Winter is in full swing and what better time is there than now to sort out your winter skincare routine? It’s a well known fact that the change in weather has harsher effects on our skin and face, but it’s better to be one step ahead and ready for whatever winter throws at us!

At uni I massively slacked on skincare - I was so busy with being a full-time student and also a full-time blogger that I barely had any time for myself. I can totally see the difference in my skin since I’ve graduated and had more time for ‘me’, and if I miss a day of my skincare routine I can really notice. By learning which products suit my skin I feel like I’ve nailed it, and it’s left me feeling 100 times more confident than before. Being a full-time blogger, I’m always doing photo shoots for different clothing and products, and I feel so much more comfortable in front of the camera now knowing that my skin is the best it can be.

After removing any trace of makeup from my face with makeup wipes (I only ever use Simple’s Cleansing Facial Wipes. They have a special aqua lock technology which means that they never ever dry out, and I find other brands just haven’t ever been able to compete with this. It’s also the only make up wipes I’ve ever used which SUPER EASILY removes mascara!), I then like to wet my face and rub on St. Ives’ Oatmeal Scrub and Mask.
This is brilliant as the scrub removes any extra dirt from the face which didn’t come off previously, but also isn’t a harsh product on the skin meaning that it’s fine for you to use every day. I also find this product incredible for helping anyone with dry patches or dermatitis on their face as it’s a well known fact oats are proven to help skin (if you have this too then you’ll know how much of a pain it is when makeup sticks to the dry patches), as it gets rid of the flakiness, but also controls oiliness, which meant I didn’t have as much oiliness on my forehead or chin anymore.

On a Friday night, as a treat to myself I like to do a sheet mask on my face to really calm and moisturise. Simple actually have just brought out a really good range of sheet masks, but my favourites are either the Pollution Protection sheet mask or the de-Stress sheet mask. I find these really give my face so much moisture and the Pollution one in particular is fab if you work in the city - I never realised how much Pollution affected my skin until I started spending the majority of my time in London!

After using the St Ives scrub, once my face is dry I then like to use Simple’s Hydrating Booster.
This is a gel consistency which I personally really like, as I find gels to have a cooling sensation on the face, and sink in reasonably quick too. The idea of this product is to hydrate the skin and treat it from within - our bodies are on average 75% water (don’t hold me to that exact percentage, every website I checked varied slightly LOL), and if you’re not giving your skin what it needs, how can it be perfect? Treating problems from within is a much better solution to just treating from the surface - it means you’re more likely to have longer lasting results.
The first day I actually tried this product I was completely sold with it - the only way I can really describe how this product makes me feel is by comparing it to that first sensation you get once you’ve had a drink of water that you’ve been gasping for - that’s what it feels like on the skin. It literally gives my skin the feeling of having a drink after I’ve been gasping for one - crazy I know, right? Honestly, just try it for yourself, you’ll be amazed. I have dry parts on my face from dermatitis and although this doesn’t stop the redness (it doesn’t claim to either - it’s not meant for that), it did stop the dryness completely. Miracle!

For the final step I use a moisturiser, and the one I’ve been loving recently is Malin + Goetz Advanced Renewal Face Cream.
It’s really light and airy, but incredibly moisturing. It gives my skin so much radiance and evens out my skin tone, but it sinks in and doesn’t just sit on the skin and become greasy, which is a key aspect for me. I don’t like anything that just sits on my skin and feels heavy!



I hope this inspires you to maintain your skincare routine - let me know if any of these products work for you too!

You can shop St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub here,
Simple’s Hydrating Booster here,
Simple’s Cleansing Facial wipes here,
Simple’s Pollution Protect Sheet Mask here,
And the Malin + Goetz Advanced Renewal Cream here.

font corrupted


​

If you've been following along with our Philips BlueControl journey, we're back with a final update for you.
It's been nearly 6 months now since we've started using BlueControl to treat Psoriasis, and the results have been phenomenal. My mum has said to me that she never in her wildest dreams expected to be able to keep her Psoriasis under control without using a steroid, and after suffering for nearly 35 years, a product like this has been a long time coming for her.

