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Tan Talk: St Tropez

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St TropezSt Tropez Classic Bronzing Mousse, 8oz for $42

I haven’t been quite as committed to sunless tanning this year as previous years. I’ve had less time to dedicate to beauty rituals in general! When I got a deluxe sample of St Tropez Classic Bronzing Mousse, I was a bit excited – it’s a self-tanning cult classic, after all. Beyond that, mousses tend dry faster than lotions…and patience is not one of my virtues.

After showering and doing the necessary prep (shaving, exfoliation, etc), I gave the little bottle a shake and grabbed my application mitt (ain’t nobody got time for orange palms).

Initial Reaction

Everyone, including me, is surprised by how markedly green the foam seems upon first dispensing the foamy mousse. It isn’t a true green, of course, but there’s definitely green pigment in the formula – the rationale is that it helps offset any orange hue that would otherwise result.

Is it… scented? Oh, no, why?! Research indicates it wasn’t always – but now it features fragrance notes of bergamot, green apple, lavender, rose, jasmine, tuberose, musk and wood. One of my requirements for a tanning product is that it does not have added fragrance. I discuss my, ‘requirements,’ and how, “self-tanner smell,” isn’t the product but the result of DHA reacting with skin in my old post about Million Dollar Tan.

Application

I always use a mitt regardless of the type of product, but it isn’t optional with a mousse. This stuff dries fast. Almost too fast – if it’s your first time with a mousse, I’d say you have a 50/50 shot of getting it right the first time. I’ve even used a mousse product before, but St Tropez dries even faster than Vita Liberata.

Top Application Tip: Work in smaller areas than you would with a lotion. With a lotion, I’d do an entire leg or arm at a time. With mousse, do lower and upper separately.

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Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette

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Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette, $15

If you’re like me, the idea of shelling out for a Sigma Spa Glove is uncomfortable. It isn’t that there’s anything wrong with it as a tool, I just prefer to allocate my beauty budget to other things. Fortunately, the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette that is 1) inexpensive, 2) gets the job done, and 3) does not require a ton of storage space. I thought I published a post about this back in June, but when checking my archives, it was nowhere to be found – so new photos and a rewrite it is!

For I while, I was (ridiculously) using the lid of a Ziploc container lid to help agitate cleanser into my bristles. Did it work? Sure. It’s a frugal solution, and it worked well enough. But then I was misplacing lids (oops)…it was time to get a dedicated tool. I picked the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette on sale at Ulta for $8 (regularly $15) and have gotten a TON of use out of it in the last three months. I use Cinema Secrets for quick-changes, but brushes do require proper washing from time-to-time…so I recommend both methods to keep your brushes clean

Easy to Handle

rt_palette_holder

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Naked Basics vs Naked2 Basics

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I am not a self-proclaimed, “beauty guru.” I’m not here to convince you that I, “totally love,” or that you, “definitely need,” every damn beauty product under the sun. That said, I do enjoy neutrals quite a lot and (probably) own more than I need (insert excuse about variety being the spice of life here). When I was shopping, ages ago, for a small neutrals palette, I was disappointed to find new resources comparing Naked Basics vs Naked2 Basics.

Naked Basics vs Naked2 BasicsNaked Basics vs Naked2 Basics
bottom to top because I make sense

If you’re trying to prioritize Naked Basics vs Naked2 Basics and decide which (if either) to buy, take a look at the swatches from my archives.

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MAC 242 Flat Shader Brush

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MAC 242

Time for a short and sweet review of the MAC 242. After ages of…

  1. Not being able to work with loose shadows or pigments the way I wanted
  2. Reading, watching, hearing that the MAC 242 is the answer to my woes

…I picked up the 242 in my May haul. Lacking time to devote to fun eye makeup I’m only just getting around to working with it.

I don’t have any brushes quite like the MAC 242, so I don’t have much basis for comparison in my own collection. Most of my brushes are synthetic, but I lack a brush with a bristle layout quite like this. The closest in my kit are all from Urban Decay’s Good Karma line – their Shadow brush, and the dual-ended brush that accompanied Naked2. All three of the brush heads are all-synthetic. Frankly, for their price-point, I don’t love how the UD ones perform (glad they came with items I bought rather than buying them myself).

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Aveeno Nourish Condition Leave In

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Aveeno Nourish + Condition Leave InAveeno Nourish Condition Leave In

I searched for a leave-in conditioner for ages and came up dry (I do not apologize for puns). I guess they’re not cool right now in the era of hair serums and oils. For me, Josie Maran Argan Oil is too rich (literally and fiscally) for my hair. About a month before my trip, after ages of scouring stores, I discovered and ordered the Aveeno Nourish Condition Leave In from drugstore.com.

When Aveeno’s Nourish+ collection of haircare came out eons ago, I tried and loved the Nourish + Soothe line, but it got discontinued. I was excited to see how this leave-in would treat me but also a little nervous considering the way my hair likes to behave when it comes to protein treatments. I decided to try anyway, because (for instance), keratin and silk proteins are different from wheat protein. It might not be all bad (for me), right?

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