Although it's officially summer, here in Ireland it certainly doesn't feel it at the moment! Rain, cold, and more rain. I'm lucky to have a summer holiday coming up in a few weeks, but I still hate that it's nearly June and I'm still resembling Caspar the Friendly Ghost.

Having said this, I've always hated fake tans - the smell, the colour and the texture have always been a complete turn-off for me. I attend an all-girls school, so I've seen how well fake tan could look, and certainly how bad it can look if done incorrectly! So for this reason I never really tend to dabble in that field.

Recently I was shopping with Emmajane, and she recommended this Garnier Summer Body Moisturiser, that has a hint of gradual tan in it. It looked fantastic on her, so I was eager to give it a go. 

It's simply a moisturising body lotion that gradually builds up a natural looking tan. I 100% agree with the claim of a natural looking tan - the moisturiser gives the most beautiful, olive tone to your skin that just adds the perfect amount of bronze to your skin. It comes in two shades, light and deep, but I opted for light.

What I find most interesting about this product is that the moisturiser itself is actually white - I expected it to be bronze, or have some sort of indication that there was tan in it. Because of this, I actually doubted that it would work, but after two days of using it I had a noticeable glow on my arms where I used it!

As it's a gradual tan, there's no real fear of going overboard with it - I normally use it for about four days in a row, then leave it for a couple of days, and once it starts to fade I repeat the process. It's just great to give your skin that extra boost - people definitely won't suspect that you've spent a month in Marbella, though. I would describe the colour it gives as that bit of a tan you get when you sit out in the garden in the nice weather - super natural but definitely recognisable! 

My favourite thing about this product is most definitely the smell - I go through body butters and moisturisers like there's no tomorrow, but this is by far the nicest smelling product I own. There's not a hint of that horrid fake tan smell, it has apricot extract so the smell is literally summer in a bottle - it's like a fruity sun cream! Even if the product hadn't have impressed me, I would have continued to use it purely for the scent! 

I could not give the Garnier Summer Body moisturiser any more of a glowing review - it's most certainly in the top three products that I've tried so far this year, I absolutely love it. 

I bought this from Penneys (Primark if you're in the UK) for €3.30 - what a price! This is the 250ml bottle, and there's a 500ml bottle available too. I've also seen it in Boots, so I imagine you'll find it in any pharmacy that stocks Garnier products. 

Are you a fan of fake tans?

Zara :-)x 

The Battle Of The BBs: My Top Drugstore BB Creams!

Over the last year or so, BB creams have taken the beauty world by storm. BB creams are marketed as an all-in-one balm that primes, moisturises, conceals and protects the skin, and usually are seen as a lighter alternative to foundation. In my opinion, BB creams are the perfect product for those who don't want a heavy coverage from a foundation, but want a little more coverage than what a tinted moisturiser offers.
With that in mind, I decided to share my top 3 BB creams that are all available from Boots or pharmacies.
It can be difficult to choose the right BB cream when every brand under the sun has brought out their own offering, however today I am going to review some of my favourite BB creams from the high-street, from Maybelline, Rimmel and Garnier. So let's go!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream (€11.99)
Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream claims to be an 8-in-1 product - promising to:

1. Create a natural glow
2. Compliment skin-tone
3. Provide SPF30 UV Protection
4. Hydrate all day
5. Blur Imperfections
6. Non-greasy and oil free
7. Feel fresh
8. Look visibly smooth                                                                                                                                                 Of these 8 promises, I would agree with all but number 5. I didn't feel like it covered blemishes or minimised the appearance of pores. Of the three BB creams featured in this post, Maybelline's offering is definitely the lightest coverage so if you are looking for a BB cream with relatively good coverage for blemishes or redness I would give this one a miss. I would recommend this if you're seeking a BB cream to simply even out your skin tone or to provide a dewy glow. 

This is a good option for school or work if you want a minimal base as it is very natural looking and blends into your skin effortlessly. 

I apply this by squeezing about two drops onto the back of my hand and dotting it all over my face, focusing the product on my problem areas. Then I just blend it in with my fingers. It's quick and easy to apply which is a huge bonus if you're strapped for time when doing your makeup! It's perfect for this time of year as it's light and provides an SPF of 30.

As I said, this may not be ideal for someone looking to cover up blemishes or a lot of redness, however you may consider this if you want a light base on the good areas of your face and just focus a little concealer over the areas you're conscious about - this is what I tend to do! 

 I wear the shade medium and I find that it suits my skin tone perfectly. (For reference, I'm an NC20 in MAC!) As I have oily skin I also appreciate the lack of oil in this BB cream as well, however I still apply a light dusting of powder to set it in place. I use MAC's Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Medium, which is great as it adds a tiny bit of extra coverage!

Rimmel BB Cream 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Makeup (€8.95)
Rimmel's BB Cream is a 9-in-1 product that promises to:

1. Moisturise
2. Minimise Pores
3. Conceal
4. Cover                                                      
   
5. Smooth
6. Mattifies
7. Brightens
8. Protect
9. Prime

When I applied this for the first time, I applied it without moisturising or priming and I expected it to be difficult to blend because of this, however it glided on like a dream! One mistake I made the first time I used this was that I applied two big drops to the back of my hand - a little bit goes a long way with this cream! A small drop is more than enough to cover your face. 

I agree with every claim this BB Cream makes - it minimises pores, it provides a nice matte coverage without looking one dimensional, it brightens and it has an SPF of 25. 

It does provide a light to medium coverage but as someone with acne-prone skin, I find this product enough to cover my blemishes without the need for concealer or extra product. 

Like with the Maybelline BB Cream, I tend to add some MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural all over my face just to ensure that it stays in place all day. 

I would definitely recommend this BB cream for an everyday base product that is natural-looking while still providing great coverage.

I wear the shade light in this cream as I generally find Rimmel products to run slightly darker than they claim, and this one is a perfect match for me. Rimmel is my favourite high-street brand, I can think of only one product of theirs that has disappointed me, and this here is another thumbs up! 

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One BB Cream (€13.99)

Garnier's Miracle Skin Perfector was the first BB Cream I ever tried about a year ago and I have since repurchased it twice! 

This BB Cream claims to perfect skin by evening out the skin tone, adding a glow, blurring imperfections and smoothing fine lines. It also has an SPF of 15.

This BB Cream provides the most coverage of the three,  and can be built up nicely to the coverage you desire. I usually apply one drop and then if I feel I need extra coverage on certain areas, I will either take another pea sized amount of the BB cream and apply that or I'll just use a concealer. 

The only minor issue I find with this product is that it takes some time for it to set on the skin. It can have a bit of a sticky feel to it for the first few minutes after applying, even when you put a generous amount of MAC MSF Powder over it. I find the Rimmel Stay Matte powder good with this, but even at that this product tends to transfer onto your jacket or whatever touches your face/neck within the first 10 minutes or so after application.

However this is minor for me, it's incredibly difficult to find a product with absolutely no faults!
Of the three BB creams featured here, this is my absolute holy grail BB cream and my go-to base product for minimal makeup days or the summer in general.

I hope this post has come in handy if you were considering picking up a BB cream for the summer. For me, they are a makeup bag staple for this time of year as you still get coverage without worrying that it'll melt off!
Let me know if I have mentioned any of your favourite BB creams, or leave a suggestion if BB creams you think I should try next!

Zara :) x