BlondedLights

Saturday, May 5, 2018

My Self Tanning Routine + Best Tanning Products

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn an income if you click on links. All opinions are my own as always.

Over the last couple of years, I have become a firm believer in self- tanning products. It clearly helps with aging and your health so I'm all for it. I started out getting a professional spray tan every week then I switched to getting them at Sun Tan City and I got quickly got tired of that and wasn't always happy with my application. I decided after doing my research I would start doing it myself and I'm so glad I did. People think its way more complicated than it is but its fairly simple. I have my favorites and I have tested them all (A LOT) so I thought I would save you some time and money by sharing. It took me a while to find some decent affordable products but after many trials and error, I have found my holy grails. I have my favorites for different times and occasions but once you get the hang of self- tanning it should only take ten minutes or so. Some can take time to develop and leave a mess and others not so much. I literally self-tanned myself the night before my wedding and it took no time. It's important to note it also saves your skin and could save your life. Hopefully, this article will come in handy for some of you.

-DIY SPRAY TAN ON WEDDING DAY-

PRODUCT-LOREAL SUBLIME BRONZING SPRAY IN MEDIUM

#1 My go-to self-tanning product is St.Moriz. Not to be confused with the St. Tropez. It’s the same consistency and last a good week or so when applied correctly. One bottle of this will last me 3-4 applications maybe more. My biggest piece of advice is to use the mitt that they sell or go to Ulta and stock up. I've linked one at the bottom as well because if you're like me I do most of my shopping online once I find a product I like. Without the mitt, your tan will be obvious and not as smooth. You will no doubt have a few streaks, missed spots, and your tan will be inconsistent. Buy the mitt… Trust me.

St.Moriz Tanning Mist

#2 Loreal self-tanning wipes. I always have these in my cabinet because I use them all the time especially in a time pinch. I've found myself many times pale on a trip but I don’t want to take the time to self-tan or let anyone else know I'm doing so if I'm sharing a house. Our last family trip to Orlando is a perfect example. I flew down after work on a Thursday and didn’t have time to worry about self-tanning. I popped over to Target and quickly wiped my tan on after showering. Done and done. Two wipes cover your entire body including your face without the mess or smell. You can purchase the medium color at any drugstore, Target or Walmart but if you want the dark shade you must purchase from Ulta or online.

Loreal Tanning Wipes

#3 I also like the Loreal spray as well but this one takes practice. I love this color and consistency. Some people disagree but this one leaves a great finish if you apply properly (WITH THE MITT). I only use the dark shade in the Summer because I hate when its obvious and I'm crazy dark in the winter compared to everyone else. I prefer to have a light glow most of the time because the pale skin has made a comeback.

Loreal Sublime Bronze Tanning Mist

#4 Quick Tan. I stumbled upon this one just trying new products out and reading reviews. This one applies amazing and I love the color it leaves. I have a Sallys next to my home so it's very convenient for me but you can buy online as well. This product DOES MAKE A MESS. Ask my girlfriends about my towels in the bathroom after using this one.

Quick Tan

As I wrote this I started searching for one of my favorite touch up items that seems to be discontinued. Nars used to have a tanning mouse that was very similar to Sally Henson's mouse but it was very pigmented, smooth, and was waterproof. I cant find it anywhere but I loved this for touch-ups on bikini trips where you might be in water/chlorine. Self-tanners do fade more quickly when exposed to chlorine. I used this product while in Vegas on a bachelorette trip for touch-ups after being by the pool all day. I don't have anything to really advise you to use as of now but I'm looking at the moment. I'm also looking into tanning oil drops to add to your own skincare lotion or moisturizer. I'm still undecided at the moment on how I feel about those but I will update once I try a few.

Airbrush Mouse

Quick tips-

Exfoliate, shower, and shave before. This will ensure your tan last longer. I use a loofa and body wash but you can use sugar scrub or exfoliating products if you like. I also use my Clarisonic on my face prior so I don’t need to exfoliate on my face for a few days afterward and this allows my tan on my face to last a tiny bit longer. The face typically doesn’t hold a tan as long just because of makeup and removing makeup daily.

I try to make my tan look like I didn’t self-tan so less is more and you can add as you go instead of just applying heavy initially.