Below I have included pictures of the Psoriasis before starting treatment, and pictures of how the treated areas look now, for your reference.

As you can see from the images above, the thick, scaly, plaque-like texture has been replaced by normal, smooth skin. Of course there are still patches trying to break out, but that's normal, as Psoriasis can be very persistent, but we believe that through continued use of BlueControl, by the end of the year it should be pretty much disappeared entirely. As you can see for yourself from both the images above and on my previous updates, BlueControl works.

Throughout this whole treatment, BlueControl has fitted right in as part of our every day routine. As mentioned in my previous posts, it's convenient and can just simply be strapped on to the area without hindering you from getting on with what you need to do. It can be worn at work, home, driving - so there's absolutely no excuse to fall behind with your treatment. 

Moving forward, both my mum and I now can't imagine our lives without BlueControl. Especially for my mum, it's given her the confidence that she should've had as a 20 year old woman, and she finally feels confident enough to lay on the beach in swimwear without feeling worried about people noticing her Psoriasis.

If you have any questions about our journey or if you'd like any advice, please don't hesitate to ask me and I'll try my best to help.

You can also read my first post on our BlueControl journey here, and my update on our BlueControl journey here.

You can also purchase the BlueControl device from the Philips website here.

This post may be a little overdue, but seeing as there have been two poignant national celebrations about women this week, I thought it'd be a great opportunity to talk about the lessons that strong women, whether it's our mums, sisters, friends, idols etc,  teach us every day - sometimes whether we like it or not.

I'll be the first to admit that this is a lesson I wish I had learnt a lot sooner. I'm a very confident person in certain aspects of my life - but also shy in others, and this is something I wish I could've taught my high school self. I've changed a lot since, but back then, would you ever catch me admitting how I felt? No. And this went for everything in life, from mean remarks made by others at school, even down to guys I liked. The amounts of arguments that could've been sorted sooner, or relationships that never blossomed because I was too afraid to speak up really affected me, and it was only hearing Rosa Park's speech about female equality that hit home and made me change my attitude. I still remember her exact words "never be afraid to talk about how you feel, as a woman never lost anything by speaking up." 

I feel like by now this should be a given, but nowadays it's actually more prevalent than ever. Young girls are so scarily 'fine' with being second best, but putting yourself first is really something that all women should be championing by now. I once heard Serena William's discussing in an interview about how "being second best has never been an option" for her, and this really struck a chord for me mainly because of the phase of life I was going through, mid-break up. I realised that for my whole "relationship" I hadn't even been second best, I'd been pretty much 9th best, and that was the day it needed to change. Although this isn't the only thing it should be applied to, it should be applied to all areas of your life, whether it be work, school, your local sports team... always strive to never settle.

"I got it from my mama"!! This is one my mum taught me. Of course it's always nice to have a plan, but when does life ever go to plan? The answer is never, at least not in my case anyway... (unless there's food involved. If I set my mind on getting food then there's no changing that plan)
​My mum always said to me "what will be will be" and I couldn't agree more with this, and I've learnt that being spontaneous ends up being way better than being pre planned. I used to be a creature of habit and be stuck to routine, but if you texted me at 3pm and said "lets go get maccies at 7?" I'd be there. Worrying too much about "what if it doesn't work out?", "what if I'm wasting my time?" etc only makes you feel bad and puts obstacles in the way of what could be something really bloody amazing.

Also another lesson from my mum: if I had a penny for every for every time I rolled my eyes at my mum when she said "if you want something Kellie, then do something about it", I'd be balling right now. The amount of lectures I've had about this are insane and it all boils down to lesson number one on this blog post. I went through a phase last year when I graduated of feeling really de-motivated about my career, I felt like the content I was putting out wasn't half as good as some of my peers and felt like I'd hit a massive brick wall. It was only until my mum sat me down practically having a go at me and giving me that sentence you read in the second line of this chapter, that I learnt this lesson and since then I've created some of the best content I've ever produced, as well as giving me the motivation to work with the amazing brands that I have been. But that goes for anything - so if you want that franco manca pizza, then go get it - and if you want that guy or girl, then go get them because the only person stopping you is yourself.

