REVIEW: Seventeen Stay Time Foundation

About a month ago, I went looking for a real full coverage foundation that would last all day, without clinging to any dry patches. At the time there was an 'everything under £5' offer for Seventeen so I just picked it up. I really didn't expect this, but it's a winner!

First of all, the Seventeen Stay Time Hour claims to be a long lasting (up to 25 hours to be precise), full coverage foundation that creates 'flawless, smooth skin'. For me, it does exactly that. I have used this when I'm on an 8 hour shift at work, and when I'm travelling all day and this just stays put the whole time. I seldom even have to blot away any excess oils while I'm wearing this.

Since this is an extremely full coverage foundation, the consistency is very thick and I know that some of you might totally hate, it's not for those of you that prefer something a little more natural looking. You do not need a lot of product to get a good, even base so there shouldn't be any caking. I use this with a flat foundation brush, I think it really helps to distribute the liquid evenly and then, if I need to, I'll either take my fingers or a buffing brush to really smooth it into the skin. 

From the consistency, I expected the Seventeen Stay Time foundation to get quite greasy looking throughout the day, and for it to gather in weird places (like the sides of the nose and around the mouth) but there's absolutely none of that, despite having oily skin. It really does make my skin look totally flawless, and it might just be me but I notice a certain radiance about my face when I use this, it's certainly not flat. I love the coverage it gives. I have blotchy red skin around the tops of my cheeks, nose and forehead and this totally evens that out. I have read other reviews from people saying that this clung to dry patches, and that normally happens with me around my forehead and on the top of my cheeks with other foundations - but not this one, so don't let that stop you from trying this out.

This is an all round fantastic foundation. It's certainly not for those of you that prefer the 'no makeup' makeup look but it's great for people like me that like good coverage from their foundation, but actually want it to stay looking good all day. This is a safe bet for travelling with as it has a twist and lock mechanism, and it's a good one for summer as it has SPF 25! The Seventeen Stay Time Foundation is £6.49 from Boots (tip: there's a free gift if you spend over £5 on Seventeen), and I have the shade Natural.

REVIEW: Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse

It's that time of year again. The sun is shining, legs are out, everyone's heading to the beach to relax and catch a tan - if you don't live in Scotland, that is. We're lucky to get some lovely warm weather for the whole weekend, let alone the full season of Summer. That doesn't mean we can't pretend though. Right? 

I know that when warmer weather comes around, I like to look a little more alive and I like my skin to be a bit more glowy than usual and for this, I've been using the Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse (Sit tight, this is a long one).

Product Claims

This product aims to give tanned skin in just 1 hour, while being non-sticky and quick drying. The deeper the colour you desire, the longer you leave this on for. On the bottle, it states that the tan continues to develop after rinsing and is to last between 5 and 7 days. It contains no parabens, and uses a vegetable derived tanning agent, so is gentle enough for those of us with sensitive skin. Best of all, it claims to never ever come out orange!

My Views

I have been using this for a couple of months now, and I have found myself having a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. The first couple of times using this, I left it on for three hours each time and I wasn't really impressed with the results. I'm naturally very pale, so I thought that I would get a natural looking deep tan from leaving it on that long. I was wrong. I hardly noticed any difference from using this, but that's alright because it'll just get deeper as the day goes on.. right? Wrong. Yes, my skin was left with a golden tinge to it, but I wouldn't call it a 'tan' but I didn't see any difference by the end of the day. Needless to say I was disappointed. I did eventually get that deep tan I desired though, and I'll tell you how I did this.

I know that you're not supposed to, but I exfoliate and shave in the morning, and self tan later on that same night. I use around a full pump of the mousse per limb (so you do have to use a lot) and then sleep in it overnight. I don't think this is quick drying or non-sticky as it takes a couple of hours for certain places (mainly my back) to get touch dry, and while doing so, it's a bit tacky. In the morning, I have a lovely deep bronze tan, that's never ever orange, around three or four shades darker than my natural skin colour. Just don't use this when your favourite bed sheets are on as it will stain. The tan can last anywhere between 3 and 5 days before it starts to fade, but of course the lasting power will be different for everyone. Sometimes, this just refuses to take to some parts of my body, like the back of my thighs and a little patch around my wrist but that could just be my fault? I also find that this clings to dry patches as it fades, but a bit of exfoliation can fix that. Another thing to keep in mind is the smell, it's described as a "Tahitian Gardenia scent" so no, it's not your typical biscuit stink but I think it still smells bloody awful. 

