SUMMER SKIN

(Left to Right: Palmer's Gradual Tanner & Garnier Oil Beauty Scrub)

 

I had a moment of sheer panic the other day as I realised Summer is fast approaching. The weather in the UK has been unbelievably hot and sunny this past week, leaving me with no choice but to get my pasty white legs out. The only tan I achieved last year was whilst attending Leeds Festival and let's just say it wasn't the most flattering (upper half of my leg golden brown, bottom half remained white from being covered by my wellies, OH DEAR!) So this year, I'm turning to beauty products and whilst shopping in Boots I stumbled across these two.

Let's start with Garnier's Ultimate Beauty Oil Beauty Scrub £7.15; wow that's a mouthful. I need to tell you now, this stuff is AMAZING. The smell, the feel, the way it leaves your skin; just amazing. Enriched with 4 incredible oils, (Argan, Macademia, Almond & Rose) the product claims to 'visibly improve and perfect the look of your skin' and it really does. I use the scrub in the shower once every couple of days when my skin isn't looking its best and to get rid of any dead skin on the surface. A little goes a long way as the scrub foams nicely onto the body, it exfoliates without being too harsh and you can really feel the difference it makes on the skin. I suffer from dry skin on both my knees and elbows and found the scrub and its benefiting oils helped re-hydrate these problem areas. Out of everything I was very impressed with the scent of the product; fresh and luxurious, I could still smell it on my body a good hour or so after I'd showered. To maintain a good tan it's vital to exfoliate the skin and I can happily say that I'll be popping this into my suitcase to use everyday whilst on holiday as well as now at home. Apparently the scrub comes in a lotion and oil treatment, both with the same scent, so I am dying to get my hands on those too!

Second on my quest to summer ready skin; Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula/Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Moisturiser £5.35, another tongue twister! I've never had the best luck with fake tan. Back in sixth form, when I first started going on nights out, I went through a stage of wanting to look incredibly tanned; I never really mastered the art of applying fake tan so always ended up looking either too dark or streaky. Up until now I've always just played it safe and remained pale, however, now the sun is here I want a bit of colour to my skin. The cocoa butter gradual tanner gives me bronzed skin without looking orange or uneven. I apply the moisturiser straight onto my skin once I've left the shower and exfoliated, this allows the lotion to sink straight into the skin without being sticky. If you're not a fan of the original Palmer's cocoa butter or scent then I would give this a miss, the scent can be fairly overbearing. I noticed my skin held a natural looking golden glow the next morning once I woke up, and no streaks HOORAY! For those of you who are too afraid to use actual fake tan like myself, then I would definitely recommend this product. The lotion also helped me to maintain the natural tan I'd managed to catch whilst sitting in the garden. If I had one problem, it would be that the moisturiser left stains on my hands and fingers from application but this is my fault for not exfoliating and moisturising them properly beforehand. I'm very impressed with my purchases and think I'll be trying Dove's summer glow moisturiser next to see how it compares with Palmer's. I'll be sure to write a follow up review in a week or so to keep you all updated on my search for summer skin but in the meantime, I'd love to know what your favourite products are for achieving or maintaining that perfect summer glow!