Fake Tans On Review

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I can be a creature of habit when it comes to beauty products, and fake tan is no exception. For years I have turned to my favourite gradual tanner, Dove Summer Revived (AD), to get my summer glow. So this year, I decided to mix things up a little. For the past few weeks, I've been testing out another three fake tan products, and I'm sharing my thoughts on all of them - including my trusty favourite - in today's video.

You can watch it on YouTube where you will also find links to the products discussed, or right here if you prefer.

What's your favourite self tanner?

Kate x

Changing Up My Skincare With Soap And Glory

This post contains gifted products and affiliate links, which are marked "AD". Read my full disclaimer here.

One of the joys of blogging is occasionally being sent products that you weren't expecting to receive. This happened to me recently when Soap And Glory got in touch out of the blue and asked if they could send me "a cute little something". Now if there's one thing I love, it's being sent "a cute little something", so I said, "please do!".

A week or so later, a package arrived on my doorstep containing two very generously sized skincare products - a micellar water and a foaming cleanser. These are two types of product my skin tends to get on very well with, so I was keen to try them out, as well as curious, as Soap And Glory is not a brand I have much experience with.

Drama Clean 5-in-1 Micellar Cleansing Water (AD)

I always use a micellar water to remove my makeup in the evenings, and nearly always buy the Garnier Sensitive Skin one. It's super affordable, does an amazing job at removing all traces of makeup and doesn't irritate my skin, so I haven't really felt the need to explore others. That said, it's always nice to try something different, so I was happy to give the Soap And Glory version a go. The biggest difference compared with the Garnier product is the fragrance - the Garnier is unscented, while the Soap And Glory has a light, fresh cucumber scent. I personally really like this, although some might prefer their micellar water to be unfragranced.

The product works every bit as well as the Garnier one in terms of actually removing makeup. It comes off effortlessly, with no scrubbing required, even on tougher things like waterproof mascara and matte lipstick. Afterwards, my skin feels smooth and soft, and not dried out in the slightest.

Drama Clean retails at £6 for 350 ml, while my usual Garnier product is £5.99 for 400 ml. For this reason, I will probably go back to the Garnier one when I have finished this. However, the Soap And Glory version is still an affordable product and works very well, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it if you are looking to try a new micellar water. Now that I know it does a good job and suits my skin, I would definitely pick it up if the Garnier one wasn't available.

Face Soap And Clarity 3-in-1 Daily Vitamin C Facial Wash (AD)

I was slightly concerned when I first saw this product as it appeared to contain microbeads, however after some research I can confirm that they are in fact made from a type of jojoba wax and completely safe for the environment. The beads create a mildly exfoliating element to the cleanser, which is very satisfying to use, particularly if you've been feeling that your skin needs a really good, deep cleanse. Best applied to damp skin, the product gradually lathers and foams as you massage it in, and then rinses away to leave your complexion feeling cool, fresh and very smooth.

Because this Facial Wash contains the exfoliating beads, as well as Vitamin C, it's most suitable for me to use two to three times a week as an extra deep cleanse, rather than as a part of my daily skincare routine. My slightly sensitive, combination skin would, I am sure, react to this negatively with sustained daily use. However, used sparingly, it has definitely been helping my skin to look bright and clear in recent weeks and I fully intend to continue using it. If your skin requires a fairly strong cleanser on a regular basis then this is definitely worth checking out as well, and at £8 for 350 ml it's pretty good value.

Are you a fan of Soap And Glory? Have you tried either of these products?

Kate x

H&M Try On Haul

Having drooled over a fair number of other people's H&M hauls in recent weeks, it seemed only fair that I did one of my own! It has always been a favourite retailer of mine, and just lately the store seems to be full to bursting with gorgeous spring/summer pieces. I hope you like what I picked! As always, you can watch the video here on the blog, or head over to watch it on YouTube if you prefer. If you want to check out any of the items for yourself, you'll find the links over on YouTube too.

Are you a fan of H&M, and have you shopped there recently?

Kate x

Discovering Trinny London: A Fuss Free Approach To Natural Makeup

This post contains gifted items, which are marked "AD". Read my full disclaimer here.

I imagine that most fashion and beauty lovers of a certain age (my age!) from the UK remember a TV show called What Not To Wear. Back in the early 2000s, my friends and I used to love watching Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine giving their sensible, sometimes scathing but always affectionate advice to members of the public - and the occasional celebrity - who had lost their way with fashion. By the end of each show, the subjects had new hair, new makeup and new wardrobes, as well as a new lease of life. Armed with a heap of knowledge and useful tips from Trinny and Susannah about how best to dress for their body type and lifestyle, they went back out into the world with renewed confidence, and it was always inspiring to watch.

