My Self-Tanning Routine! St. Tropez Mousse Tutorial

Over the past few years as a fair-skinned gal, I definitely haven't been about looking majorly "tan". I look back at photos of my high school and college days and absolutely CRINGE. I definitely should have embraced my pale-ness and maybe stepped it up a few shades for a bit of a bronze glow. But wow... looking cooked and fake baked is never a good look. Although at the time, I'm sure I thought it was amazing. Tanning beds should be against the law, just saying.

Oh well, you live and you learn. For me, I have a history of skin cancer in my family. So for years, I've taken my skin's health very seriously and gotten skin cancer screenings every 6 months. I cannot tell you how many biopsies and small surgeries I've had on "abnormal" moles.
Countless. I'm serious.
For me, I don't have moles that are raised. Just what appear to be flat "freckles" that are a bit darker. Those are the ones my dermatologist takes seriously because of my history, and the fact that some of mine haven't been "harmless".

So after going through that, I never UV tan. Totally not worth it. Plus, I like the idea of keeping my skin young-looking. So self-tanners are the way to go.
My issue is that I HATE applying them. They always stain my clothes and look unnatural in a few days.

Praise goodness I've found one that works perfectly for me! I'm so excited to share it with you guys!

Here are the products I use for a flawless and natural-looking faux glow:

St Tropez Bronzing Mousse

St Tropez Application Mitt (You NEEED the Mitt. Trust me on this.)

Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Daily Moisturizer (Revitalizing Formula) Medium-Tan shade

Jergens Natural Glow SPF 20 Facial Moisturizer in Medium-Tan

(Pre-tan: Nivea Express Hydration)

Because self-tanning can be tricky, I decided that rather than describe how to apply it (which can lead to trouble where this topic is concerned), I'd actually SHOW you. To see how I apply these and for all my tips, check out my video tutorial below!

What are YOUR favorite self-tanning products??

Dior Gel Coat REVIEW

The name "Gel Coat" just sounds intriguing, doesn't it? Like it just has to be great, right?
Well, before I get ahead of myself, this one one of the products that mainly sparked my recent Sephora/Chanel Haul. I knew I HAD to try this stuff because Dior makes some of my absolute, all-time favorite nail polishes (Blue Label, Bikini, and Beige Safari). The formulas are AWESOME- think great coverage and amazing wear. So I knew I had to have this topcoat.
After mentioning it in that video, I knew I needed to start testing it out so I could let you all know my thoughts because I immediately started to get a LOT of questions about it.
Heck, I had questions about it. I was curious.

Dior Gel Coat, $24

Here's the description of the product (from Sephora.com):

"What it is:
A top coat that imparts the look of a gel manicure. 

What it does:
Recreate the look of a gel manicure. Smoothed over with a brilliant lacquered effect, Dior Gel Coat makes nails appear stronger and thicker. While it extends the life of your manicure, it is simple to take off: just use nail polish remover when you’re ready for your next polish change!"



So my first go with this product was with my new Chanel Bel-Argus. You may remember this post about it.

I applied it a little thick as it says you can do in the instructions to get a shinier, more gel-like result. First thoughts? Looked pretty good! It applied and dried exactly like a typical thicker top coat (think Seche Vite). Looked super thick, shiny, and gel-like (similar to any thicker top coat) for a day. By the second day, it looked similar to anything else. Still shiny, but definitely not "gel-like".
After the second day? Chip city. USA. Times ten. So I thought it could be the nail polish. There's NO way it could be this $24 bottle of "gel-like" wonder...

So I went to remove it. TOOK FOREVER. I'm talking I almost gave up.

Being the scientific person that I am (yeah, I'm scientific), I decided to test it with a different nail polish shade, brand, and formula.  Because, hey, it could have totally been the Chanel. Which I was reallllly hoping wasn't true.

So I tried it out with Essie's Funky Limelight. I applied it a bit thinner this time, about the same as you would a typical top coat.

Again, gorgeous application, looked amazing right away. In a few days? Yeah, crazy chip-age. I was convinced it couldn't be this top coat. Again, it was a little difficult to remove. Not as difficult as with the Chanel (because I applied it a little more thin I think). So I decided to give it another go. 

Not because I wanted it to be great, but because I really wanted to give it an accurate review and at this point, I was perplexed.

So I tried it again with a shade I knew was awesome and wore amazingly. The Loreal Pistacio Dream. Long story short, same issue. A lot more chipping than usual by the second day.

One more shot. I used the Sally Hansen X-Treme Wear in Coral Reef. On my my left hand I used the Dior Gel Coat and on the right hand I used the INM Out the Door, which is my current favorite topcoat (I got mine for under $10 at a local supermarket).  The Dior hand started chipping like crazy again by day two like the others. The Out the Door hand? Maybe 2 small chips from normal wear. Same amount of shine on each.

So my verdict? Wanted to love it and for it to be magical, but for me, it wasn't. I just don't really get it. There are tons of topcoats out there that impart a crazy shine, but the Dior really didn't look any more "gel-like" than others I've tried. Honestly, right after applying the last little go-round, I couldn't tell a difference between both hands. Both had the same amount of shine. So initially (before the chipping started for me), it wasn't any different looking than my other favorite top coats.  There just wasn't anything about it that was amazingly different.  DEFINITELY not long-wearing. Definitely not similar to gel, because you can get the same amount of shine with any other quality top coat. 

