I don’t even know where to begin with this product.

I’m a self-tan pro (it helps to be extremely flexible), but even I went into a bit of a panic when applying this stuff. The good part is that you can see where you’re going because of the deep, dark bronzer. The bad part is you can just as clearly see the big streaks left behind when rubbing it on. There is more immediate room for error.

With darker formulas, I’ve learned you must spread the lotion all over first before going back to rub everything in (sounds counter-productive I know). If you stay in one place and try to get it even, that area will likely become a dark spot. It’s tricky. If you can’t do your own back I hope you have someone to help!

Given all that, Strike Gold is an advanced tanning product. Not for the novice. If you’re a slather master, read on.

UPSIDE: Instant golden bronze. No orange residue.

DOWNSIDE: Shimmer. You can see it in the lotion and on your skin as it dries. I didn’t sign up for glitter. I’ve read and re-read the product desctiption and nowhere on the label do I see “glitter” or “shimmer” or anything else that would indicate little light reflecting particles. I can rub my finger up my arm and see a bright shinny deposit of glitter on my fingertips. Very light, but it’s there. Not manly. Why did they have to mess it up with glitter? Glitter!

This one is all over the place for me. Provided the shimmer comes off in the shower and not all over my sheets (any chance of that?), then I might continue to use it. Otherwise, I’m going back to my old trusty Jergins Natural Glow. Not as dramatic and less sparkle. For me, that’s a good thing.

Oh! And it should go without saying I would absolutely never use Strike Gold on my face.

Cost: $15

Buy True Blue Spa Strike Gold Self-Tanning Lotion w/ Bronzer at Bath & Body Works

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Philosophy Message In a Bottle is truly a gift from nature - it not only smells heavenly but 100% of the proceeds goes to the Rainforest Foundation. The mineral-enriched bath and shower gel is scented with a clean, crisp scent that’s inspired by rain water and the sea.

Cost: $20

Click to purchase philosophy message in a bottle special rainforest foundation edition shower gel.

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I am a total lip gloss/chapstick junkie. So when I say that I love the Sonia Kashuk Lip Palette, I am NOT playing around here! You can get the lip palette in nudes, berries or sorbets. Personally, I prefer it in berries. The shades of color look good on light to medium skin tones. Each palette has two shimmery and three matte tones.

What I really like about this product is that the little container is cute and small enough to carry around with me in my purse. So it’s great for days when I have multiples places to be that require different looks. I’ll dab on a bit of the darker tone for a night out on the town, and stick with the lighter shades while I’m at work.

Cost: $11.99

Click to purchase Sonia Kashuk® Lip Palette.
Also available at Target.

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I should probably put a disclaimer out there right away. I have really sensitive eyes. Whenever I used to take off my makeup, the area around them would sting. I tried lots of expensive products hoping they would work on my make-up and not be painful, but they always stung. For a long time I only used vaseline, but it would leave my skin feeling greasy and wasn’t the most effective either. Then I found Nivea Visage Eye Make-up Remover. FINALLY, a product that’s sensitive enough that it won’t hurt my eyes, yet it actually works. My make-up comes off easily with this. I don’t have to scrub so hard that my eyes hurt.

It’s cream based and even works on waterproof mascara!

Cost: $6:00
Click to purchase Nivea Visage Eye Make-Up Remover - 2.5 Oz.

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I’ve found another great shampoo and condition for those of you that demand good quality and have to have a color preserving product. Wella Color Preserve Shampoo and Conditioner was recommended to me by another product reviewer and she couldn’t say enough about it. To put things into perspective she used to use Pureolgy which is a great shampoo, but so expensive. I checked out the online reviews as well and most people gave it 5 stars.

So onto my experience with the shampoo & conditioner. I bought it about 3 days ago and I’ve used it twice since then and so far it’s a great shampoo that gives me incredible shine. It’s relatively inexpensive for salon quality and you can buy it just about anywhere. It comes in a red bottle and smells ok. The smell is nice, but nothing to write home about. On the flip side I don’t ever see myself getting sick of it either. Which happens to be a lot. Overall I have to say it’s in my top two favorite shampoo’s and conditioners.

Cost: $12.99 for the shampoo and $ 13.99 for the conditioner.

Click to purchase Wella Color Preserve Volumizing Shampoo.

Click to purchase Wella Color Preserve Hydrating Conditioner [12.oz][$13].

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