Review: Lorac Island TANtalizer

(Photo credit: hsn.com)

I'm of Filipino decent which typically means natural tanning comes easy for me. By natural tanning, I mean just doing my daily activities: walking outside, driving, errands. I do have a small percentage of Irish/German blood which runs so strong in my mom's side of the family. Because of this, my siblings' (along with my mother, of course) natural base skin is pretty pale and pasty (it's in my blood and I'm proud of it!).

Ever since I was diagnosed with Lupus nearly 4 years ago, I have been avoiding the sun when possible. In a nutshell, Lupus is an autoimmune disorder in which my body cannot distinguish between good cells and bad cells so it destroys both. When you kill the good cells of the body, it's only natural for the person to get all kinds of sick. Lupus patients are sensitive to the sun's rays so we must wear sunblock and stay out of the sun if possible. Some are more sensitive than others. I try not to test my limits...anyways, I went on an educational tangent there, but hey! Awareness is important. Read my Lupus story here.

Ever since 2010, I've been pretty fair especially in winter. Loved ones and friends would tease me and call me "Casper the Ghost." All loving tease of course, but still... My legs are quite blinding!

Over the past few years, I've been self-tanning for summer just so I don't look so ghostly amidst my fellow bronzed Angelenos. In the last year, I stopped caring about being fair and haven't tanned in 1.5 years.

Not too recently, I came across the LORAC Island TANtalizer Creamy Body Oil - Bronze Glow. This is NOT a self tanner. It's is a temporary (one time only) body bronzing makeup. I went to a makeup party (a friend of a friend had a woman who sold makeup come by) and found this LORAC product. It retails for about $30. It was on sale for $12 so I thought, why not? 

Mind you, I'm not new to tanning products so I know how to apply them. This LORAC product was awful!!

CONS: Very very very streaky! It was so orange and way shimmery!! I know it's more of a body makeup than a tanner, but still....I don't think anyone who wants a nice bronze color wants to walk around like a disco ball. 

PROS: Not your typical tanner smell. The scent was similar to cocoa butter which I'm not a fan of, but I could tolerate it.

I actually wish I bought this from Ulta or something so that I could actually return it and get a full refund. Awful awful awful.

Was it just me? I'm not sure.

Have any of you tried this product? What are your thoughts?

<3<3<3

Three Year Purple Anniversary [Belated Post]

I am one nearly year behind in writing this post. Time just flies by! Sometimes I feel as though I cannot keep up with life. If you haven't read about my previous posts (Year One and Year Two) on my Purple Anniversaries, I'll give you a quick summary what a Purple Anniversary is:

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (S.L.E.) or just simply Lupus for short. I was hospitalized from July 12 - 17 in 2010. Every year, I like to celebrate life in July as way of saying, "I conquered you, Lupus! I am alive and I am healthy as can be." It is merely a celebration of life. My case of Lupus is, thankfully, a mild one, but it can progress over the years without warning or cause. That's just what Lupus does. So whatever the case may be year after year, I would like to celebrate life and still being here.

Lupus patients are sensitive to the harmful sun's rays so we avoid the sun at its peak if possible. I love the ocean, I love the beach. I grew up going to the beach with my family. And I must admit, it makes me sad knowing I can't go to the beach midday and just stay there all day. 

Each year on my Purple Anniversary, which I usually hold in July if possible, I gather my friends together, make them all wear purple (Purple is one of the colors to commemorate Lupus), and enjoy some good food!

Since I cannot go to the beach the way I used to because of the sun, I do try to make it out to the beach during late afternoon just to be able to go to the beach. It's my way of saying, "Ha Lupus! You can't stop me from enjoying the beach."

For my three year Purple Anniversary, I had a bonfire with my closest friends who know that I have Lupus. We all wore purple. We cooked hot dogs over the fire pit, we had all kinds of beverages, and we made s'mores over the fire. 

It was a really great time. I was surrounded by an abundance of love, support, and positive energy. 

I am very grateful that I have the health that I have given the circumstances I am in. That is what my Purple Anniversaries are about.

<3<3<3