I am a strong believer of this. This was one thing as a child I always heard my nan repeating and it's always stuck with me - you would want people to be kind to you, so why wouldn't you be kind to them? If you know me personally, then you'll know that I always go above and beyond for anyone, it's something I wouldn't even think twice about. 
​
But in all honesty, it's a motto everyone should live by anyway, just so it stops you from being a dick.


​

It's that time of year again! I absolutely love Christmas, but thank god it only comes once a year - otherwise we'd all be bled dry by spoiling our loved ones!
Talking of spoiling, this gift guide is your answer this Christmas to what I believe are the perfect gifts for all of the women in your life, be it you're a boyfriend looking to spoil his girlfriend, or a mother buying for your daughter - I've got it covered. ;)

To make it a little easier for you, I've broken up this gift guide in to different categories; Beauty, Clothing & Accessories, Jewellery, Watches and Home. All of the links on this page are shoppable links that will take you straight to the product itself - all you have to do is click on whichever item you like.

​I'll keep this post short and sweet this time - I know you've got a mission to complete!

Beauty products for Christmas are an essential for every woman, but also an easy pleaser too. There's not one woman that doesn't LOVE to receive a makeup gift set at Christmas (and this is also the time to shop THE best gift sets too - you get so much more for your money!)

Who doesn't like getting a nice dressing gown and some cosy slippers? Or maybe a nice new bag and keyring? Below are my favourite clothing items and fashion accessories that every lady will love.

Jewellery is also an amazing gift to give this Christmas - it's thoughtful and sentimental. Below is a selection of items from the most popular jewellery brands this Christmas; Pandora, Tiffany & Swarovski.

Looking for the perfect watch but don't have a clue where to start? I've included a wide selection of different watches below, ranging all different colours and styles.

Last but not least, homewear. Candles are a classic Christmas gift, but no-one wants a candle that loses its scent - so below I've included a range of candles that I've tried and tested, and are AMAZING. There's also some gorgeous towels and bed sets for you to browse too.

​IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!! 
The most wonderful time of the year... and also the most stressful for some! But have no fear, I'm here to help you with all your gifting needs (except gift wrapping, label writing, none of the manual labour). I know that sometimes stocking fillers can actually be the hardest, as they're those 'inbetween' Christmas prezzies that aren't big enough in size to be put under the tree without being lost, but they're also still tiny, amazing gifts that have a lot of thought and meaning behind them. 

Below are my recommendations for amazing and essential stocking fillers for her for this year!
​

Elizabeth Arden Plush Up Lip Gelato - £22

Lipstick is a stocking filler classic and Elizabeth Arden have released some amazing new lipsticks this year. With 20 different sheer shades to choose from, you really can't go wrong - but if in doubt, go for "Plum Perfect". An amazing sheer nude/plum colour that looks amazing on all skin tones.
​

EOS Lip Balms - £6.50 each

No woman can live without lip balm, and what's better than getting her the prettiest lip balm on the planet? In convenient egg shaped packaging, this will NEVER get lost in the depths of her handbag.
​

Tangle Teezer Classic Hairbrush - £10.50

This hairbrush changed my life - and now you can change hers too. It's the only hairbrush to detangle hair pain-free without pulling out hair from the root. Life = saved.
​

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Varnish - £14.99 Duo Pack

I was introduced to this line of nail varnishes two months ago, and I haven't used another brand since. The nail varnishes are incredibly easy to apply and dry before I've even finished the other hand. The lasting power is also incredible and doesn't chip for at least three weeks.
​

Bronnley Zealous Flower Rollerball Perfume - £10
​Pack of 6 for £25 here

Another thing that will please every woman is perfume. But we can't always carry around a full sized bottle in our bags - and these Bronnley roller ball versions are the perfect handbag size. "Zealous Flower" is a personal favourite, a beautiful floral scent.
​

