New Cocoa Brown Ultimate Travel Set - Only €10!

Earlier this year, tanning brand du jour, Cocoa Brown, released a very handy travel size version of their, now cult product, 1 Hour Tan. Coming with an even handier mitt and being only 100ml in size, travelling tan fans the world over rejoiced. Well Marissa Carter (the brains & beauty behind the brand) et al have gone one step further and shrunk their top selling products to accompany the 1 Hour Tan and produced the Ultimate Travel Set. 

Packaged in the nifty resealable plastic pouch you'll find: 

• 100ml Cocoa Brown 1 HOUR TAN
• 75ml Cocoa Brown Chocolate Whip Oil-Free Body Moisturiser
• 75ml Cocoa Brown TOUGH STUFF Body Scrub

Everything you need to not only top up your tan while away but to maintain it for the duration too. 

I'm a particular fan of this new set as I'm forever, FOREVER, leaving packing to the last second. I've been known to defuzz and tan hours before an early morning flight & spend the first day of holidays bleary-eyed as a result. Not no more. Chuck this in your carry on and do it when you get there. Genius. 

You'll find The Ultimate Travel Set in Penney's stores nationwide for a staggeringly affordable €10, chuck in a mitt for €2 and you're set. 

Fear not though, should you have forgotten all about it, Cocoa Brown's 1 Hour Tan travel size WITH mitt is available on all Aer Lingus flights for just €6.99 or, as I like to call it 'the change of €20 for a snipe of Prosecco'. You're a clever one Mrs C, no doubt about it!

Are you a Cocoa Brown fan? Care to sicken us with your holiday plans? 

EYE Bright - Top 3 Solutions for Tired Eyes - Guest Post from Snapped Up

This morning we are joined by Stephanie from SnappedUp.ie. One of the most put together and ambitious gals in the Irish blogging community these days, her love of all things pink and the head on her shoulders led her to intern with tan of the moment Cocoa Brown, so impressed were they with her work that she's now their PR & Marketing Exec - Go Steph!

Take it away, Stephanie!

Its one thing to get your skin looking great but another story all together to brighten up tired eyes, especially if you're…well, constantly tired.  Whats worse, it's usually the first place a person looks when you meet them, unless they have some freakish social anxiety disorder and can't look you straight in the eye. In that case, you probably shouldn't go there.

Truth is, tired eyes are the most common thing in the world like back pain or migraines. Who doesn't suffer from them? Foundation helps cover up lumps, bumps, redness and even gives us a more tanned complexion. However, to get rid of those dark, swingy under-eye bags is a more tricky task. 

Fret not, my friends. I am queen of under-eye baggage and I can assure you, mine was not always Louis Vuttion baggage. I want to share with you some products that, in just one whizz, will change your fake Prada bags into, er…looking not so fake. 

Clarins Instant Lift Concealer -  €24 

On a Monday morning, who doesn't need an 'instant lift'? I'm a huge Clarins fan and this product lifts and lives up to its promises  - Its one of my favourites from their range for sure. 

The concealer is a runny, thin consistency which allows it to be swept and blended under the delicate eye area.  It has added aloe vera so not only does it hide tired eyes but it refreshes and soothes 'em too. For €24, its sounds close to the price of a foundation but a little goes a long way and I can honestly tell you mine has lasted over 6 months at this stage. €24/6months = not that expensive. 

GOSH Cosmetics Prime and Resfresh Illuminating Eye Roll-on  - €10.99

This is a newbie from GOSH and I absolutely love it. Its really been a while since I've got my hands on anything from this range.  The Prime and Refresh Illuminating Eye Roll-on is a refreshing roller ball that you glide under and over your eyes before you apply your makeup. It leaves a trail of white liquid which you then blend right in making a smooth surface for makeup to adhere to. 

The product gives you a boost on application, with its cool, sensual rollerball. Also, when you blend it in (I just use my finger)  it sets into your skin it counteracts the dull shade of your skin, brightening it up and also tightening it in!

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat - €35

How could I finish up this feature without a special mention for my main man, YSL. This is a pricey product but worth its weight in gold. I pick one up whenever I'm in the airpot to save a couple of yoyo's on it and it has definitely become a makeup bag staple of mine.

The best thing about this baby is that its suitable for all skin types and I think thats why its loved by so many women across the world. The award winning sleek beauty tool claims to be "powered by the radiance-boosting Luminocaptide Complex".  I'm not so sure what that is, but it definitely works a treat for me. 

This product also doubles up as a highlighter too, which is no harm considering the price tag.  I take it everywhere for little makeup touches on the go and it looks pretty sleek too so I'm only too proud to whip it out in public. 

Gorgeous Gradual Bronzers ft Xen Tan Transform Luxe, Cocoa Brown Night & Day and Dove Summer Glow

We had a look this morning at Brilliant Instant Bronzers but sometimes, just sometimes I'm ahead of the game and actually plan my tanning. Three of the most reliable, olive toned, non oompa loopa favourites of mine have to be Xen Tan, Cocoa Brown and Dove. 

Fancy a closer goo? 

Xen Tan Transform Luxe: €23.69

I've been a very loyal fan of Xen Tan for years now, mentioning it here in my Unsung Heroes post . I go through phases of using this olive toned tanner and 

when I stop using it I always wonder why. 

The most unfaketan like scented fake tan there is on the market, I actually enjoy the smell of this one. Directions say to leave for 3 hours before showering but my regular routine is to apply a pea sized amount after cleansing at night and walking up as if I've been prone under a sun bed for the night. 

Truly gorgeous, Xen Tan is one of my Holy Grail products and I can't envision a time that I won't have 1/2 tubes about the place.  

Cocoa Brown Night & Day: €9.99 or €7.99 in Penney's!

The brain child of the uber glam Marissa Carter, you'll recognize Cocoa Brown tan from 'OH EVERYWHERE!' of late - that's not for nothing. This product could actually have made it into this morning's Instant Glow post as I've used it and trotted out the door without worry too. 

Made with vegetable derived DHAs and without parabens, Night & Day is suitable for all skin types including sensitive skins. The Tahitian Gardenia scent too is a welcome break from 

the usual digestive biscuit affair we're subjected to. 

My normal routine is to apply this moussey lovely and leave it for about three hours before showering but when I dry myself off I apply it again and I'm a bronzed goddess (YES, I AM!) for at least 4/5 days once I moisturise. Can't recommend this one enough. 

Dove Summer Glow: €6.49 (Boots & Supermarkets)

Billed as the UKs number one gradual tanner, the first iterations of Dove Summer Glow 

were some of my earliest dalliances with gradual tanners as they were so affordable.

It's refreshing to see that at €6.49, that's still the case and the formulation 

has only improved. 

I use this pleasantly scented, thick moisturising cream for at least 2/3 days to build up my preferred result and that tends to last me the guts of a week without reapplication. 

The resulting bronze is even, doesn't go streaky or patchy and seems to nourish my skin beautifully. (One word of warning is your hairline though, there are orange tendencies if you're not very careful) For affordability and ease of use, Dove is certainly a contender 

for the top prize. 

Do remember if you're using a gradual tanner that exfoliation in the lead up days is essential and never moisturise before use. But gentle scrubbing while wearing them and drenching your skin with moisturiser on the days you're sporting your tan will actually elongate it's bronzey life. 

Tell Moi, are you a gradual tan fan?