The Perfect Green Smoothie a la Cameron Diaz

Clean eating and healthy foods work wonders for our bodies from the inside, we all know that. Eating enough greens and veggies does not only play an important part in making us feel energized and well, but it will also do amazing things for our skin. I personally love a green smoothie every day to make sure I get enough of all those miracle nutrients that make my skin glow.

I came across this delicious recipe on The Body Book website and yes, it is as amazing as Cameron Diaz. It not only tastes delicious, but it is also perfect as a snack and packed pull of nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, several B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, calcium, healthy fats, fiber, protein and antioxidants. It can't much better than that right?!

You can find the recipe here, but I have also featured it below. You're welcome! 

The Body Book ™ Green Smoothie

Ingredients

2 cups organic spinach

1 ½ cups filtered water 

½ frozen banana

½ organic green apple

¼ large avocado (or ½ of a small avocado)

juice of 1 meyer lemon/regular lemon

dash of cinnamon

stevia to sweeten (optional)

Instructions

Simply combine all ingredients in a high speed blender/vitamix/blendtec, etc. until smooth and creamy. You can adjust the texture by adding in more water if needed (more water = thinner).

Enjoy lovely ladies! 

Bondi Sands fake tan review

Betty Brown always has your back, that's why she has done the dirty work for you...  Betty has searched high and low for the best fake tans on the market to bring you weekly reviews of what she favours and what she hates.  You're welcome.

This week, Betty got down and dirty with Bondi Sands, Australia's number one selling fake tan brand.  This is what she thought of it:

Bondi Sands Tanning Foam, 200ML in Dark, you can buy it here for $19.95.

Brand
At first glance it would be easy to overlook the Bondi Sands bottle.  There is nothing that really jumps out at you when looking at it on the shelf.  When compared to the fancy packaging of Model Co, St. Tropez and J Bronze it would be easy to overlook the black, modest packaging with the completely irrelevant Sydney Harbor bridge logo (seriously why isn't there a picture of a beach).  Don't be fooled though, Bondi has some of the most gorgeous sun kissed bodies residing by it's crystal clear, deep blue waters so if this product delivers what it promises it could be a keeper.

Application
Bondi Sands has a complementary application mitt so Betty went all out and made the rather steep purchase (an additional $9.95) to guarantee orange free hands.  Upon application she was grateful for her quick thinking.  This stuff stains your hands, bad.  The mitt ensured an even application, however you do need to use quite a lot of product as the foam absorbs instantly.  There's no messing around with Bondi Sands, lightening fast hand motions is the only way to guarantee an even tan, otherwise your bottle will be empty by the time you reach your butt.  Like all foams, a circular motion is key and the mitt helps when getting round to your back and shoulders.

Drying time
Bondi Sands dries very quickly.  By the time you have finished scrubbing your hands and double checking yourself for streaks you are pretty much ready to go.  Your skin will still feel a little sticky to the touch for an hour or so.  The bottle promises you can wash the tan off within an hour, Betty tried this and found that it compromised the final shade of her tan.  Best to leave the tan over night and sleep in the comfort of your very own Betty Brown to ensure your sheets stay pristine and your tan stays even.

Smell before
Bondi Sands describes the smell as "coconut", Betty finds this description questionable, there is a hint of coconut, however it is a far cry from pina coladas on a beach in Port Douglas, just saying.

Smell after
True to form, the smell in the morning is that of every other fake tan brand, musty.  However this is the familiar smell of brown, after a quick rinse and a moisturizer application, Betty's skin is bronzed to perfection, sans musty scent.

Colour produced
The most beautiful shade of brown, Betty looks like she has just returned from the Caribbean.  She feels slim, toned and healthy and all of her clothes look amazing on her.  Her translucent, Melbourne pins look like they have been basking in sunshine for the last 365 days, despite plummeting Melbourne temperatures.

How long it lasts
The trick to a solid tan is to shower without using an exfoliator for at least four days.  Your skin actually exfoliates itself naturally so you can go quite a while without scrubbing, this will make your tan last longer, along with daily moisturiser application.  By using this method, Betty's tan lasted seven days.

Price
Bondi Sands 200ML Foam is $19.95 on the Bondi Sands website, however Betty scored a 50% discount at Priceline during a sale promotion.  You can shop around and find a better price online from certain pharacies however even if you end up paying top dollar, it's money well spent.  A bottle of Bondi Sands has around 10 applications, depending on how much you use, that's $1.95 per tan!

Betty gives Bondi Sands 8/10 - minus points for stained hands (unless you use the mitt) and if you haven't got a Betty Brown to protect your sheets, Bondi Sands leaves deep pink stains on your bed linens.

Love Betty xx

Tanspo Thursday

All photos from Pinterest 

Finding the right tan-tone for your skin-tone

We all have our routines when we fake tan. Exfoliating to remove dead skin before applying the tan, finding the best way of applying the product to avoid streaks and moisturizing regularly to keep the color rich and lasting are all part of the process for many of us. But there are a few other tips out there that can help you make that amazing tan even more amazing and I am here to help you do exactly that.

The first crucial step when fake tanning is to actually choose the right fake tan for YOU. Everyone is different and we all have different skin types and tones, as well as different things that we like and don't like about our beauty products. Choosing the correct tan-color is like buying a shoe in the right size. You have to choose the right color for your skin tone and type. Who wants to look like an orange carrot? Certainly not me!

Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is a colorless sugar that can be found in most self-tanners. The sugar interacts with the top layer of skin to darken. An oversaturation of  DHA occurs when you use a product with a percentage of DHA too high for your skin tone or  use too much product. This will give your skin an orange tint.

So here is a tip. Like with all skin products, you should always try a small amount of the product on your skin before applying the product all over your body. Not only to check if the color is right for you, but also to make sure you don't have a reaction to the product. If you want a gradual tan, choose a tanning product with low percentage of DHA. For those with a reddish skin-tone, try to find a self-tan with a green base. If you have a yellow undertone in your skin, go for a color with a purple base. Think of it as make up; in order to achieve a natural result, you want to match the tan tone with the skin tone. This will leave you with a gorgeous, natural fake-tan and lets be honest; who doesn't want beautiful, tanned pins all day everyday.

Introducing Betty

How does one describe Betty? 

She’s fun.  Always the life of the party. 

She makes you laugh, makes you think and always makes you feel beautiful.

She’s got your back and you love her for it. 

She wants what’s best for you and will always support you.

She is Betty Brown.

So nice to meet you xx