Olay Body Quench Mousse (Active Hydration) ($7.99) is an amazingly powerful moisturizer. I say this because it doesn’t feel moisturizing to the touch, and you just don’t feel like something as light as a mousse consistency can be would give you all-day moisturization. But alas, it actually does.
It dries nearly instantaneously, which is a huge plus, because I often hate having to wait for a heavy body butter to dry–especially in the morning when it’s “go, go, go!”
It absorbs quickly, and yet it lasts quite awhile – I find my legs are still silky smooth at the end of the day, which is quite a feat considering how inconsistent I am with lotioning my legs up (aka they’re scarily scaley sometimes). I am definitely pleased to have this around for beach-going days, underneath my body sunscreen. It’s also great for when I need something quick and easy so I don’t scare people away with my dragonscales!
Lancome Resurface Microdermabrasion Body ($46.00) is my newest addition to my shower regimen. I love exfoliation; it just feels like I’m getting clean, my skin is always incredibly softer post-exfoliation/scurb, and if I could do it every day, I would.
For my body, while I do sugar scrubs once a week or so, I do find that they can be a little rough from time to time. Enter Lancome Resurface Microdermabrasion! They use aluminum oxide crystals and finely ground pumice stone as their exfoliators of choice, which is a very, very fine mixture that you smooth over your skin, massage into it, and come out with gorgeous looking skin.
It is such a fine/small exfoliant, so it is ideal for anyone who has sensitive skin, exfoliates regularly, or may be fair skinned and stronger exfoliants leave tell-tale redness behind. You get a pretty decent sized tube of the stuff for the price, and you really only need a pea-sized amount for each leg. Another thing I like about this is that unlike a lot of my sugar scrubs, this doesn’t have any oiliness to it, so I can use it right before I shave without getting film and residue in my razor afterwards. I’m so in love with this product, and it is the perfect addition to my body care–just in time for summer!
Belli is a skincare line that includes three branches: Belli Pregnancy, Belli Motherhood, and Belli Baby. Belli Pregnancy products are teratology screened to make sure that ingredients have never been associated with birth defects. Belli Motherhood products are Lact_med screened to make sure that it doesn’t contain ingredients that are problematic during nursing. Belli Baby provides incredibly gentle produts for the baby that exclude xenoestrogens (like phthalates) that may be potentially harmful.
I know we definitely have some moms on Temptalia, and I imagine we have some mothers-to-be, if not mothers-in-planning. Even though I have no plans [ever] to have children, I think it is worth every penny to ensure you give your baby the best health you can. Teratology screening is important when it comes to the products that may be absorbed through your skin.
Here are some products that you should definitely take a peek at, because I found them to work just as well as my normal skincare products based on trying and testing them out.
Belli Pregnancy | Acne Clearing Facial Wash ($22.00) exfoliates and uses acne-fighting ingredients without being drying. It uses hydroxyacid, and it is safe to use during pregnancy, unlike other acne treatments. Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator ($24.00) is a body scrub with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients, and it is often used to prep skin for other Belli products. Elasticity Belly Oil ($42.00) helps prevent stretchmarks occurring–just like with anti-aging, prevention is more effective than repair.
But you know what products I want to REALLY try? Some of their stretchmark minimizing products! Unfortunately, mine are old and have nothing to do with pregnancy, LOL.
Check out some more product photos… Continue reading →
Molton Brown Intoxicating Davana Blossom Foaming Bath Oil ($68.00) is a lovely way to relax away the day’s stresses and worries as you soak in a moisturizing bubble bath. It is lightly scented with a pleasing fragrance of raspberry and floral notes. I like that it has a lot of moisturizing properties (e.g. it is a bath oil), but it still foams and acts like a regular bubble bath. It sort of reminds me of a very grown-up, luxury bubble bath, because the packaging is sleek and solid and the price can make you think twice. The only consolation is that you do get 300ml of the bath oil, so it isn’t as if you are only getting an ounce.
Check out Molton Brown products at www.moltonbrown.com.
XEN-TAN is all about bringing you that gorgeous, bronzy tan in sunless form. I tried three stellar products from the line, and as someone who started off knowing just about nothing about the art of the self-tan… these products made it incredibly easy and pretty much foolproof. I was totally showing off my bronzy sun-goddess stomach and thighs to my boyfriend within an hour!
Deep Bronze ($23.00) gives you an intense deep bronze tan, and it is supposed to last for a full seven days. Unlike some self-tanners, this smells delightful–it says vanilla, but I swear it was a little chocolate-y, too! You’ll notice your skin instantly start to darken, and like most self-tanners, the color will fully develop within three hours. It contains shea butter to help moisturize while applying (since moisturizing beforehand can often disrupt results).
Transform Gradual Self Tanner ($17.00) is Xen-Tan’s answer to helping maintain your newly developed self-tan over the week or so that it lasts. I personally use gradual self tanners on areas of my body that are naturally darker (e.g. arms since they’re more often exposed to the sun). I also use this on my feet and hands so I can control the darkness and make sure to avoid any orange palm illnesses. What is great about this gradual self tanner is you can use it to get your initial tan and then re-apply daily to maintain that one. No funky self-tanner scent either!
Face Tanner ($16.00) works well on face, neck, and decollatege. As I’ve mentioned in our self-tanning guides, it is important to know what tanning products to use on your face–namely, never use a body product on your face without at least diluting it. I prefer to minimize mistakes by opting for a tanner specifically for the face (which works for neck/upper chest area, too — all delicate areas).
Xen-Tan self-tanning products are generally paraben-free and contain shea butter, aloe, green tea antioxidants, and ginko biloba leaf extract. The brand also offers mousse and spray tanning options for those so inclined, as well as airbrush products. Head over to www.xen-tan.com or visit select Nordstrom’s to purchase.
Don’t forget our self-tanning guide: Part 1 – Preparation, Part 2 – Application, Part 3 – Maintaining
Looking for product recommendations? Expect several reviews of self-tanning options from sprays to creams to gradual to intense over the coming weeks!
Maintain It | So you spend all this time and energy on creating the perfect faux tan, but how are you going to keep it looking good? Unfortunately, self-tanning does not give you a tan that will last you months, but you may be able to get a good three days with a few additional days of decent tan if you make sure you take the proper steps.
Moisturize daily! Because self-tanners dye the first layer of skin cells, as they dry and flake off, so will your tan!
Exfoliate sparingly, and when you do, lightly! As mentioned earlier, the self-tanner only affects the top layer of the skin, so body scrubs and exfoliants will cause the tan to flake off faster. It is important to exfoliate every two or three days, though, because it will help the tan to “fade” naturally.
Avoid chlorine and excessive baths/showers, because these can strip the top layer of the skin and limit the effectiveness of your tan and its lasting power.
Gradual self-tanners work really well to help minimize the fading effect of tans, and I have found that they can extend the life of my tan by two to four days, depending on how well moisturize my skin is.
Expect your tan to last a week or less. Most people will find that they will need to re-do their self-tan within a week, and even if you happen to go outside of that, ten days is pushing it. When the time comes to re-do, make sure you go through all the steps of prepartion and application all over again!
Part 1 — Preparation, Part 2 — Application
Feel free to share your tips, horror stories, and advice for self-tanning!
