St Moriz Dark Instant Self Tanning Lotion & Dark Bronzing Powder #TFWOC

Despite being something of a budget brand, St Moriz seems to be highly regarded in the tanning world and I have read countless positive reviews about their products. But would it work for my skin tone? Yes it did and I have to say it's my favourite out of all the tans we have been testing over the last two months!

Easy to apply, smells good and I loved the results (top arm). No streaks at all and this photo was taken almost a week after application and you can still see the lovely bronzed effect it gave my skin. The number one reason I would recommend this over all the other tans is the fact that it costs so little, around £3 a bottle compared to £18-£25 mark that most tanning products seem to sell for.




I didn't know they had a bronzer range but I was also sent their bronzer in dark to review. The powder is smooth and silky to apply but my problem with this is that I don't think this is a bronzer at all. Personally I consider bronzers as being dark brown/golden olive in colour with maybe a hint of shimmer. St Moriz is a full on rose gold shimmer which is absolutely gorgeous as a highlighter on dark skin and this is the only way I would use it.

The St Moriz website isn't very informative about where you can buy their products as you have to ring a number to find out. A quick Google search shows that Fragrance Direct stocks St Moriz and the tanning lotion is £2.99 and the bronzer £2.75. I've also read that Tesco sells St Moriz but I have yet to see any in my local.

Have you read the other reviews by the other ladies?

Stephanie from Nerd about Town

Dija from Dijas World

Lola from LolaStar Hearts

Laa Laa from Dolce Vanity

Sophia from Tattoed Tea Lady

Safiyah from FrootiBeauty

Grace from All That Slap

Annie from Epiphannie A

Hafsa from Muslimah Beauty

This brings the TFWOC project to an end and I'd like to thank Annie & LaaLaa for all their hard work! I no longer consider myself to be a tanning novice. I have learnt that there are tanning products suitable for my skin tone and that they will only bronze and enhance my natural colour, not darken which was a common misconception. It doesn't mean that I will be tanning on a regular basis but I know there are options for me out there if I need them :)

Vita Liberata Phenomenal Tanning Mousse Medium #TFWOC

Using a special combination of natural nourishing extracts and the unique pHenO2 technology, Vita Liberata has reinvented self tan. pHenomenal contains all the USPs of our other tanning products, but can last up to 4 times longer:*

• No streaking & No smells.
• 100% free from parabens, perfume and alcohol.
• Easy to apply.
• Unique Pentavitin moisture lock complex.
• 70% organic extracts that are kind to skin and produce a natural fade (eventually!)

This tanning mousse claims to be the world's first 2-3 week tan and I couldn't wait to test it. The pump action nozzle delivered a fine spray of mousse but you have to rub it in quickly or it can stain. I'm sure not everyone has to stop to take a blog photo first so you probably won't have this problem ;). I like gel formulations better but this is a personal preference, it wasn't any trouble to apply at all. It is tinted so you can see where you have applied and I'm not sure if it has a discernible scent as my nose was blocked at the time, but from reading other reviews apparently there is no biscuity smell. The residue remained sticky and I didn't think it dried very quickly at all. You're supposed to leave it on for at least three hours before showering and I left mine on for over a whole day. Out of all the brands we have tested so far I think this was the most informative with lots of instructions on the bottle as well as a little leaflet explaining how to apply on different areas of your body.



This photo was taken a few days later and my results are non existent - it's the arm on the bottom that had the tan applied but you can't see a difference despite two applications. What I did notice the next day after I washed it away was that I had some red/orange tones to my arm but nothing I would call a tan. Would the results have been different if I had used a darker shade? Not sure, however it seems from the other reviews in the TFWOC project that almost everyone had similar results. Do check them out!

Stephanie from Nerd about Town

Dija from Dijas World

Lola from LolaStar Hearts

Laa Laa from Dolce Vanity

Sophia from Tattoed Tea Lady

Safiyah from FrootiBeauty

Grace from All That Slap

Annie from Epiphannie A

Hafsa from Muslimah Beauty

Vita Liberata Phenomenal Tanning Mousse (£37.50 for 125ml) is available in 3 shades and can be bought via their website and can also be found in Boots.

Xen-Tan Deep Bronze Luxe Weekly Self Tan (Dark) #TFWOC

Voted Best Ever Beauty Buy by Elle Beauty, Deep Bronze Luxe is the perfect between a medium and dark tan.

The ultra-sheer instant colour formula is easy to apply, goes on evenly and is completely streak-free. Giving you a gorgeous glow that'll last for up to seven days, and a confidence boost that'll last even longer.

It also contains additional vitamin E, Green Tea and skin-loving anti-oxidants that soothe, smooth and nourish skin while providing an instant and natural colour you'll love. What's more, the pleasant vanilla fragrance will leave you feeling wrapped in luxury.
From reading other beauty blogs it's apparent that Xen-Tan is one of the bigger self tanning brands out there with a devoted following and Deep Bronze Luxe seems to be a big hit with everyone so I was really excited to try it.

