Product Review: Eco Tan

Cotton On playsuit / Rivers sandals

I'm not generally one to fake tan for many reasons: the awful smell, the staining, having an unnatural substance covering my body. Not to mention the fact that an hour in the sun during summer leaves me with all the tan I need anyway (although not ideal health wise).

But as mentioned in my previous post, I've been looking into natural and organic products more and more lately and read about Eco Tan. I used the Invisible Tan moisturising lotion which is Australian Certified Organic and recommended for medium and olive skin tones (lighter skin tones are more suited to the Winter Skin lotion).

Originally I bought it to use just on my face which is always very pale in comparison to the rest of my body, but decided to try it out on my whole body and I'm really happy with the results. You just apply to clean, dry skin and it will continue to develop for up to 8 hours. Perfect for before bed.

What I love about this product is that it's colourless which means no stained sheets or clothes and the smell is much less intense than other tanning products. There's no nasty chemicals and it gives you a nice even tan that's brown and not orange. Check out my results above!

It lasts for between 7 and 10 days and from what I've read, it fades evenly as your skin sheds, so no blotchy spots.

If you're looking for a great fake tan I rate this one highly. You can find your nearest stockist here or purchase them online.

Outfit: Summer Sandals

Cotton On top (altered) / Target shorts / Rivers sandals / Necklaces gift & from Tree of Life


It seems like forever since I was feeling this full of energy and healthy! Heading on two months ago I was kicked in the face with this seasons aggressive flu and the recovery has been tedious to say the least. I am happy to be almost back to my old self and sincerely would not wish it upon anyone, so make sure to keep yourselves healthy!

Now that I'm feeling better I'm excited to be taking the next step with Vacant Lake and bringing back regular posts on low budget and do-it-yourself fashion, so please keep an eye out for things to come.

Now for the good stuff.

Good purchases often come as a surprise but are greatly appreciated and my latest favourite purchase was found while browsing Rivers with my sister on Saturday.

I know the general opinion of Rivers amongst the younger generations is that it's 'lame' but if you've never even entered a Rivers store, your judgement is not valid. While I'll admit most of the stock is aimed at more mature customers than my average reader, I've actually found myself a nice collection of items from Rivers and they always get me compliments. I seriously recommend taking a look regularly because you're bound to find something once in awhile. They tend to have really great boots and sandals (I normally buy my winter boots there because they're pretty cheap and REALLY comfortable). In amongst some of their less attractive items they have some really neato things too (just like most stores!).

My latest find are these sandals. They grabbed my eye and as I tried them on I read that they're called the 'ABBEY' sandal. Could there have been any greater sign that these shoes needed to be in my possession?! 

Edit: Sheinside

I came across online store sheinside.com a fair while ago and fell in love with its quirky, cute items and their in-my-budget price tags. In search of a few work appropriate summer dresses yesterday I decided to put together my favourite items into an edit.

Hand me anything denim and I'll swoon. I don't know what it is, but I love that blue thread! A splash of colour and some killer heels & accessories (um, totally in love with these sun and moon earrings!!) and voila. My dream outfit.

Have you recently purchased anything from sheinside.com?

DIY: Distressed Denim

Supre top / Rivers jeans (DIY) / Big W belt / Lipstik clogs / Strandbags Bag

Distressed jeans have been around for quite some time, but I've never been a fan. Well, I wasn't until now. They always seemed so pointless to me; why would you want an item that's meant to keep you warm to have massive holes in them?! But yes, the trend got me and I had to have a pair of my own.

I purchased these highwaisted jeans from Rivers a fair few years ago and I'd barely been wearing them, so naturally I decided to rip them up. I like the subtle rips without losing too much warmth.

I've been seeing the trend literally everywhere. Are you a distressed denim lover?

Beauty: No Mascara

I've always loved to try out different eye makeup techniques, but I do always find myself wiping off the heavy eyeshadow/eyeliner and leaving just mascara. Lately I haven't even been wearing mascara, and it feels amazing.

It all started when I saw one of my favourite hair and beauty bloggers, Samii Ryan, shake up her look. Generally she wears quite heavy makeup (including lashes) and looks gorgeous, but I loved how fresh and bright she looked when I saw her wearing little to no eye make up in one of her most recent videos (see the comparison here and here). That's exactly what wearing minimal eye makeup does; it brightens up your whole face and enhances your other features.

I especially love the look with a bright lipstick and contoured cheekbones and I usually do add a small amount of brown eyeshadow to give my eyes a little definition.

Other than the aesthetics, I just find it easier to keep my eyes clean in my daily makeup routine, especially when it comes to removing it before I go to bed. It's a win, win situation. Not to mention that your eyelashes are so much healthier without the mascara!

What do you think? Would you go mascara free?