How to get the perfect tan

Being an Essex girl I love to be tanned even in the Autumn/Winter months but getting that beautiful bronze skin is easier said than done especially when you live in cold, rainy England.

Us English girls cursed with ghosty complexions have to find alternative ways of catch a tan when sunning it up on the beach isn't an option.

There are various ways one can achieve the bronzed babe look from sunbeds and fake tan to more extreme ways such as melanin injections.

Sunbeds and injections carry with them a whole host of dangerous side effects from risks of skin cancer to possible infection - anyone who truly cared for their skin would run for the hills if offered either of these.

So what about fake tan? There are what seems like 1000s of fake tanning products available on the high street, in beauty salons and online these days ranging from rub on wash off gels, creams and wipes and gradual tan moisturisers to professional spray tans. Choosing fake tan can be a bit of a maze, especially for a tanning novice.

What will give the best results and won't cost the earth? Everyone's opinion is different but trying a few different inexpensive products that take your fancy is a good place to start.

Spray tans are also a great way to achieve a holiday glow when done properly but can become a bank breaker if you're having them done often like I do. At £15-£25 a pop for a few days of looking like a goddess the costs start to stack up.

After debating buying a pricey spray tanning machine and all of the equipment myself I stumbled across what I would describe as a god send.

A fake tan off the high street with the effects of a spray tan ..is this even possible? Apparently so!

I was shopping Primarks new PS beauty range in search of some new spring nail colours and a big pink bottle (I love pink!) caught my eye ..Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter. I had heard good things about this tanning range so decided to give it a go ..at £6 what did I have to loose?
I have been through hundreds of tanning products and spray tan brands and this is by far the best I have ever used!

It is applied as a mousse (use a tanning mitt to avoid tango hands) use a small amount of mousse for each section of your body eg feet, lower leg, thigh etc etc and ensure you have rubbed all tan in properly and evenly to avoid and streaks or pale patches, if need be get someone to check for you if you have missed any areas then leave for 1-3 hours and voilà! Fresh off the beach tan ready for your night out! For a light glow leave on for an hour then shower off and pat dry gently with a towel. For a deep tan I would suggest leaving it on over night and washing it off in the morning just like you would do with a spray tan - only do this if you like a medium/dark tan!

No more orange streaky messes here!

Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter - £6 Primark

How to: Easy Mermaid Ombré Nails

First I must apologise for neglecting my blog and breaking my new years resolution to post more often! I have been super busy with everything including celebrating my 22nd birthday ..old I know!

Anyway, as you may know having pretty nails is a must for me and I'm always looking for new things to try out - this time I've braved ombre nails!

Ombre nails are easier than you may think, all you really need is a flat, small sponge, 2-3 different colour nail varnishes, a clear top coat and nail varnish remover for if things get messy. I chose to use a triangle make up sponge (the cheap ones you can get from Superdrug). The pink shade is China Glaze Something Sweet, the lilac shade is China Glaze In A Lily Bit and the blue is from Primark's P.S beauty range. I also added OPI Significant Other Colour mixed with a little bit of clear topcoat to give the nails a mermaid-y shimmer as I love anything mermaid related!

So to create these ombre mermaid nails make sure your nails are free of any other nail varnish and are clean and dry. Apply a clear base coat followed by a coat of Something Sweet over the whole nail to brighten the other colours when applied as it is the lightest colour.
Brush a small amount of each colour onto the sponge (as shown in the picture) and quickly dab across each nail until the paint will no longer transfer as it is dry, wait for this layer to partially dry and repeat the process of painting a strip of each colour onto the sponge and dab onto each nail until the desired colour is reached. Once you are totally happy with the colour add a little topcoat to give your nails a bit of protection and some extra shine! Alternatively you can also use a matte topcoat for a bold,chalky effect.

When dabbing the colour onto each nail ensure you don't put to much pressure on to the sponge, as if the paint is still wet it may remove paint that is already on the nail. Also make sure your not dabbing the same part of the sponge on to the same part of the nail each time as the nail may look more stripy than gradient . Obviously the ombre technique takes a bit of perfecting with trial and error to perfect, but experimenting is part of the fun.

Creating ombre nails can be a little messy when using a sponge, to get to the very edge of each nail you are bound to get some paint on your fingers, this can easily be removed with a cotton bud and nail varnish remover for a flawless finish.

There are so many colour combinations that can be used for ombre designs, the possibilities really are endless.

I hope this has given you guys a little help with creating your own ombre styles!

China Glaze Something Sweet & In A Lily Bit: Both £5.75 from eBay
PS Blue Nail Paint: £1 from Primark
OPI Significant Other Colour: £6 from a wholesaler but can be found on eBay and Amazon
  

PD Neon Pink Brandi Heels

PD Neon Pink Brandi Heels

I think by now it's pretty clear pink is my absolute favourite colour and what better way to bring in the spring season than with a beautiful pair of pink shoes!

A little eager I know as it's still freezing but as a wise women once said ..you can never have to many shoes!

As the bright spring tones have started gracing the high street and online stores the temptation to start building your spring/summer wardrobe can be all to much for us girls!

My first spring purchase has come from none other than my fav online shoe store Public Desire!

The 'Brandi' shoe is a versatile style that comes in almost every colour imaginable! I chose the noen pink shade to chase away the winter blues!

The heel height is 6 inches with a platform height of 2 inches - if heels are your thing this height should be a walk in the park! And for all you high heel nuns they really don't feel as high and uncomfortable as they may sound!

These gorj heels can be worn dressed up on a night out or with jeans for a more casual look. Team with pink accessories for a perfect spring look.

Brandi neon pink heels £27.99  from publicdesire.co.uk

Pretty in pink.. Boohoo style!

So first of all I would like to apologise for the lack of posts recently ..sometimes life catches up with you all at once but I'm back in the game and what better way to cheer a girl up than a delivery from the fabulous Boohoo.com!

Over the festive season sometimes it can feel like you need to buy 100 dresses for all of the dinners, parties, work do's and more! With all your money usually being spent on Christmas presents and cheesy jumpers where will you find the time and money to find some killer outfits that won't cost the earth? Boohoo duh!

My most recent purchase was a beautiful cerise pink off the shoulder dress in a simple yet sassy style! The colour would compliment almost any hair colour and skin tone and if pink really isn't your thing then they also do it in black!

Dress: Boohoo.com £15
Shoes: shusole £14.99

O.P.I 'Mod My Day' review

O.P.I 'Mod My Day'

I have a new fav nail colour I would love to share with you guys.

As you may know I'm a massive fan of anything pink and pink nails are usually a must for me! I'm also a big fan of O.P.I nail lacquers as the colours are always bold, no washout colours that seem to need 100 coats to achieve the colour you expect, and there are so mama colours available there is one for every outfit, season and mood!

I recently purchased 'Mod My Day' by O.P.I and it's safe to say it did not disappoint!

The pastel pink/lilac shade ties in perfectly with A/W 14 pastel trends and compliments any nail shape and length ..this colour is an all round MUST HAVE! 💕

Purchased from Debenhams £11.50