If you have a mess up or find streaks you can remove with makeup removing wipes. Yes, it works but be careful and be sure to rub evenly and try to blend where you are touching up. I always try to wash my hands afterward and blend my wrist, hands, and fingers well with a wipe. I use the same wipe for all over because it doesn’t take much. If you need to go back and add a light application- I use the leftover on my mitt and it works great.

If you find yourself with a terrible mess try to shower immediately, exfoliate, use the makeup wipes and as a last resort try lemon juice or an actual lemon. The acid in the lemon will remove most of the tan but it is very drying on your skin.

Last but not least-MOISTURIZE. The more moisturized your skin is the longer it will last. Your skin won't exfoliate or shed as bad if you have more moisture.

There you have it! I hope this helps some of you with your self-tanning! If you have any other tips and tricks feel free to leave in the comments below. I'm always looking for new affordable products!

Tanning Mitt

Jord Watch Review

When JORD watches approached me to do an unbiased review of one of their watches I was honestly delighted at the opportunity. You may have seen my JORD Wood Watch on my Instagram lately if you follow me. JORD has given me the opportunity to give away a great discount on their watches and a giveaway for the holidays. Keep Reading to get the details on this watch and what I honestly think...

Again, if you have been following me for a while you will likely see my love for watches. I love them all and I usually have a watch on at all times. Casual or glammed up I have a watch on. One of my favorite parts of the watch is the size of the face. JORD is a Swedish word meaning earth, soil or land, so highlighting natural elements is a defined priority of the brand. Some of the most sustainable-harvested woods used to create the watches include bamboo, maple, sandalwood, blackwood, cherry, and teak. I decided to go with a darker larger watch this time around and I wanted something different than what I've seen floating around lately. These watches are ever so popular in my little blogging world. I typically see the lighter wood watches when scrolling through my feed. A little bonus: the glass is scratch-proof! This is huge for me because it's not uncommon for me for throw my watch in my purse while traveling or on the go.

Styled with the Frankie watch

Jord Watches

Price:
Jord watches come in a series of wood colors and styles, with several options to choose from. The prices are anywhere from $139 and up. The cost of my Frankie wood watch: $189
My watch

Durability
This watch isn't one you can go swimming with or even wash your hands with. I've read on other reviews that the wood will expand when wet so it's safe to say keep the watch dry at all times. I'm ok with that one. I usually only get my Michael Kors silver/gold watch wet or what have you. It is made of wood so you will need to keep this watch out of the sun (no tanning). You can keep your watch clean with the cleaner they send and with the cloth that is included.

My honest review of JORD wood watches:
Each watch comes with an authenticity card, and a 12-month JORD warranty, which was unexpected and something that many don't come with. I’m happy with my watch selection of the dark stained wood, as opposed to the beautiful green or natural light color that many styles are offered in. It’s very richly colored, but still looks like a luxury watch for $189, this is a great investment if you’re in the market for a watch either for yourself or as a gift. I am now considering getting a few more as gifts for Christmas after looking at the guys selection.

Check out JORD Wood Watches here! Wood watches

Jord is currently having a giveaway and giving out 25% off to everyone who enters, be sure to enter below. This link will expire December 19th 2017.
Giveaway link and coupon code: Giveaway

Hackamore Premium Energy

If you're like me, the hustle, bustle, and business of the work week make you feel like you're just trying to keep up. Between work, travel, family time, friends, dogs, blogging, and everything else we do during the week I'm exhausted. I'm always trying to catch up on sleep which I hate. I've always believed you can sleep when you’re dead but I can’t function most of the time with little sleep and little energy. I hate wasting away my weekend by sleeping through it.

Hackamore smooth packaging

Implement Hackamore Energy, a premium, non-alcoholic energy beverage with no sweeteners, sugar or calories. While it can be enjoyed solo in small shots or sipped on the rocks for a caffeine boost, it's even better enjoyed in a mixed drink.

So I typically have zero energy and rely solely on coffee to keep me going most days. I'm excited to implement this new product and see how I adjust with less coffee in my life. I will likely have a few adult beverages here and there too with this new product. With all that said I've partnered with Hackamore Energy to share a tasty, refreshing drink version that can easily be transformed into a cocktail with a single shot of vodka:

What is Hackamore?