CoLab Dry Shampoo - £3.50

Every woman uses dry shampoo at least once a week - so give her a top up!
​

Bourjois Healthy Mix Anti Fatigue Concealer - £8.50

This is an incredible concealer that really awakens you when you apply it. Goodbye bags and tired eyes!
​

Chanel Les Beiges Bronzer - £42

One of my favourite ever bronzers. Each shade is incredibly natural and the round compact brush it comes with makes it easy and accurate to apply.
​

Hotel Chocolat Milk Chocolate Mini Santas 3 pack - £2.50

Who doesn't give a stocking with chocolate in it?! There's no better way to get festive than with mini santas!
​

Bobbi Brown Glow Stick Highlighter - £26

Every woman uses highlighter and this shade gives a gorgeous, natural and healthy glow to the cheekbones.
​

Victorias Secret Passport Holder - Available in airport shops only

Simple Cleansing Makeup Wipes - £2

THESE. ARE. ESSENTIAL! The best makeup wipes EVER invented - they never dry out (no matter how long you have the packet for), and they're able to remove even waterproof mascara.

Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream.
If you haven't heard of this cream, then I really don't know where you've been since 1930 (yeah, I know the majority of us reading this weren't even born in 1930 - figure of speech and all that). This is THE original moisturiser that will go down in history as a beauty classic (if it hasn't already), and was created by Elizabeth Arden HERSELF. Yep, that's right, THE Elizabeth Arden - and it's been awarded over 115 beauty awards worldwide.

So, what is it? Eight Hour Cream is a petroleum based formula used to protect, soothe and moisturise the skin. But this is something I believe every woman should own - and why? BECAUSE IT DOES EVERYTHING.
It is SO much more than just a moisturiser, it's a balm, a healing agent, a skin saver... be amazed below by 8 different ways you can use this product!

Okay, so for me, I think this is one of the holy grails of this product. I have never really suffered from bad skin or a lot of spots, but if I did get a spot, boy would it be big and angry. However now I'm an adult, I find that when I go through times of stress, I tend to break out on my chin, with really stubborn, under the skin blemishes. The first time I tried this product I applied it all over my face (as I'd already heard it works amazing on spots), but was hesitant to do so, as spots are not usually an area I would moisturise.
When I woke up the next morning, my spots were SIGNIFICANTLY better. Not gone completely, but they were definitely on their way out and there was a significant improvement.

After the first use of this product, I was shocked to find out that it actually reduces redness. On the patches where I suffer from Dermatitis, not only would it be smoother (you can read that below), but also far less red and angry in colour. This is a miracle for me as I've been searching for a while now for a non-steroid product that can reduce the redness of skin conditions.
​

You can use this product to protect your skin from anything like windburn to after sun - it will create a protective barrier whilst also soothing and rehydrating the skin. It's also incredibly soothing on minor sunburns and relieves that itchy sensation you can get sometimes when your skin is healing. With this in mind I think the Eight Hour Cream Sun Creams are next on my list to try.
​

Many make up artists use this product as a shine factor within their looks. As the Eight Hour Cream is not a fast drying product and lingers for 8 hours, it's amazing to add to things like pigment to create a 'wet/glossy' looking eyeshadow. Another trick is to use it on your body (for example legs, arms, and collar bones) to add a shiny effect.
​

Although you can buy a lip balm version of Eight Hour Cream, you can also use this product on the lips to help smooth dryness and prevent irritation.
​

If the eyebrow product that you're using doesn't come with wax, or if you've forgotten your usual eyebrow gel, you can add a tiny amount of the product to slick your eyebrows to how you like them to look.
​

I do suffer on and off from Dermatitis around the corners of my nose and eyebrows, which was always a massive issue for me when it comes to applying makeup, because I would find it would stick out like a sore thumb because my makeup would stick to it. But using Eight Hour Cream kept these areas smooth and hydrated all night, meaning when I woke up in the morning I wouldn't have to deal with any dry patches.
​

This product is meant to be an absolute god send if you're flying on a mid to long haul flight. Many women apply this straight away when they get on the plane or during the flight, as the recycled air they use in-flight can really dry your skin, lips, and throat out. It will last you for the duration of your flight and many women will remove any access product left over and re-apply their makeup before landing, so it creates the perfect smooth base.

