Spring Glow: Beauty Secrets Revealed

It feels like it’s about time to share some May time beauty secrets with you all. Recently, I have been upping my beauty regime as my pale skin hits the spring time sunshine and I thought it would be useful to share my secrets with some of the other English Roses out there.

Firstly, I’m not big on exfoliating, moisturising, toning, buffing or whatever else us girls are meant to do on a weekly basis. I enjoy fruity smelling shower gels, volumising shampoos & conditions as well as Simple cleansing facial wipes to keep myself neat and tidy. Saying that, every girl knows it’s stupid to whack on fake tan without prepping your skin beforehand, The Only Way is Essex has taught most of us that. By the way, don’t let my mention of TOWIE cloud the direction and results you think I’m aiming for when I talk tan. Please keep reading…

Soap & Glory Pulp-Friction Body Scrub, my initial introduction to this quirky brand was several years ago with their Hand Food followed by their Arch De Triumph™ Two-Step Shaping & Highlighting Crayon, both products have now become firm favourites in my cosmetics bag, read my review of Arch De Triumph here.

Rather than being in a tub like most body scrubs, Soap & Glory Pulp-Friction Body Scrub comes in a squeezy bottle. It dispenses from the bottom of the bottle and has a flip lid, so the product is always easy to get out. Pulp-Friction is the perfect starting point to get your skin ready for tanning. The product is a very thick gel packed with tiny little scrublets which are barely visible but you can feel they are there. The scrublets are very fine but scratchy, and you can really feel them exfoliating your skin while rubbing it in. The bottle says it contains pumice which would explain how this is so invigorating. I would go as far as saying this is the most invigorating scrub I have ever tried, it was literally like getting wet sand and rubbing it onto your skin. Only a small amount of the scrub is required each time as it spreads easily over the skin and the scrublets are so concentrated there are plenty to go round even in the smallest amount of the scrub.

Soap & Glory Pulp-Friction Body Scrub is available from Boots.com for £8.00

Boots have been leading the way with suncare technology since the launch of their Soltan range in May 1939.  At launch, Soltan had just two varieties, Soltan cream and Soltan lotion, in two different sizes. Soltan is now one of the largest selling suncare brands in the UK, offering suncare protection, sun-aftercare, artificial sunning as well a sun inspired beauty products! Soltan feature in the next part of my tanning beauty regime with their Beautiful Bronze Self-tanning Mitt.

Soltan’s self-tanning mitt allows you to achieve a streak-free, natural-looking tan with no mess. The applicator mitt is water resistant to ensure your hands remain stain free. All you have to do is place your hand in the applicator mitt and glide the lotion on to your skin with the velvet side of the mitt. For best performances your supposed to rinse the mitt thoroughly after each use with warm soapy water and leave to dry naturally. But realistically, that’s the last thing you want to do after you’ve tanned in order to avoid water splashing on your beautifully bronzed skin. I just leave the mitt to dry on my radiator, which is a little rank as it does curl up from the moisture and the tanning lotion does stain in terms of colour. But for £2.66 it’s not a product you need to take great care in looking after.

Soltan Beautiful Bronze Self-Tan Applicator Mitt is available from Boots.com for £2.66 / £1.66 for the Soltan Beautiful Bronze Self-Tan Facial Applicator Mitt

For a pound less, you can purchase the Soltan Beautiful Bronze Self-Tan Facial Applicator Mitt, which works the same way as the body mitt. It’s just good for smoothing over the contours of your face, e.g. over your eyelids and around your nose, where it’s harder to get all the lotion.

So what tanning lotion am I going to recommend? Well, remember I have very pale skin, so I’ve got to be careful not to go from Capser the ghost to Garfield the cat. Also fake tan is expensive! And may I remind you, I am an intern. Based on all that nonsense, I am here to recommend Palmer’s Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Moisturiser.

I love Palmers cocoa butter anyway so when I heard they had a tanning version it was an obvious choice. The best thing about it is the smell as some of the other brands smell awful once the lotion has dried. This smells just as great as the regular Palmers cocoa butter. With just a touch of self-tanner, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze can gradually build a subtle tan within a few days, while deeply moisturising your skin.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Tan Lotion from Boots.com for £5.35