Hackamore is a premium natural caffeine drink in its purest form. A shot of ( 2 fluid oz) is equivalent to 80mg of caffeine or a cup of coffee. All of the caffeine comes from coffee beans. They describe their drink as a “shot of clear coffee”.

Is it healthy?

This product has zero calories and zero sugars but it also has no artificial sweeteners. I would say it’s very healthy off that alone and is way better than the sugary coffee I have twice a day every day.

How does it taste?

No taste in my opinion but maybe somewhat similar to water with lime.

How do you drink it?

However you like. You can take a shot or mix it into a drink. They actually include a sheet with drink recipes to try. There are some recipes with alcohol and some without. My signature drink while drinking vodka or alcoholic beverages is a "Dirty Shirley".

-Recipe-

-1 oz vodka

-5 - 6 oz Sprite® soda

-1 dash grenadine syrup

Pour the vodka over ice cubes in a highball glass. Fill the glass the rest of the way with Sprite. Add grenadine, garnish with a cherry/lime and serve.

Read more: Dirty Shirley Recipe

I did find several recipes that looked interesting but this one below caught my eye and I will be trying this one next.

"The Heart Room”

- 1.5 oz of Hackamore

- lemonade

- 4 pieces of watermelon

-4 leaves of basil

-Add vodka or another liquor if you want an alcoholic beverage....

My thoughts...

I'm excited to implement this into my day and have some added healthy caffeine to help me with my busy schedule. Anything and everything helps seriously and if it's healthy even better.

Where can I get Hackamore?

Check out their website here-Hackamore Energy

They have listed all areas and places to purchase.

Let me know in the comments below if you have tried Hackamore or anything similar. Enjoy!

Shop this look-

*Thank you Hackamore for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Top Drugstore Dupes

So I used to be a MAC snob during college and up until recently when I discovered they tested on animals, I started looking for alternatives that were cruelty-free and easier on the budget but I wanted great quality and prices. I still own sooooo many eyeshadows and use them occasionally but I make a point not to purchase from them anymore... and we all love a good bargain so I have made a list of all my favorite dupes. Most of these are from NYX and Wet n Wild. Those two brands are my favorite from the drugstore. I've included some nudes, mauves, reds, and berry shades for a variety.

Please remember most of the time I am usually wearing a liner from NYX but I will save that for another post. I've listed my favorite liner in this post mostly because this one can be worn alone if you like. NYX has amazing products if you haven't tried them you should definitely head to your closest drugstore and check them out.

Ulta will do random sales like buy one get one and you can use your points and a coupon from them all at the same time so keep an eye out for them.

This post is in no way sponsored and all opinions are my own.

Photo Credit- Pinterest

1. MAC VELVET TEDDY -$16

Dupe-Wet n Wild "Bare it all"-$2

2.Mac "Whirl" pencil -$21.00

Dupe-NYX Mauve pencil -$3.99

3. MAC FRESH BREW-$16

Dupe-NYX Round Lipstick ‘Honey-$3.99

4. NARS AUDACIOUS ‘ANNA’-$32

Dupe: ColourPop Lumiere Lippie Stix-$5

5.MAC CRÈME CUP-$16

Dupe: Maybelline Color Whisper ‘Lust for Blush’-$6

6.MAC SNOB- $16

Dupe- NYX power-$4

7. MAC RUBY WOO-$16

Dupe: Wet n Wild ‘Stoplight Red’-$1.99

8.MAC FIXED ON DRAMA-$16

Dupe: Revlon ‘Wine Not’-$4.99

9.Mac FAUX-$16

Dupe-NYX Flutter Kiss-$6

Dupe-NYX Thalia-$4

10.MAC TWIG-$16

Dupe-NYX B52-$4

So there you have it. Do you have any that I need to try? Let me know in the comments below.

-Shop these products below-

Holiday Gift Guide:For Him

Is your guy hard to shop for like mine? My hubby doesn't love me picking out his clothes but every now and then he will

let me get my way. Work out clothes are a pretty safe bet but that gets boring. I have a few go-to items I usually rotate for all the men below and I'm going to share my faves. I'm literally still making last minute purchases so feel free to drop some ideas or tips that you have too.. Happy Shopping ladies and Merry Christmas!