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 Enhance Glow Tinted Moisturiser #TFWOC

Hydrating and lightly tinted moisturiser, for a luminescent facial glow.

Apply to the face and blend into the jaw line to enhance a facial tan or create a radiant smooth glow.

Make Believe's glow tinted moisturiser is supposed to help you enhance your existing tan or even those born with one ;)

It's a case of one shade for all skin tones and when I first squeezed it out of the tube my initial reaction was that it seemed too cool toned and would show up ashy but this wasn't the case at all. The consistency was thicker than expected and for this reason I used it over my normal moisturiser. You really have to work it into the skin and as I didn't have a suitable brush I used my hands but I think a buffing brush would work much better. Coverage was minimal but what it did provide was a lovely even glow, just as the name suggests. This product also contains shimmer particles and I was so paranoid that my face was sparkling on the tube but I didn't receive any funny looks so it's probably only close up that you can tell. The only downside I found was that it clung to the dry skin around my nose making it more noticeable but that could probably be remedied with a facial serum or extra dose of moisturiser in that area.

Whilst I enjoyed using this product I wouldn't personally buy it as I don't feel it's an essential part of my makeup routine and it's a bit pricey. Make Believe Glow Tinted Moisturiser retails for £15 (30ml) and is available on their website.

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!

French crush

The hair, the style, the eyeliner and those cheekbones! Francoise Hardy is my newest girl crush. "Tous les garcons" and "Le temps de l'amour" are both songs my parents used to play when we were young and they have been on repeat in our house over the past week. Oh to be chic...