Elemis Tan Accelerator

Hello. So I cannot believe I haven't blogged about this before! It's Elemis' Tan Accelerator lotion and it's amazing. It's without question one of my most used and loved products of all time. 

So what is it? ... Well, as it says in its name, it does indeed accelerate a tan. It's pretty good for that actually. However this is not the reason I first purchased the product. 

When I was younger I'd often go on a couple of abroad holidays each year and whilst I enjoyed going away, my skin didn't. More often than not I'd break out in awful pricky heat rashes. If you've ever experienced prickly heat yourself, you'll know how unpleasant and uncomfortable it is. 

May 2011, Greece. I developed the most severe prickly heat rash on my stomach that I had ever experienced and to be honest it ruined my holiday. I was miserable! However during that time my friend told me about this 'tan accelerator thing' that helps to prevent prickly heat and sunburn. I was certainly interested. 

So prior to my holiday in Septemeber 2011 to Gran Canaria, I bought myself a bottle of the Elemis Tan Accelerator. It recommends it's best to apply the lotion about one to two weeks prior to your holiday to help prep your skin. I used the lotion like I would a body moisturiser and applied it all over my body once a day for about 14 days. 

The result: A fantastic holiday in the sun, without any rashes or sunburn! Amazing. Obviously, as a then pale skinned person, I was also using high factor sun cream, but I didn't experience any sunburn. Usually I would still burn a bit, with or without sun cream as my skin was that sensitive! 

I enjoyed using the product so much that after my holiday I decided to continue using the lotion and bought another bottle. Why?
1) The smell. It's delicious. I can't quite describe the scent but I really love it. I suppose it reminds me of holidays.
2) Good skin moisturiser. It's very easy to rub in and instantly sinks into your skin. I don't find it sticky and it does lightly tint your skin.
3) Great for sunbed use. Yes, I know, sunbeds are BAD. However I do enjoy a quick sess every so often and find the lotion really helps to protect your skin whilst accelerating the tan as it were!
4) I figured if I ever go abroad again, my skin will already be prepped and ready for the heat.
I've been using this on a weekly basic ever since...So, wow, pretty much 3 years!
At £22 from the likes of John Lewis, it's not particularly cheap but the fact that I continually repurchase speaks volumes in my eyes! It depends on how often you use it and how much you apply, but on average I get through a bottle about every 5-6weeks. If however you want it prior to a holiday and you're applying all over your body everyday, then I'd say a bottle (125ml) would last you 10-14 days depending on how liberally you apply.
All in all I'd give this product 10/10 and would recommend it to anyone, especially the fairer-skinned population! 

Schwarzkopf: Liquid Silk Conditioner

Hello.

I haven't done a product review in a little while so I thought I'd share with you my new favourite conditioner.

Last weekend I got snowed in but I was desperate for a good conditioner. Since going abroad in September 2012 my hair has been quite sun-damaged and brittle at the ends. Admittedly I do need a hair cut but I haven't had chance to book an appointment, what with being at Uni and what not!

Anyway, I've been combating my  hair issues with deep intensive leave-in conditioners, nourishing conditioners and hair oil...you can see my damaged hair post here. All in all it's been working but I do have to repeat these treatments a few time a week, if not daily.

My local shop is one of those heavily discounted cheap convenience stores, with not a lot of product range. The packaging of the Schwarzkopf GLISS Hair Repair Liquid Silk Conditioner caught my eye. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it really is very pretty with the label a iridescent shell-like effect. And it's pink! Always a winner with me :)

When I saw 'for brittle dull hair' I felt that was a fairly accurate match to my long locks and added it to my basket. I'm not quite sure how much this bottle would be in normal shops? but for me it was £1.49...pretty good I thought.

I was immediately impressed when I first tried it, with the scent reminding me of Johnson's baby lotion! It made my hair incredibly soft and smooth upon rinsing it. I had no 'luggs' when it came to brushing my hair through either (but this is pretty usual for my fine hair).

I found that a little bit of the product goes a long way...If you use too much you can get that slightly greasy feel to the ends of your hair, once blow-dried.

All in all I'm really happy with my 'make-do' conditioner and I would definitely repurchase. Guess I have the snow to thank for my discovery! :P