So today's post is a personal one, all about finding myself; finding happiness again and finding health again.
The truth is - although you may think you know someone because you follow them on social media... you really don't. Being a full time blogger, my job is about being brutally honest, in the hopes that some of you can understand, or maybe you're here because you can relate?

Shop the blazer here.

​This past year has been a particularly difficult one for me, but if you don't speak to me personally, you'd have no idea about this. It's hard for me to write this without starting to cry (sorry if it makes you cry, too); but not because I'm in a bad place now (because I'm not), but because it brings back memories that I'd rather push to the back of my mind.

Lets rewind to September last year - I'd just started my final year at uni, and my precious nan had just gone in to a care home 45 minutes from home, which I would drive every week to visit her. This was difficult for her to accept - she was an INCREDIBLY strong woman with all of her marbles, but body wise, she was a very weak and ill woman. Her husband died before I was born, so she'd been living on her own for 21 years, she had heart failure, water retention, and was loosing her mobility. My mum gave up her job to care for her just so she could stay where she lived and have her independence, but this was becoming difficult, and took an emotional toll on my mum. When is enough? My nan would get stuck on the toilet in the middle of the night and have to wait hours for help, and let me tell you, that still kills me now to think of her there so helpless. It got to the point where we could no longer give her the help she needed.

​After she went into a care home, her health deteriorated rapidly. Within one month, she was completely disabled - she had to be hoisted if she wanted to move, which broke my heart as she was so fragile she'd cry in pain. She had told my mum she wanted to die, that she didn't want to live this way anymore. This now meant she also had to be fed too, so when mum and I would visit, we would feed her - although within a few months, she didn't want to eat. By January, she was completely bed ridden and could hardly move. For four months, I basically watched her dying in front of my eyes, which really affected me, I knew it was time for her to let go; but I also knew she so badly wanted to hold on until I graduated. The last month of her life, she was so weak that she could barely even speak, or was barely even awake.
The last time I saw her she was dying, but I was so blinded my emotion that I didn't even realise it until the morning after, when we got the call that my beloved nanny had passed. The last thing she ever told me was that she loved me, and I'll cherish that forever, I just will never accept the fact that I didn't realise at the time - I have so much regret over the things I never said. She died 10 days before my 21st birthday.

​That same day I went to the press events I had planned just because I knew my nan would have been angry if I didn't; and pretended everything was fine. Looking back now I admire my strength to be able to do that, however I shouldn't have done it, and should have taken time for myself to grieve. I had booked months in advance to go to Disney Florida for my birthday and I still went. It was amazing and I lived in a bubble of happiness for 10 days, but when I got back, I feel like everything caught up with me and hit me like a tonne of bricks. I had to cope with my grief, cope with my mums grief, plan a funeral, blog full time, work part time, as well as finish my final uni work by the deadlines. I said to myself I wasn't going to apply for extenuating circumstances - but in the end I had to because I couldn't cope much more. I broke down with emotion constantly - I cried in the shower most of the time so my mum didn't see me cry, I wanted to be strong for her. It broke my heart that she'll never see things like my wedding day, my first child. She had been my bestest friend (apart from my mum) and was absolutely everything and more to me. I loved her so so much.
I hadn't had chance to grieve as the people around me at the time hadn't let me - no one (except my best friends) understood how I felt; everyone expected me to just get over it and move on (I even had that said to me.)
The fact that I didn't deal with my emotions and grief at the time really affected me - after I had finished uni, I didn't even want to get out of bed, let alone leave the house - everyone was asking friends where I was. The fact that she died for a long time impacted me more than if it had been a quick death, and I felt angry and disappointed because the people who I thought would be there for me, just weren't. 

