Cocoa Brown Night&Day Tan Review

So as some of you may know.. Last week I purchased the New Cocoa Brown Night&Day Tan, I was beyond excited, and to see it in my local chemist not long after it was first released.This will tell you just how MASSIVE Cocoa Brown has become.. Delighted! 

A quick run down on the tan:
The main difference between the original Cocoa Brown and the new night and day version is that the new one is instant, no need to wait the hour or 3 for it to develop. You simply apply, get dressed and you're good to go! It does, however, develop slightly while you are wearing it to create a light and healthy glow (similar to the colour achieved by leaving the original on for 1hour) once you have showered which I must say is a really nice touch.I know myself from experience that you can look a little worse for wear after a night out! Such an ingenious idea - I wish I thought of it!!

 Again like the original your tan is BROWN, not orange. However it is a lot lot darker, so if you like your tan really deep and bronzed this is the perfect tan for you! Now it is instant, so bear that in mind when you are wearing it as there may be a slight amount of transfer onto clothes but nothing near as bad as other instant tans. *ahem* 'Rimmel Sun Shimmer' *ahem* 

It smells a lot nicer than other instant tans too, you get that same light, floral Tahitian Gardenia scent! 

*This picture really does not do the Tan any justice.. It was like DARK dark!*

For me? The colour is my only gripe, I like my tan to look quite natural, light and sun-kissed! So I felt that the immediate intensity of the colour was just too much for me personally! I know some of you will be thinking that I'm mad and maybe I am but at the end of the day it is all down to personal preference and I am by no means knocking the tan itself! I just wish it came a shade lighter.. (Hint, Hint Marissa!!) So personally I will be sticking with the original, leaving it on for 2 hours to create my ideal shade! 


Finally, so irrelevant yet so relevant is this..

I just thought it was such a personal touch to add to the bottles. Again maybe that's just me!


Hope you're enjoying the blog! I'd love to hear your opinions/feedback on the products I've been reviewing. Have you tried any of them? Feel free to leave a comment, message me on facebook or tweet me! 

Tigi Bed Head Candy Fixations Glaze Haze

Does your hair suffer under the Wrath of humidity? Do you struggle to fight frizz and fly-away's? Well you're in luck because so do I! Having searched high and low for the perfect product, I think I may have finally found it! It all started off with one of my beloved free samples and is now my hair care Holy Grail for the summer!!

Tigi Bed Head Candy Fixations Glaze Haze is a marshmallow scented serum that smooths the hair's cuticle and controls fly-aways, leaving your hair with a gorgeously glossy, high shine finish. It also reduces drying time which is a massive bonus.. Who wants to be stuck under a hair dryer when they could be out enjoying the sunshine.. If we get any! (Think Positive Rebecca) It is also a very light weight serum so it won't weigh your hair down or make it look greasy..

Glaze Haze is designed for all hair types. It works great on most "normal" hair types, however if your hair is very fine or very course/frizzy, I would recommend finding a more texture specific serum that will better meet your needs.

Directions for use: Depending on hair length, apply 1-2 pumps of TIGI Bed Head Candy Fixations Glaze Haze into hands and run through mid-lengths to ends on wet or dry hair to eliminate fly-away's and add shine. Use on wet hair to speed up drying time. 

For €11.95 you get a lot of bang for your buck as the saying goes, definitely a repurchase product!

'Beauty Blender' dupe review

I've heard so much about these 'beauty blenders' of late I just had to give them a go for myself, see what all the fuss was about!

I searched high and low for one and what do you know? I couldn't find one anywhere! I knew I could buy one online but I just couldn't condone paying almost €10 for p&p for a sponge.. I mean how heavy can it be? So just as I was about to give up, I spotted a look-a-like in H&M! And as we all know "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" so I said I'd give it a go, for €2.95 I could hardly go wrong! I was always a brush girl myself and a sponge is a sponge at the end of the day so if I didn't like it so be it! It wasn't gonna break the bank!

The sponge I got has a flat end and a tapered end. The flat end is for buffing the foundation into the larger area's of your face such as the cheeks and forehead. The tapered end then is for getting into the creases, such as around the nose and just under your eyes. Or what I found it particularly good for was for applying concealer! 