It comes out this murky olive green colour and has a pleasant scent but the major pitfall I found was it blended in transparent and I couldn't tell where I had already applied. As I was applying this on my arm it wasn't such a big deal, but if I was doing a full body application this would have really bugged me. It does say "instant colour" on the packaging but I couldn't see anything developing even after a few hours.



In fact over the week I still couldn't see a change to my skin tone until I took these photos several days later. Can you see how my arm has acquired a slight olive tone (top arm)? But so slight that I can't see it with my naked eye so not much point really! It's supposed to last a week but this faded 4-5 days later. Quite disappointed with the results but my conclusion is that this is suited to those with fairer skin and not mine :)

I had the mini "try before you buy" 30ml sample which retails for £3.99 from Xen-Tan's website and you can get the full sized version (236ml) for £21.50 from feelunique.

Make Believe Self Tan Lotion With Bronzer #TFWOC

For a natural looking tan with instant colour.

You will achieve an immediate glowing tan with makebelieve Self Tan Lotion with Bronzer. It is very easy to apply and can be washed off to reveal a longer-lasting tan after 4 hours.

This light moisturising lotion is includes a Lipo-Care Complex of ingredients that keeps the skin toned and supple and can help reduce the appearance of cellulite. The unique blend of Rainforest Oils intensely moisturises and conditions the skin and help make this product easy to apply. Anti-Oxidants and fruit extracts also help protect the skin against the signs of ageing.

Over the last week I have been testing out Make Believe's self tanning lotion with bronzer. Make Believe have been very generous in also sending a tinted moisturiser and bronzer to review which will be posted separately over the upcoming weeks.

Up to now the TFWOC group have been reviewing wash off tans and this is my first ever experience of a gradual tanner. As a complete tanning novice I was kind of expecting the usual things I had read about when tanning like biscuit smells, stained sheets etc. I'm pleased to say that it was nothing of the sort.



Another chocolate resembling lotion, this smelled absolutely delicious and I couldn't stop sniffing. Wafts of sugary vanilla - no biscuits here! A glove was provided in the box and although a thoughtful addition it proved to be very ineffective as I ended up with streaks. If I had had the foresight to buy a tanning mitt I would have used one but my hand was just as good and they didn't end up stained either.

The best thing about this product was the addition of the bronzer so I could see where I had applied and where I needed to. It didn't really sink into my skin and I wasn't sure if it was supposed to but my legs stayed sticky and I had to wait until they dried before I could go on with my day. This might have been because I used a body butter immediately before applying but it was a bit annoying.



It only takes a couple of hours for the colour to develop but I only saw a difference in colour the next day. It's subtle and isn't very noticeable in artificial light but in natural lighting there's a definite golden glow. I think it's almost like my skin tone but better? The above photo was taken about 5 days after application and I hope you can tell it's my right leg which is tanned. It has started to fade nicely with no patches so far (thankfully). It does say that you can reapply for a deeper colour which I would definitely do.

The self tan lotion with bronzer retails for £24.50 and is available on Make Believe's website where they have an extensive range of tanning products. Watch out for my review of their tinted moisturiser tomorrow.

Don't forget to check out the other reviews in the project!

Abi O BeauBronz Shimmer Tan Boost #TFWOC

First product to be reviewed in the TFWOC project is the Abi O BeauBronz Shimmer Tan Boost, a light tanning product with plenty of golden shimmer. Containing just 2.5% DHA (active tanning ingredient) there won't be a dramatic difference in tone but just enough to give your skin a nice glow which is exactly what it did for me.

The pump made application a doddle and it blended easily into my skin leaving a lovely golden shimmer which sparkled in the light. The overall smell isn't the nicest (think raw potatoes) but it wasn't overly unpleasant. However it is noticeable which bothered me and I felt that it did linger afterwards. Containing rose hip oil, vitamin E and aloe vera I expected it to be more moisturising than it was but this wasn't too important for me. My skin stayed slightly tacky for a while after application but didn't transfer onto my clothing or anything.

Personally I thought the change in colour was very minimal and didn't show up on camera but I believe repeat applications would have had a better result. It states that this product is best suited for tanned black or brown skin but I don't think it would work very well on darker skin tones in terms of tanning. However for the shimmer factor alone it would be great!


I think this would be more suited to legs, arms and decolletage rather than all over your body, and especially on nights out unless you like to rock the shimmer everyday ;)

All Abi O products are free from parabens, contain natural and organic ingredients and are cruelty free. I have the trial size which is £8 for 50ml and the full size retails for £26 for 200ml. Both are available to buy online at BeauBronz.

Tans For Women Of Colour Project #TFWOC

Did you know there were products available and aimed at women of colour? I certainly didn't and over the next few weeks I'll be testing various bronzing and tanning products as part of the #TFWOC project organised by fellow bloggers LaaLaa from Dolce Vanity and Annie from EpiphannieA.

It appears that the general consensus amongst the Asian community I have grown up in,  is that tans are unattractive and unappealing. I actually have friends who refuse to go out on fiercely sunny summer days but me? I love having a tan and I try and keep the sun kissed glow for as long as possible (just pointing out that I do wear the appropriate SPF). One of the main aims of this project is to find tanning/bronzing products suitable for WOC and in the words of LaaLaa, "encourage women to steer away from harmful and unsafe methods such skin bleaching by showing them how they can enhance and even out their skin by tanning and or bronzing and still be proud and beautiful."