​Shortly after this, my dad had a serious heart attack one week before my graduation. This put me back 2 steps, I had to then deal with how he felt and how that affected us as a family, and it also taught me life lessons. We weren't sure if he was going to be out of hospital by my graduation day, but I picked him up the day before. This was a particularly emotional day for me - I'd managed to overcome everything so far and graduate with a high 2:1, but everything that happened the past week was hanging over me.
NOW LET ME TELL YOU - do not EVER let ANYONE tell you that you're wrong to spend as much time as you need to grieving, and that you're "emotionally unstable" for crying it out. CRY IT ALL OUT GIRL because you need to deal with everything and process it your own way.

​I really felt like I was drowning, I just felt so, so sad.
It took me until August/September to get to a place where I was finally starting to feel happy again. I started to live again; I left my part time job to become a full-time blogger, I sat whenever I needed to and took in how I was feeling, and I threw myself into what I enjoyed. I really think a big part of my healing has been by doing a job that I love and am passionate about - when you're that "in to" what you're doing for a career, it distracts you. I stopped saying "yes" to everyone else and started saying it to myself instead - it was time to put ME first, and that's all that matters. It takes a long time to get back to a good place, but the only way I was able to do this was by looking after number one - be selfish with your time! If you want to stay in and watch the Kardashians - do it! Masking your feelings doesn't make anything better and I learnt that the hard way. Having a dog was a massive part of feeling better, and this certainly helped my mum - it took her mind off of how she was feeling.
​I took time to deal with my nan's death by sorting through every memory I had of her (I waited until I was ready to do this, though), and put it in a special drawer, so it sort of felt like closure. Strange things around the home happened in the week she passed (hairdryers turned on, etc) so I knew she was around, and speaking to her in my head made me feel better. I visited a psychic/medium who I felt really helped me (she knew things she couldn't have possibly known), so this helped my healing as I realised that those we love, never really leave.

​It just feels like we haven't seen them in a long time. 

Part of me is actually quite shocked that I am even writing this blog post; as it's not something I ever thought that I would be discussing in the public domain.
For three years now, I have had Psoriasis. For those of you who are not aware of what this is, Psoriasis is an auto-immune disease which means your skin cells in certain areas reproduce every 24 hours, instead of their normal cycle, meaning there is a build up of skin on these patches. It is stress related and can get much worse the more you are stressed out.


​Mine first 'came out' when I was 18 and had just started uni, and at the time I was the most stressed I had ever been in my life up until that point (uni hits you like a tonne of bricks, literally).
In a way, I wasn't really surprised either, as my mum has been living with it for 40 years - so I was well aware of the skin condition before mine developed. Compared to my mum, I actually feel really lucky - she tells me every day how she feels Psoriasis has partly 'ruined her life', and how sad it makes her feel. She spent a lot of her childhood and teenage years in and out of St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin (currently now shut down and has been turned into the slug and lettuce pub just off of Leicester Square, lol) having numerous different treatments, sometimes staying in there for weeks at a time. Different treatments included being bathed in Sulphur Soap, smothered in different steroids, and standing in a special UV machine for an hour every day. All of which worked; however at the time were impossible to continue outside of hospital, meaning the Psoriasis would just come back angrier than before. As my mum's Psoriasis first developed when she was 11, she still tells me about how she was plagued by others for it at school, and to this day she still tries to buy clothes that cover it. It makes me sad that my mum still feels uncomfortable wearing a bikini on the beach. Although it is not covering her entire body, the patches are still noticeable, and she still feels that people stare at it.

​I mentioned in the paragraph before that I feel lucky compared to my mum, and this is because I have a lot less of it than she does, in much more manageable areas too. At present, mine is limited to Plaque Psoriasis on both of my knees, whereas my mum currently has it on both elbows, the backs and inner parts of her thighs, and under her breasts. The thing with Psoriasis is that it tends to have a mind of its own - it comes and goes as it wants, and pops up randomly wherever it wants.
Oh - and it's not curable yet because scientists still aren't 100% sure what the actual cause is. But, it is treatable.