Basically what you do is dampen the sponge with warm water and squeeze any excess out, then because the sponge is damp it won't soak up the foundation (meaning you won't have to use as much, meaning you will save money!)  and allows the product glide onto the face with ease - leaving you with a flawless complexion! Everything looks so light and natural, almost airbrushed in seconds! This coming from someone who has acne prone skin has to be a good thing! 

I don't know what it is about the sponge that I like so much, maybe it the fact that its bigger than the normal ones, you feel like you have slightly more control over it!? Maybe its because I've seen one too many girls who don't buff their foundation in properly and have bristle marks on their faces!? (the reason I use a stippling brush). Or perhaps it was the price!? 

What I do know is that this is what I will be applying my makeup with for the summer months! It's effortless!!

Story of my life.

 The 'Beauty Blender' dupe is perfect for recreating the "natural" look that so popular with men of our generation.. Little do the know how long that look takes to pull off! At least with this little weapon it'll speed things up - even if only slightly ;)

The time has come to 'bare arms'

So its that time of year again, although you'd hardly think it with the weather we've been having in Ireland. Its officially summer! Time to prep and preen your arms, legs and feet for the summer attire!..So no better time to do a quick review on some tans I've been trying out! 

I've had my fair share of tanning fails, whether it was streaking or looking every shade from 'lumo' orange to dirty brown! I found developer tans to be disastrous and instant tans just didn't give me the length I wanted and needed out of my tan. I mean after all it takes the same time to put on both, why shouldn't we get a few days out of it?

I'll be reviewing 2 tans today. Both are Irish! I'm all about supporting local, Unfortunately it isn't very often that Irish beauty products cause such a stir in the beauty world! 

The first is 'TanOrganic' created by Noelle O'Connor, it was featured on 'The Dragons Den', where 'Dragon' Gavin Duffy took an interest in the product, a year on and it is the most successful company to come out of 'The Dragons Den' and being honest I'm not surprised!

'TanOrganic' is completely natural and certified Organic. Noelle found a Niche in the market and has taken the fake tanning world by storm. 

Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give it a bash.. 

On application it smells almost "citrusy", unfortunately that's where the sweet scent ends, I woke up the following morning with that awful fake tan smell! 

 It is a developer tan so I was anxious trying it at first, the thought of the streaks, orange elbows and knees.. But to my surprise there actually weren't any. Delighted! It looks so natural on and I received so many compliments while wearing it but again to my disappointment this tan transfers to clothing like no other - so avoid white like the plague if you are gonna try it out! 

Those of you into all natural/organic may well enjoy this tan but unfortunately it wasn't for me! I won't deny it's a good tan and I'm delighted that it has become so popular but for someone who isn't at all conscious about what she puts on her skin, I just can't comprehend repurchasing it at an RRP of €22.90!

The second tan I would like to mention is the massively hyped 'Cocoa Brown' 1 HOUR tan created by the Beautiful Marissa Carter. 

'Cocoa Brown' is an accelerated developer tan, meaning whether it is a light, medium or dark tan you are looking for, your perfect shade can be achieved within 3 hours!! 

*My desired result after approx 2hrs*

I have to say, I was slightly 'iffy' about trying this tan as is comes in a mousse form, after the 'St.Moriz' disaster, we won't even go there! BUT, my god am I glad that I did?

 I don't even know where to begin with this tan other than by saying it has quickly become my holy grail product! It is literally fool proof, like tanning for dummies! You could not make this product streak if you tried! 

There is no fake tan smell whatsoever, just the light floral scent of Tahitian Gardinia you are promised on the bottle. Of course it would take an Irish woman to be the first person to rid the world of that disgusting "biscuity" smell attached to regular fake tans!

 Your skin feels so soft and smooth after applying it and doesn't dry out which is a downfall of many other fake tans on the market! This product does not transfer and to top it all off, it is not tested on animals! How does she do it?

I've worn it 3-4 times at this stage and haven't even made a dent in the bottle not that it would break the bank to repurchase at just  €7 in Penneys it is an absolute BARGAIN!! 

 I will forever be in her debt because of this product - it truly is L-O-V-E!

The Social Stigma attached to free samples..

Is it just me or is there some sort of social stigma about asking for a free sample of a product inside in the likes of Brown Thomas or Debenhams? (For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about.. These two department stores would be like the Irish equivalent of Sephora or Ulta.)

Is it a case of "God no.. I'd look poor!" or what? I mean seriously *News Flash* The whole country is poor, well unless you've won the Lotto or something!?