As I remember the show so well, I was immediately curious when I heard about Trinny London - a new makeup brand launched by presenter Trinny Woodall. And naturally, I wasn't going to say no to the opportunity to try out a few of the products!

When the PR package arrived, I was immediately impressed with how beautifully the makeup was presented, as well as intrigued by the whole concept behind the brand. Featuring entirely cream based products, everything from foundation to lipstick comes in a small, stackable pot, meaning that you can mix and match your own perfect combination to create a personalised stack that's compact and lightweight, ideal to carry around with you wherever you go.

Trinny London BFF Cream (AD)

The only product not housed in a stackable pot, but with one provided in case you wish to decant and go, is the BFF Cream. A skin perfector containing SPF 30, this is a really lovely primer with a hint of colour to it, available in 6 shades from Lightest to Dark. I was sent Light. It appears white on first application, but adapts to your skin tone as you blend it in, leaving you with a lovely, healthy glow and skin that feels soft and smooth and without the faintest hint of grease. It also has a delicious, light, fresh scent to it. For those with good skin, it would make a great base on its own, while for those, who prefer a little more coverage, like myself, it's a fabulous primer. I am seriously impressed with this product and can see myself wearing it all summer long.

Trinny London Makeup

In addition to the BFF Cream, the brand also sent me 5 makeup products to try. I was given the Just A Touch Foundation in Zandy (AD), Eye2Eye Eyeshadow in Empress (AD), Flush Blush Blusher in Wiggs (AD), Fresh Flush Lip and Cheek Colour in Mama (AD) and Lip Glow Lip Gloss in Tallis. The quality of all the products is just gorgeous, they blend beautifully and are a pleasure to apply. For the most part, the cream products and stackable pots work very well, and for quickly applying a natural makeup look on the go with your fingertips, they are great. The only product I had any issues with at all was the foundation, but only because it took a fair amount of work to cover my whole face with this particular method of application - once I had finished, the results were impressive.

The Eye2Eye shade Empress looks very dark, though beautiful, in the pot, and I was slightly concerned that it might not suit me, however I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to work with. It blends like a dream, allowing you to apply a subtle wash of colour or build it up to something more dramatic if you prefer. A stunning deep bronze with just the right amount of shimmer, it is my new favourite eye product. I also love the Flush Blush shade Wiggs - a beautiful, feminine pink that brings a gorgeous, natural healthy glow to the cheeks. I'm wearing both in the photo below, along with the Just A Touch Foundation in Zandy and the Lip Glow in Tallis.

The Trinny London Website is well worth a browse. You can choose from pre-made stacks or mix and match the products to create your own, depending on what you want. In my opinion, this method lends itself best to fuss free, natural, everyday makeup looks, and as that pretty much describes the kind of makeup I wear 95% of the time, I think I'm going to be getting a lot of use out of my stack!

Have you heard of Trinny London? What do you think of the stack system, and is it something you would use?

Kate x

Light And Bright Spring/Summer Makeup + Discount Code For Lola Makeup

This post contains gifted items, which are marked "AD". Read my full disclaimer here.

Once again, I have been kindly gifted three more products from Lola Makeup. Just like on the first occasion, I was inspired to create a makeup look based around those products, and you can see exactly how I achieved that look as well as my thoughts on the makeup in the video below. However, if you would rather see a quick run down of each one, then just keep reading!

Finishing Brush (AD)

With its two types of synthetic hair in differing lengths, this brush reminds me a lot of the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. I find it really effective to use for applying foundation as it distributes the perfect amount of product evenly across my complexion. The finished result looks airbrushed, leaving behind very minimal brush strokes which are easily smoothed out with my fingers. This has quickly become my new favourite tool for applying base products.

Extra Slim Pen Eyeliner (AD)

This is easy to apply, even for those of us who don't wear liner very often. The fine nib ensures a clean, precise line and would be ideal for creating sharp, cat-eye flicks. I use it just to bring some definition to my upper lash line, and it's great for that too. It glides on smooth as silk and is a beautifully pigmented, inky black colour.

Matte Liquid Lipstick in Strawberry Peck (AD)

Having already had one of Lola's Matte Liquid Lipsticks before, I was excited to find I had been sent another. These have a lovely creamy formula to them and feel very comfortable to wear, with fantastic pigmentation that stands the distance through a night out. The shade Strawberry Peck is a gorgeous, vibrant pink that inspired the sunset vibe of the look I created over on YouTube.

Do check out my video if you'd like to see how I put it together.

Finally, if you're thinking of doing any shopping on the Lola Makeup Website, then I have a little treat for you - you can enter the code "katelouiseblogs" at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

What makeup have you been loving lately?

Kate x