You can also see how these products work on a variety of different skin tones as we have been split into groups according to MAC shades. I'm a NC44 and in Group C.

Group A (NC30 - NW30- NC35- NW35) Group B (NC37 – NC40 – NW40 - NC42) Group C (NW43 – NC44 – NC45 – NW45) Group D (NW47 – NC50 – NW50) Group E (NC55 – NW55)

The brands we will be reviewing are as follows:

Week of the 10th September : Review of BeauBronz

Week of the 17th September Review of Karamel & Brown

Week of the 24th September Review of Vita Liberata

Week of the 1st October Review of Xen-Tan

Week of the 8th October Review of  MakeBelieve

Other bloggers involved in the project:

Stephanie from Nerd about Town

Dija from Dijas World

Lola from LolaStar Hearts

Laa Laa from Dolce from Vanity

Sophia from Tattoed Tea Lady

Safiyah from FrootiBeauty

Grace from All That Slap

Annie from Epiphannie A

Yinka from Vex in the City

Hafsa from Muslimah Beauty

Stay tuned for my first post later this week!

Westfield buys

Easing myself back into regular blogging and showing what I bought today during my after work trip to Westfield Stratford. I love that it's only 10 minutes away from me but equally loathe the way it's always rammed. Why are the walkways so narrow? Shepherd's Bush is so much better!

Anyway I digress, here are my buys:


Lush Snow Fairy: I always read on other blogs about how great this shower gel is and I couldn't fathom why something so lurid pink had everyones attention every Christmas, especially since whenever I sniffed the bottle it didn't seem anything special. I decided to buy a small bottle and try it out for myself and wow I'm converted!! It smells deliciously sweet, kind of like those raspberry panda pop drinks but even better the scent stays on your skin after you've showered. I really like it but not sure if I would buy another bottle seeing as it's £5.95 for 250ml. Expensive for someone who usually buys their shower gels for a quid!

Topshop Nail Art Pen: I saw these online the other day when Topshop were doing free delivery but I disregarded them as I thought they would be crap. I wasn't impressed by the WAH nails/Models Own one and assumed this would be along the same lines. Then I saw this post by Gem Fatale and decided that I had to have them. I went in wanting pink but walked out with "Nightrider" black which I'm sort of regretting now. Haven't used it yet as I haven't had time to paint my nails today but I have high hopes for this.

Kiko Creamy Lipstick: Never heard of this brand until recently but I went in to have a nosey and really liked the look of their lippies. I bought #399 which is a sort of rose petal pink? It swatched beautifully in store but after trying it on my lips at home I'm uncertain. I like the matte rubber case which makes it looks more expensive than £5.90 but the actual lipstick is a bit of a let down. It's thin and very "slippy", like cheapo lipsticks and I just feel a bit short changed. I certainly won't be buying any again but their eyeshadows looked really good, there were loads of metallic glittery which ones caught my eye.

Have you tried any of these? Let me know if you're a Snow Fairy fan!

Body Oils - Yay or Nay?

Image source

Weleda have released this LE set of body oils in celebration of their 90th birthday and they sound like they would smell amazing. The gift set (£9.95) contains 10ml each of the precious Wild Rose Body Oil, Relaxing Lavender Body Oil, intensively nourishing Sea Buckthorn Body Oil, the refreshing Citrus Body Oil and the anti-ageing Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil.

I've never really used body oils before and it made me think about the body creams I use and how effective they really are. I don't have particularly dry skin but no matter how moisturising creams/lotions claim to be, they don't live up to my expectations. Perhaps it's just the ones I have used? At the moment I am using the Body Shop's Brazil Nut body butter and I love the smell and the way my skin feels after the initial application, but after a while I have to reapply as it seems to sit on the surface of my skin and rub off easily.

I'm already a convert of using oil in my hair so why not on my body too? The best way to apply is onto damp skin straight after a shower so it can be absorbed quicker. My only apprehension is that oils sound a bit messy to use and I wouldn't like anything too heavy or greasy. I guess you wouldn't even need to go out and purchase branded body oils as some people use plain old olive oil (the daddy of all oils) but I would prefer something lighter and nicely scented.

What do you think about body oils? Would you use them? And if you already do, which ones do you like? I'd love to know what you think.

p.s. Sorry it's taken so long but the winner of my Trilogy Giveaway is Hannah! x

Do you hate the smell of cocoa butter?

Because I do and I can't be the only one? I can't stand it, especially the Palmer's version which everyone seems to love. I know that it's a good moisturising lotion but I hate the greasy feeling and the overbearing scent.

BUT whilst browsing the aisles of Superdrug this week I saw this new Garnier body lotion on offer (£2.99 for 400ml)and out of the variety of scents (like mango!), I chose the cocoa butter one. It's not like any other cocoa butter product I've used before. It smells like milk chocolate but it's light and not sickly sweet. Only been using it for a few days but I love it so far!