Say hello to the Philips BlueControl:

This machine is the "world's first wearable blue LED light therapy" for the treatment of Psoriasis, and retails at £349 with a 90 day money back guarantee if the product doesn't work for you.
This technology differs from that has been used in hospitals for years as a treatment for Psoriasis; as the machine uses innovative blueLED light which contains no UV, making it safe to use. You are able to strap it to the affected areas, so that it won't hinder you from carrying on your normal daily routine/duties.

Below on the left are pictures of the Psoriasis on both myself and my mum before we started the Philips BlueControl treatment, and on the right the Psoriasis 2 weeks into using the treatment every day:

As you can see from the before and after pictures above, within 2 weeks the redness on the treated areas on my knees has been significantly reduced, and my mums elbows have faded to a more pinky colour.
It is important to remember that everyones Psoriasis is different, and not all will have the same results in the same time frame. Philips recommend using the product for at least 4 weeks to be able to see a significant improvement, and obviously those reading this with Psoriasis will know that there is no quick fix and that it takes time. 

Just like me, I want to encourage YOU to #TakeTheChallenge and challenge your usual Psoriasis treatment. If you have been using the same treatment for years, chances are your body has already got used to it, lowering the effect it has on you. If you try something new today, chances are it might have a positive effect on you for the better.

​You can purchase your own BlueControl Machine, as well as read other reviews here on the official Philips website.

If you’re reading this post then you’re probably either missing summer, in desperate need of a sunny escape, or just want a good damn tan.
‘But why would I need fake tan if I’m not a fake tan kinda gal?’ Ah yes, I can hear you saying that in your head right as you’re reading this.

Well, truth be told, those that don’t fake tan or don’t do it often, usually don’t because of a certain reason - I.e either they’re scared of waking up like an orangutan (been there, got the t-shirt - but that’s a story for another time), it’s too messy, they don’t like the smell... I am one of those people. I’ve had far too many fake tan accidents over the years than I can count on both hands and I’ve had times when I haven’t left the house in 3 days until any trace of orange is gone. In summer I tend to get really tanned but this of course fades in winter, so I’ve been longing to find the perfect tan for me, which works and ticks all the right boxes.

My fake tan checklist is 4 simple points:
• Does it have that typical fake tan smell?
• Does it make me orange in colour?
• Will it stain bed sheets or clothing?
• Do I have to use a fake tan mitt?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of the above, then it’s not for me.
That’s why Tan-Luxe products are the must have tanner for those gals that just haven’t found what they’re looking for - it’s essentially tailor made tanning.
I’ve been giving the Illuminating Self-Tan Drops for Face and Body a try, as well as another product from their range called ‘The Water’.


With the Illuminating Self-Tan Drops, it’s simple - you just add between 2-6 drops (I recommend starting at 3ish and then working up to how dark you want it once you’ve tried it) per body part to your normal moisturiser and voila, leave it to develop overnight. This means you can completely customise your colour to how you like your tan - and the best part is there’s no horrible applicator colour, and no staining any bedsheets or clothes. It also has a very slight fruity smell to it and blends with the smell of your moisturiser too if you use a fragranced one.

The Water also has the same key aspects - no fake tan smell (it actually has a GORGEOUS scent to it), no horrible applicator colour and no staining. This applies as a fine water mist which you then rub in and leave to develop overnight, which I also found really hydrating at the same time. I found this even easier to apply than the previous and the colour was also darker so I woke up this morning looking like I’d just hopped off a flight from Barbados ;) it also gives your skin a really luminous, healthy brown glow - I like to use this as a top up after I’ve used the self tan drops as a base.

I’ve added a picture below of the colour difference between my current skin tone and with the Self tan drops on (I stopped halfway on my hand so you can see this clearly.)

You can get the Illuminating Self-Tan Drops for Body here,
The Illuminating Self-Tan Drops for Face here,
And The Water here.