NO hint of fake tan. Phew.
 
Low: The only downside, if at all possible really is that the spray, if you’re not careful, can end up spraying onto things around you making a little mess. Although this may just be me because I’m messy.

Also as the spray is a very light watery spray, it absorbs very quickly (which is a good thing), but that does mean if your planning to layer the tan, you’re skin can get quite dry and the product can end up building up and getting a little blotchy (or dry skin from friction). I found adding a little moisturiser in this instance resolves the issue immediately.
. AFTER. 

The result?

High: I was really impressed with this tanning product, and have to admit that it’s definitely my tan of choice going forward. The end result of the tan is brilliant, it leaves you with a really natural dark tan, no hint of orange at all, and it almost brings out the colour I would be normally after a week or 2 in the sun. I found I had a really seamless application which meant that the tan, once fully developed, looked very natural.
 
Low: I don’t have many negative things to say about this product, but I suppose there are a few tips I’ve learnt from using it a few times, that help avoid any failings and also help the product work to it’s full ability.  I need to remember these myself as otherwise I end up with really dry flaky skin which totally ruins the tan and makes it really hard to get that even natural finish we all like. These tips are:
 
1. Exfoliate, it really helps if you exfoliate before using the product as it removes all your dead skin which helps stop any blotching or friction building. 

2. Moisturise, as long as your skin is hydrated and moisturised before usage the product is really easy to spread evenly and your skin absorbs it much more effectively. 
 
Both of these things I think are key before use, and would help avoid any of the potential downfalls of tanning products – uneven tan & blotchy patches.
. Montagne Jeunesse Clay Face Mask £1.49 .
Okay, so the second part of my very rare little pamper session, which I think we should all do more often, is a mini facial. Now we can’t always afford a £50 salon experience, but we can dig out a few pounds to get some facial packs for home use. These are fab to put on after a nice shower and hair wash, and just add that extra level of relaxation, or you can put it on whilst painting your nails if you’re a little time stricken.
 
I’ve used Montagne Jeunesse pamper kits before, but they’ve recently released a new product which is a clay facial mask. As per most their range, this range is really affordable, and at £1.49 well worth the treat. I think they’re a great skin care product and an easy way to leave your face feeling refreshed and replenished after a long tiring week at work.
 
If anything these are just really fun to use too, my sisters and I used some not long ago, they’re so easy to pile on, and we can never stop giggling at feeling of your face cracking as you try to talk. Simple pleasures.
 
What do you think of my little pamper regime? I’m not usually one for beauty self indulgence, but both tanning & a cheeky little face mask every now and then is always a nice treat.

Reader Interactions

15 Comments

  2. Naghmeh says

    Thanks so much for this post Mel!
    I am scared of fake tanning but maybe I’ll give it a try after this haha. And Lauren’s way tan looks soooo good and natural on you but I’m probably going to have to try with St. Tropez because that is the one available here :)
    xx

  6. So-Oh-Phee says

    This tan sounds amazing, can’t believe i’ve never heard of it before! I’m always a little scared of fake tans but you’ve made this to sound so easy to use, might have to give it a shot! Only thing is, how many applications would you say you get out of the bottle? I sometimes find I go through spray application bottles really fast and they’re pretty expensive!

    Sophie
    http://www.anarrangementofnotes.wordpress.com

  7. Liesbeth (candyandtreats) says

    You really do look naturally bronzed, amazing! I have never heard of this product ever but it is definitely on my radar now, even though I’m not a self-tan person.

    Thanks for showing us your pampering routine and for elaborating about it! <3

  9. Emily Heath says

    ive been after a really good fake tan for ages now to give me a bit of colour but not make me orange. after reading your review and seeing your pictures this looks like a great option which i am really tempted to try.

    lifeandstyleofemily.blogspot.com

  14. Steve Devis says

    Thank you for some other informative web site. Where else could I get that type of information written in such an ideal way? I’ve a challenge that I’m simply now running on, and I’ve been at the look out for such info.
    Airbrush Tanning

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