Xen Tan Review
In the past I’ve always believed in DIY tanning. After one too many dodgy spray tans I decided that my own handy work was best when it came to a nice, NATURAL tan. Then much like the start of a cheesy true life story in a trashy women’s own magazine Xen Tan came into my life!!
I’d never heard of Xen Tan before and with out a trip to Infinity Beauty salon I still would be none the wiser. I got talking to one of the beauticians while she done my pedicure and she raved about a new tan that rivalled St Tropez. After I’d composed myself from the initial shock I laughed at the idea that there was anything to rival St Tropez, but she was sure of it and even challenged me to try it. This was a few months ago and each time I’ve done my tan the thought to try Xen Tan had crossed my mind but then immediately followed by that dread of try out a new tan. The flashbacks of me standing half naked in a freezing cold shower cubical while a Lara Croft lookalike sprayed me from head to toe, all the time insisting I didn’t inhale (which I would fail miserably at and end up with a lung full of tan and brown nostrils!) NO I couldn’t do it I’d just do my own St Tropez that night and be done with it, but as I was thinking this my hand had reached for my phone and dialled Infinity Beauty for a 3pm appointment. So as I walked to the salon I was nervous, excited and a little intrigued to see if Xen Tan actually worked.
As soon as I arrived my mind was put at easy by the lovely figure flattering lighting in the tanning room (not the harsh florescent type lights but the soft warm…..okay dull lighting!) So as the beautician asked me to step onto some sticky feet pads to stop my soles turning the colour of mahogany I instantly had a good feeling about Xen-Tan. Within 10 minutes I had two coats of an olive completion which for typically pale English girl is an achievement in itself! The treatment cost £20 which is a bargan considering the salon was warm and welcoming and the beautician even cleaned my nails and hands to stop the dreaded tan stains.
I was even more surprised that I looked normal and didn’t smell of bourbon biscuits! As I walked the 10 minutes back to the flat I didn’t get one side glance at passers by and didn’t feel the colour of a traffic cone. The tan was slightly sticky but apart from that I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.
Here are some celebrities who share the love of Xen Tan:
One tip is to have dark sheets as the tan did rub onto the bed cover but was easily washed out. I was glad that I went to sleep looking nice and tanned as appose to looking like I had spent a few days in the wilderness at and SAS training camp with mud smeared face and patchy arms.
Xen Tan washed off lovely and left an event cover all over with out looking dark and obvious. As much as admitting it pains me it has topped St Tropez and my favourite tan proven by the fact that I’m booked in again tomorrow to have a top up! So happy tanning and let me know if you have had similar results with Xen Tan x
December 2011 Issue of Cosmopolitan UK
December 2011 Cosmopolitan issue is now out and cover girl this month is Jessie J.
This months edition is spreading Christmas cheer with a bumper pack of freebies which include a cute new lip gloss, the new addition Cadbury Fabulous Fingers to enjoy while you read, a Body Shop discount card which contains a discount from £3 up to £100 for something lovely for Christmas, a his and hers Christmas gift idea glossy and a book of discounts which include some top beauty brands. All in all a fab edition for any Cosmo follower.
Freebies picture courtesy of Maxine Meighan's fab beauty blog "Beauty to the Max"
Nails – Gel Nails x
When I look at my calendar and see the entry highlighting a friends wedding is approaching I immediately think of three things…..Dress, hair and tan! With these three criteria covered I was strangely calm about the looming nuptials that will inevitably mean a sheer rush and panic on the morning of the wedding due to a malfunction of either or all of these things. Either my hair won’t sit right, my tan will look streaky or hasn’t took and my dress which fitted perfectly the night before has some how shrunk and I am re-enacting the scene from the Incredible Hulk where Dr Bruce Banners clothes begin to tear apart due to brute force! On this occasion however all of the above seemed to be doing as they were told and my hair was staying in place my tan was a nice glow and my dress was actually loose! As I let out a sigh of relief my mind was taken back to 24 hours prior when disaster struck early in the form of Gel Nails!
So it wasn’t the morning of the wedding it was 2 days before and I was getting my hair highlighted when I notice a girl in the corner set up to do nails. My first though was a nice Shellac nail colour that would last for the wedding and hopefully the following week when I had another wedding to go to. So as I sat down to get them done I managed to some how agree to getting gel nails, anyone who knows me will vouch for how easily taken in I am and will agree to anything when I hear a sales pitch (hence my trip to Halifax bank to pay off my over drafted ended 20 minutes later with my overdraft still unpaid and a new credit card in hand) I don’t know how it happens I just can’t seem to say no!
So as the beautician applied the acrylic and then the gel top coat (which was pink and sparkly! This being the reason why I was easily swayed when two of my favorite things were combined into one!)
As you can see they were lovely!
I began to convince myself that I am 23 years of age, living away from home and have a professional job so surely I can manage with acrylic nails!! How hard can it be?......the answer VERY!! Not only was I walking around like Edward Scissor hands I couldn’t even zip up my coat or count out the change for a very disgruntled bus driver!
