Summer Ready - True Natural & Benecos

Benecos Bronzing Duo in Ibiza
Benecos Nail Polish in Hot Summer,
True Natural Self Tanner in Light-Medium Tan

Every time the calendar says May, and there's sun outside, I start getting ready for the summer. For me bronzed skin and bright nails always associate with warm weather, but I have very light skin, and I don't like sunbathing. Besides, I use sunscreen nonstop, so I barely get any tan during the summer. I am comfortable with my skin tone, but sometimes I want to have some color on me too, so self tanners save me. As for bright nails, I choose nail polish color depending on my mood and wear pinks in winter and blacks in summer without a problem. However, any pink, coral, orange, yellow, periwinkle, etc. always scream summer to me. So today I decided to share a couple of products that help me get ready for summertime. All of them are from online store True Natural, which has a nice selection of natural products and offers great shipping options as well (free shipping for orders over $30, and only $3.50 for orders under $30).

True Natural Self Tanner in Light-Medium Tan 

I'm the girl who likes bare legs no matter if it's winter or summer, so as long as the weather is decent I'm avoiding tights as much as I can. I have no problems going out with my light legs during the cold months, but when the weather gets warmer, I like to get a tiny bit of color on them. I use self tanners for that, and so far that works for me. I also use self tanner on my arms, but only a thin layer as my arms are usually more tanned/darker anyway. Mostly I apply self tanner right after the shower in the morning, and I can see the results in the afternoon. Recently I tried out True Natural self tanner in Light-Medium Tan* (link), which was a little different from what I'm used to. I'm used to applying self tanner for two days in a row, and then taking a break for a few days, but with this one I only need to apply it for one day to get the same results. I like this quickness a lot. Since it gives darker tan than I'm accustomed to, I was afraid that it might have applied streaky or unevenly, but that's not the case. It gives even natural looking tan that's not too dark for my skin tone. I was a little sloppy around my feet and left some spots bare, but that was fixed with next application. I only need to apply it 1-2 times a week to keep my skin bronzed. This self tanner has only a faint scent, so it doesn't bother me and doesn't interfere with other products or fragrance. The cream glides on the skin easily, and you don't need to use a lot of the product. It is also vegan friendly, gluten free, and best of all made with 100% natural ingredients. 

Benecos Bronzing Duo in Ibiza

Benecos Bronzing Duo in Ibiza: blush, bronzer, mixed

I have a couple blushes, but I rarely reach for them, yet I use a bronzer all year round. I change my makeup products, application techniques once in a while, but I mostly stick to the basic steps, and bronzer is one of them. I'm used to applying my bronzer under the cheekbone, my highlighter on the cheekbone, and blending the two with a big powder brush (like this one from Real Techniques) or with a contour brush (like this contour blender from Sephora). I don't contour the rest of my face, and most of the time I don't apply any blush or any other product. I like it simple and quick as it works for me perfectly. I recently received a new bronzer duo from Benecos in color Ibiza* (link), which comes with a strip of blush, so I'm trying to incorporate it into my makeup. I use this bronzer just as I would any other one, but after blending it out, I'll take a little bit of blush on a fluffy powder brush and apply it lightly on the cheek. The difference is only minor as I'm still trying to get accustomed to using this additional step, but so far I like it. The bronzer (and the blush) is very pigmented, so be sure to take only a little bit of it and tap off the access before applying it on the face as you can always layer more product on top. It blends out easily, and lasts well through the day. The color is beautiful without being too orange-y or too cocoa-y, and looks natural on my skin. I think it would suit anyone with very light to medium skin tones as you can easily apply the product lightly or build it up for a more intense look. The consistency of this duo is on the softer side, and it's easy to transfer the product from the pan to the brush. 

Benecos Happy Nails nail polish in Hot Summer

By now you probably know my love for nail polishes, especially red ones which can vary so much in tone and shade. So of course I was excited to receive one more nail polish to my collection - Benecos Happy Nails in color Hot Summer* (link). With its coral/orange undertone this color is perfect for summertime, and looks good on any skin tone. The application was super easy as the brush is shaped perfectly and the consistency of this polish is just right. It's not too runny, and not too thick, so it gets distributed on the nail evenly without much effort. I didn't get any nail polish on the cuticles or the tips of my fingers. I'm sure the brush adds up to that too as it covers a wide space on the nail, and requires only a few strokes to fully cover the nail. It's also rounded on the end which helps to apply the nail polish near the cuticles. While the nail polish is very pigmented, and you could get away with using one coat, I applied two coats to make it completely opaque. Each coat dried quickly. I always try to be a little extra careful for a few hours after doing my nails, so I did the same thing this time as well. Later that day I did my usual daily chores, and even dipped my hands into a 30 pound dog kibble bag (mixing the food), but my nails stayed intact. They didn't chip, peel, scratch, got dull or anything. The nail polish also lasts long and is easy to remove. 

* marks PR samples received complimentary