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SugarBaby Ready Set Glow Tinted Self Tan Cream review

Betty has tested self tans again and this week the lucky product is SugarBaby's Ready Set Glow Tinted Self Tan Cream. 

Brand
SugarBaby is an Australian owned beauty brand founded in 1998. The brand consist of quite a big range of products; body balms, lip balms, perfume, candles and a range of different make up products as well as their range of fake tans. Their mission is "to help customers to look and feel their best". Sounds good to Betty! 

The SugarBaby self tan products are easy to notice with their metallic bottles and pretty pinup girls. However, each different product within the range tends to look similar, so make sure you read the label before you hit the counter to be sure you go home with the product you wanted. 

Application 
SugarBaby has made it easier for you by making this product tinted. This allows you to see where you have applied it, avoiding those unsightly streaks. The cream is lightweight and smooth and as it says on the bottle - you should apply quickly until fully absorbed to avoid an uneven result.  The product washes easily off your hands, so no need to use a mitt unless you prefer to do so. 

The product is enriched with sweet almond oil, shea butter, aloe vera and SugarBaby's customised skin-loving Acti-Tan-3 which will nourish your skin almost as well as a moisturizer. Betty's skin really did feel soft and silky once the cream fully absorbed. 

Drying time 
The cream absorbs fast, but felt sticky on Betty's skin for about 30 minutes after application. She therefore recommends that you leave in a bit of extra time before getting dressed. If you are in a hurry, this is not the product for you. 

Smell before 
Betty decided to do the boyfriend test for this product and luckily it was approved, getting an immediate response that it had a coconut-like smell. We all know that the boyfriend self tan stink test is the hardest one to pass, so if it is good enough for the boyfriend, it is good enough for Betty. 

Smell after 
The product has a tiny scent of stinky self tan a few hours after application. As with most self tan products, Betty recommends showering when the color has fully developed to remove any self tan stink. This worked a charm yet again, and Ready Set Glow made Betty shine without any hint of nasty smell.

Colour produced 
The product leaves a light golden glow immediately when applying to the skin. SugarBaby recommends that you allow two hours for the tan to fully develop, but Betty doesn't think there is a noticeable difference after this time. Therefore, if you want a deeper tan, she recommends reapplying after those two hours if you want a darker color. 

How long it lasts 
The Ready Set Glow Tinted Self Tan Cream lasted on Betty's skin for a couple of days before she had to reapply to maintain the color. Remember to keep hydrated and moisturised so that your tan stays beautiful and looks natural for as long as possible. 

Price 
SugarBaby's Ready Set Glow Tinted Self Tan Cream 200ml sells for AU$19.95 on the SugarBaby website (here). It is also available in selected stores in Australia and New Zealand. 

Unfortunately SugarBaby dos not currently offer international shipping. 

Betty gives SugarBaby Ready Set Glow a score of 6/10 with the biggest minus being that she thinks the tan feels too sticky when first applying and she wished the tan lasted longer. Other than that it is a great product that leaves a golden glow, has a pleasant smell and a price she likes. 

Love Betty xxx

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Scrub that skin baby

Lets talk prep work. Our skin cells die and reproduce every seven to 10 days before they shred, and we need to make a clean, even canvas for that amazing fake tan that we want to apply to our bodies. It doesn't help that the fake tan you use is perfect if your skin is not, so please listen up and start prepping. 

The magic starts in the shower. Scrub scrub scrub. Exfoliating is crucial part of the fake tan process. It will really make your fake tan look so much more natural, even and gorgeous. When buying an exfoliator you want to go for a gentle scrub to avoid irritating the skin. Try to avoid oil-based products as the oil can work as a barrier between the fake tan and the top layer of the skin. Once you are all scrubbed out and ready to go, dab your skin dry with a clean towel and voilà - you are one step closer to (fake) sun kissed perfection. 

The next prep step varies from person to person. Some people prefer to apply the fake tan straight away after showering, while others like to moisturize. If you prefer your skin to be moist, go for a moisturizer that contains gradual self tan. Most of the fake tan brands out there have a gradual tan product and this could be the perfect partner for your favorite fake tan as these products are formulated to work with DHA and that way they don't clog your pores. If you prefer your skin to be dry, applying moisturizer to the dry areas of the body like elbows, knees and hands can help against over absorption of the fake tan on these areas and therefore won't leave you with orange patches here and there. 

Do you have any other magic tips that you would like to share? Make Betty happy by leaving a comment.

Love Betty xx

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Weekend outfit inspo

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Love Betty xx

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