Fast-forward 24 hours and I was sitting in a nail salon in the city center with my hands in a bowl of acetone and thinking how I am the only person who would willingly pay to have gel nails applied only to then have to pay 24 hours later to have them soaked off again. Needless to say I learnt my lesson when it comes to false nails, just stick to good old OPI!
Here are some celebrities who can pull off the trend:
Jessie J perfects techno nails while Beyonce combins the multi coloured and gel nail look! With Rhianna's sporting some fab nail art.
If you are able to manage with acrylics then defiantly try the gel nails they are fabulous and for someone who can cope will make your nails look amazing. Just make sure you can cope before getting them stuck on because trust me an acetone soak is not for a faint hearted! x
Christmas Presents – Money Saving Tips x
It’s that time of year already when I look at my bank balance with a frown, how is it possible? Okay so my saving plan never took effect and the spreadsheet I created to track my savings from May never really panned out but how did time go so fast!? It happened this morning as I checked my account and realisation hit that actually there is only 2 more paydays until Christmas!! As usual my financial capabilities are slightly warped and those purchases I made over the weekend are looking less shiny and needed.
Time for drastic action in the form of project christmas! Realistically money is always tight over the festive season but I don’t want to compromise of having a good time either, hence my brain wave of an idea with the help of my best friend, the buy one, make one rule. I’ve always loved being creative but never seem to put it to good use. This thought gave me the idea to make some of my Christmas presents this year, and if I bought a small present with in a certain price bracket I could then also make and accompanying gift for that person.
So with my note pad in hand I’ve been scouring the internet in search of inspiration and found some great ways to save over the holiday with out too much penny pinching:
1. 
Boots 3 for 2 - This is a tried and tested money saver. I love this scheme and it also means you end up being able to treat yourself to the spare present! One tip I would give you is to bunch your presented into sets of 3 so the lower priced presents pay for separate to the more expensive christmas presents. I made this mistake and only made a small saving on 3 items for £3.50 each!! If you work it properly and have bought 3 things for £30 each you will get all three for £60! So my warning is to do small batches of similar prices to maximise your savings! And we must forget the tons of advantage card points you will earn to spend on something lovely for you. Here is more information on the advantage card in case you are new to the world of point collection http://www.boots.com/en/Advantage-Card/
2. 
Costco it! If you are lucky to be able to own a Costco card or you know someone who does then clear an afternoon out of your calendar and get down to your nearest warehouse in the run up to Christmas. There are so many saving to be had as you can buy in bulk and although you may not feel the need to have 10 turkeys you may change that thought when you know that you can get 10 bottles of wine in a box!! The prices may seem steep when you are wandering the aisles with your huge trolley but if you take the time to work it all out then you will see that bulk buying is the way to do Christmas! For more information on joining for a Costco membership click on the link to their website.
3. 
Do it yourself! If you decide that you want to give making some christmas presents a go then the best place to go to is Hobbycraft! If you don’t live nearby then they also offer online shopping. You’ll find everything from fabrics to photo frames, and they also have an ideas library if you’re struggling for inspiration. Something may seem expensive but you’ll find you can get lots of christmas presents out of the kits and it will also mean you’ve taken time to make something by adding a special touch to a Christmas gift for your nearest and dearest! If you find craft difficult then YouTube has some fab craft videos just type in your idea and you’ll find step by step tutorials galore!
Christmas is always the best time to get creative and hopefully this post will help you to make the most of what you can afford to spend this Christmas while you have some fun with it at the same time!
I’ll keep you updated with some of my home made presents and feel free to share some of yours! Good luck and happy crafting! : ) x
Shamballa Bracelets Everywhere
Its funny how some times the smallest of things become very present in your day, for example I saw a pregnant woman on my way to work today and so far I have seen another 4 pregnant women! Another example is last week I was out on my lunch and I was asked for directions by an old couple only to be asked a further 2 times on my way to Subway!? Why is it that some days you will inevitably notice something more than you do any other day? Which leads me into the topic of today’s post……Shamballa bracelets!
Everywhere I look I see these new creations. My evenings are made up of reality/fictional TV shows, The Only Way Is Essex, Made in Chelsea, the Hills, the list is endless and each time I sit down to watch an episode with my cup of tea in one had and remote control in the other I am amazed at how often I see this new trend of Shamballa bracelets, for example and to name a few:
Amy Childs with the classic white and black Shamballa bracelets
Ollie Locke and Chloe Green sporting his and hers matching green jeweled Shamballa versions
The minute I realised this craze had gone global was when I saw Jay Zs Rolling Stones cover with low and behold a Shamballa bracelet on his wrist. All be it a very manly version he gave the bracelet credibility and started the though in my head that I needed on in my life!
Okay so it’s slightly sad that I have fallen for the new craze but they are so shiny!! I fear I was a magpie in a former life as anything I come into contact with that has the slightest shine will eventually end up in my mitts, an OPI nail varnish, a new Chanel shimmering eye shadow and yes now a Shamballa bracelet. The decision now is which colour to get, and to find a decent replica, I may want to follow the trend but I certainly don’t have the bank balance to fund my expensive splurges so for now its good old eBay and an eager 2 day wait for my new sparkly possession to arrive!