 Just think about it..

 The people working at the counters in these department stores are working on commission, meaning the more YOU spend the more THEY make! So, is it not in their best interest to entice you into coming back again?

Me? I've never been one to shy away from a free sample, whether its from a magazine or from a counter in Brown Thomas or one of the larger chemists that stock high end brands! Companies provide these samples for a reason.. To boost their business! Why should we be the ones to deny them of that right? 

Have you ever spent €30 odd on a foundation that promises you the world, only to take it home and try it out a couple of times and it makes you look like Sloth from 'The Goonies', maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but you catch my drift...

Why not spare yourself and your pocket that unnecessary ache? And ask for a sample.. 4mls won't break anyone! You might end up pleasantly surprised and find something that actually works for you and is worth spending your hard earned money on! 

So if you are gonna take nothing else from me or from this blog at least take this one piece of advice and be daring with them.. They're quick enough to pounce on you when you walk into a shop, why not return the favor?

Khroma Beauty - Khloe's Kardazzle Palette!

Having zero interest really in the Kardashian's, I went out on a whim and bought it out of curiosity more than anything else! I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, although I was a little underwhelmed by the "cheapy" plastic packaging! 

However, all the colours are very usable and really pigmented. If you, like me have that typical Irish complexion! (aka pale and pasty) this palette is perfect for you as the colours aren't harsh and can be mixed and matched to suit your own preferences, anything from super subtle to a seriously smokey eye. 

The palette comes complete with 8 eye shadows, 4 matte and 4 shimmery - many of them similar to those in the 'Naked 2' palette by Urban decay, so you have your nudes and earthy browns and then you have your golds and coppers! You also get a lovely peachy Blush, a high-lighter with a yellowy undertone and a light Bronzer which is perfect for contouring! 

 The highlighter is my favorite part of the whole palette, it gives a beautiful sun-kissed glow and blends well!  I was never one for powder high-lighters, instead opting for liquid ones such as Benefits 'moon beam' or 'Touche Eclat' by YSL but I have to say this palette has me completely converted! Although the palette is smaller than I expected, they pack a LOT into it.. Making it perfect to pop into your handbag if you're on the go.

 All in all, I cannot fault it for the price, a grand total of €16.95!!

Better late than never...

Hey Guys,

My name is Rebecca, I'm 20 and I am an enthusiast. A fashion, beauty and everything in between enthusiast. I have been contemplating starting this blog with a long time and decided that today was the day. If I don't do it now I probably never will!

The aim of my blog is to help you save money, to choose products effectively and ultimately to enjoy the world of beauty as much as I do. I am no expert and I won't ever pretend that I am. Like I said, I am an enthusiast and experimenting with new products is something I enjoy doing. 

I will be buying products, trying them out and then giving my brutally honest opinion. I will do regular posts on products I am currently using and the shops and sites I use. Maybe do a "product of the week" or "monthly favorites" blog post. All I ask is that you will be patient with me, I am new to this after all! 

So here goes nothing..

 Cloud10beauty is an online beauty store I have only recently discovered myself. You can buy anything from makeup and skincare to hair and nail care products. They offer a variety of products on the site which are not widely available in Ireland such as 'sleek' cosmetics and 'sigma' makeup brushes or for those of you who are fans of the Kardashian sisters 'Khroma beauty'.

 I have had nothing but positive things to say about the site since I initially discovered it, everything from the sites layout to their customer care is absolutely fantastic. They also accept Laser as method of payment, which is definitely a bonus in my eyes as not many online stores do!

My first Cloud10beauty experience:

I placed my first order at 11pm on a bank holiday Monday and my package was delivered to my door in under 36 hours FREE OF CHARGE!!! Needless to say I was delighted! So delighted that I had to go back again and again before starting this blog!!

The cloud 10 beauty team are fantastic for responding to customers on social networks. Here is a link to their Facebook page where you will get 15% off of your first order. They also offer free delivery for orders over £40/€50 within Ireland and the UK. How much better can it get? Beauty Points to use against future purchases? Free Samples? They have it all!

Don't take my word for it.. Take a look yourself and enjoy all the bargains! 

I hope you liked my first blog, I'll be reviewing some of the products I bought from Cloud10beauty in the coming weeks so stay tuned! Have a great weekend everyone well whats left of it anyway! :)

Rebecca x