So this product leaves me perplexed, friends. I love Dior products usually. I'm definitely not a picky-top coat person. If it's shiny and keeps my polish looking fresher for at least 3 days, that's cool. I can deal with chips here and there. I can safely say this product definitely did not work for me, as someone who is used to painting my own nails (I never get professional manicures) and never have serious chipping issues with other things. 

...and I have a TON of nail polish. Just check out my collection here if you don't believe me (warning, it's borderline embarrassing).

What do you guys think of this stuff? Anyone else tried it? What is YOUR favorite topcoat??

MAC Temperature Rising Collection- SWATCHES & Thoughts

MAC Temperature Rising

Available May 23, 2013 where MAC products are sold

I'm bringing you all info and my thoughts on this upcoming MAC collection a wee bit early... Mainly because that's what I'd prefer as a reader. I promise you guys, I try to share MAC collections as soon as I get them. Sometimes the products arrive to me a little late and it can make it a bit difficult for you all to plan your purchases and see what you may be interested in getting your hands on before the release. 

Because let's face it, it's absolutely NO fun watching me carry on about how great a collection is, meanwhile, all the products you want are sold out.

So I hope you guys enjoy my thoughts and my swatches for this collection. 

The idea is very deep, sweltering shades that shimmer and shine for Summer. Some of the colors feel a bit Fall-like to me, but they're gorgeous nonetheless. There are definitely some hits and misses in my opinion, so be sure to check out my video at the bottom of the post where I show the products and talk about them in a bit more detail and share with you all my favs and not-so-favs.

Hope you guys enjoy!

Eye Shadow x 4, $44.

 Temperature Rising:

Circus/Performance Art, Temperature Rising, Swelter, Beauty Marked

 Bare My Soul:

Romantico, Bare My Soul, Friendly, When In Rio 

Powder Blush, $23.

Hot Nights

Pro Longwear Bronzer, $30.

Nude on Board

Powerchrome Eye Pencils, $21.

 (top) Polished Jet

(bottom) Life's Luxury

Lipstick, $16.50

Caliente (dazzle)

Lipglass, $16.50

Soft Serenade

Stobe Liquid, $31

Golden Elixer

Bronzing Oil, $22.50

Man Rays

So what do you guys think about this collection? What are your picks?

Products sent for consideration by MAC Cosmetics with no agreements to feature or review. All opinions are 100% genuine and unbiased as always.

Mint Ottoman, Mint Shorts.

I'm bringing you guys a little combo post today... A little decor and a little ootd action.

Basically since the new closet made it's debut in my Closet Tour video, I had been eyeing the big empty space in the middle of the room...

Well, almost empty. ;)

I knew it needed something. A little island of drawers and some counter space for accessories maybe? A big ottoman? I knew I had to decide between the two because there definitely wouldn't be room for both.  There were pros to each choice. I had no idea which to choose so I kind of chose neither for a while. I knew either choice would be an expensive choice so I kind of decided to sleep on it. For a month.

Which really ended up working out perfectly because once I actually used the space for a month, the decision was clear. 

Ottoman it would be.

Why? Because I found myself needing a place to sit when putting on shoes and a place to lay out outfits while I picked them out. But mostly so that the floor wouldn't catch my things. Because I would NEVER throw clothes on the floor....   

Ok, it happens sometimes.

Anyway, I found the PERFECT one at one of my favorite home decor websites right now, LuluandGeorgia.com.  It's the perfect size, perfect color, and it feels really nicely made.  I'm glad I went with a fun color (it also comes in navy and beige). It really brings some life to the space. 

So since I promised you all that I would spill ALL the details as soon as I found the perfect piece, here it goes!

It's the Pillowtop Ottoman in Sea Mist...

I love the size of it. It's very narrow, almost bench-like, however, the fluffy pillowtop layer on top gives it some softness. It's lightweight and sits on casters, so I can scoot it around the carpet easily if it needs to be moved. The genius of this?? I still have room for an island of drawers if I ever need them! I could just sit the ottoman in front of it right up against it. It's just the perfect piece for this space and I'm so in love!

Check out the pretty piping... The color reminds me almost of a Tiffany blue. Love.

So what's with my recent Lulu & Georgia obsession? You may remember my gorg rug I purchased a few weeks ago that completed the foyer...

I'll do a full post on the foyer soon since it's one area that sort of quickly came together. I'll definitely share all the rooms eventually!

Ugh, this rug is amazing. It's the Sabine rug. 

Anyway, I love the eclectic mix of modern, traditional, and glamorous items they carry. Very much my style, which I'd describe as a huge mash-up of pretty things I like. ;)

The gorgeous mint color of the ottoman is amazing and I definitely couldn't be happier with it!

Speaking of gorgeous mint colors... I noticed while taking some shots of the new ottoman that I had coincidentally selected shorts of the same color for that day's look. 

Mint is definitely one of (if not my fav) colors for Spring!

Here's a quick OOTD for ya.

I LOVE how a simple pair of shorts in a fun color can make an otherwise super simple outfit pop and look pulled-together.

Top: LNA, Shorts: J. Crew, Belt: Forever 21, Bag: Tory Burch, Shoes, Tory Burch, Necklace: Stella & Dot (Rebel Pendant), 

Oh, and Waylon totally approves.