I do like the Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan, because it does give a lovely tan, without leaving any streaks or being at all orange. For those who want a subtle warmth to their skin, then by all means keep it on for an hour or three but that colour just wasn't for me. It's cheap, and accessible via Superdrug and Primark (!). However, it doesn't smell great, it is a bit sticky when it dries and it can cling to dry patches as it fades but I'm sure it could be a lot worse because it is pretty difficult to go wrong with it. Perhaps it's downfall for me was that it was too beginner friendly? I'm not sure. I know I'll continue to use it though, and I hope this ranty review somewhat helped you. 

I didn't really intend to rant so much in this post, I just can't make my mind up on it. It's not the best, but it's certainly not the worst. What's your favourite self tanning product? I'd love to try some more! -x

Get to Know Me: 21 QUESTIONS TAG

Hi everyone!

I thought it was about time to let my personality show through in this blog, so what better way to do that than with a tag post? 

I like to think that you will enjoy reading my posts a bit more if you actually have a good idea of who I am. So, let me introduce myself: I'm Kerry, and I'm a student who lives in the granite city of Scotland. Now, let's get onto the tag...

1. Are you named after anyone? I'm not named after anyone, but my name was actually meant to be Nicole. Sorry to all the Nicoles out there, my Dad wasn't too fond of it!

2. When was the last time you cried? Last week, I think. I don't normally cry, but sometimes you just need to let it all out and that's okay.

3. Do you have kids? Nope, and I won't even consider it for a very long time.

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? I always think about things like this. I think it's important to be someone that you like, and to try and treat others the way you want to be treated. What's the point in being yourself if you don't like who you are? So yes, I would.

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Only with people I'm close to because not everyone gets it.

6. Will you ever bungee-jump? I doubt I'll ever get the chance to, but I think I would. I can imagine myself being too scared but ending up loving it afterwards.

7. What's your favourite cereal? I never have cereal in the house - it's mainly just muesli and porridge (yawn) but I love Krave. I could eat it all day, which is why I don't buy it - because I probably would.

8. What's the first thing you notice about people? This sounds weird but I notice their tone and volume of their voice. I think it gives you an idea of how shy that person is, or even how they're feeling.

9. What's your eye colour? I actually have sectoral heterochromia, which is where part of the iris is a different colour to the rest of it. I have green eyes, but I have a little brown splodge in one of them!

10. Scary movie or happy endings? I love a good horror movie, but it has to have a good plot. Otherwise, what's the point? I like it when movies have happy endings but I much prefer a twist in the story that makes everything go a bit tits up - which happens more in horrors.

11. Favourite smells? Anything fruity, baked (Yankee Snowflake Cookie, I'm looking at you), or Asian smelling. Oh, and I love the smell of petrol too...

12. Summer or winter? Definitely summer. I was a complete winter girl up until a few years ago, but I love being warm. Maybe it's a Scottish thing, it's always bloody cold here.

13. Computer or television? 100% computer. It can do everything that a television can do, and more.

14. What's the furthest you've ever been from home? The furthest I've ever been is Spain, and if you're good at geography, you'll know that's not very far away.

15. Do you have any special talents? I can put my thumb right underneath my knuckles, and I can stick my shoulder blades out. 

16. Where were you born? In Scotland, of course. I originally come from a little place near Glasgow.

17. What are your hobbies? Watching TV shows, and youtube. I love to read books and blogs, and I like shopping - even if it's just window shopping... I also love spending time with my boyfriend by going out for dinner and just relaxing together in our wee flat.

18. Do you have any pets? Back home, I have a family dog called Honey. She's a springer spaniel crossed with something. You wouldn't be able to tell though, apart from the fact she's really friendly and loves to jump on anything that moves there's absolutely nothing else.

19. Favourite movie? Trust my mind to go blank at this one! At the top of my head - A Nightmare on Elm Street, Se7en, NANA, Fight Club, Girl, Interrupted, Trance, and a recent find - Scott Pilgrim vs The World. I had to make this a list, who actually has one favourite movie?

20. Do you have any siblings? I have two sisters, but I am the baby.

21. What do you want to be when you grow up? A psychologist of some sort, maybe clinical? Maybe a psychiatrist? 

There we have it, all 21 questions done! Gold star if you made it this far. Why don't you let me get to know you by answering a question or two in the comments below? -x