My work schedule and the if we be honest, rather average summer weather, has left me the perfect candidate for trialing a whole bunch of fake tans over the past few months to achieve a sun-kissed look.
Now, I’m only a fake tan fan if they’re done right. If you can’t or won’t; embrace your natural colour. There’s nothing worse than seeing a half-peeled orange walking down the street, with knees rougher than the pavement. On the other hand, I don’t advocate baking yourself to a crisp either, for reasons that are quite obvious.
A few years ago, I was a true fake tan virgin. Having only had one professional spray tan, I was scared to attempt myself. What if it’s patchy?! (Still happens in areas on occasion!) What if I look like a carrot, or worse, Paris Hilton?!
Hopefully you can amp up your fake tan artillery and work on your skills with a few of these suggestions, sure to leave you looking natural and glowing. Did you just get back from Hawaii?
Le Tan Daily Glow SPF 15+ ($7.99)
Oh, this is one product I buy over and over again – and I can afford to! It’s about $7 dollars or something crazy like that! (In fact I’m so excited by its greatness I can’t be bothered to look up its actual price. All right fine, it’s $7.99) I love it! A wonder 3-in-1 prod, it combines a daily moisturiser with SPF 15 and a gradual tanner of the awesomely natural Le Tan shade. I can slap this stuff on as haphazard as anything, and it doesn’t streak – ever. I’ve never been asked if I’m wearing fake tan – always the sign of great colour! – And it’s easy to maintain and apply. Yummy smell too. LOVE!
Le Tan in Le Can Instant Tan ($14.99)
I adore all of the Le Tan self-tanning range, mainly for it’s fantastic colour, which seems to suit my natural skin tone wonderfully, plus it’s cheap! Le Tan Instant Tan is a spray can, which I spray all over and then lightly rub and pat into place. It’s pretty fool proof, I haven’t had any disasters with this one. While this says instant, and it is, I would apply a few hours before you need it on as it does develop into a better colour over time. Warning: the scent is so delicious you may want to lick yourself. Don’t, I doubt it tastes as good as it smells! This also comes in a Jet Dry version which dries within three minutes. For both of these, I choose the Deep Bronze Glow shade. The Original Tanning Lotion is a great option if you prefer a lotion formula that develops over time, rather than instant. I can never go wrong with any of the Le Tan tanning range!
Fake Bake Gradual Tan ($45.95)
A cult tanning product from the UK, Fake Bake was easy to apply – but I wouldn’t agree that this one was ‘gradual’. Admittedly I took slightly less care than I would with a full-strength, but because this was gradual, I thought I could build up the colour to erase any little uneven areas. The next day, this was quite stronger than I expected. Great colour, but this formula should be used as you would a regular tanner. Best for those who want to build up to a dark, ‘I’ve spent a month in the Greek Isles’ kind of tan.
Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse SPF 15 ($45)
Oh, Clarins, you’re just divine. This white, whipped mousse is super soft and velvety to apply, and absorbs into the skin easily. I have been using this on my face and chest, as it’s non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), SPF 15+, and well, it’s Clarins and somehow using it all over feels like a waste! It’s always nice to save the luxe-r products for your face, non? The colour isn’t anything too drastic, which was my concern about using tanner on my face, just a lovely natural glow. The scent is natural, fruity and fresh; the yummy smell of Clarins products! Mirabelle oil and vitamin E are added to nourish and hydrate your skin too. Worth the extra pennies!
Natio Self Tan Lotion ($17.95)
Another budget beauty winner at only $17.95! Much like the Le Tan, this Natio Self-Tanner is a fantastic natural colour, blends easily and develops well after a few hours. The added essential oils of lavender, ylang ylang and sweet orange are an extra treat while applying, There’s also a mousse and a spray in this range too. Added bonus; it is made in Australia!
Model Co One Night Tan
This is party tan in a can! The mousse comes out looking like chocolate gelati, and rubs into the skin easily with an instant brown colour to see where you’ve already been. I say party tan, because this does contain a shimmer too it – but not too much shimmer otherwise, as a firm advocate for minimal body glitter, I wouldn’t be raving about it. Important note: it didn’t rub off on my clothes, winner! It’s quick, easy, and makes you party-ready in a matter of minutes – perfect to have a few cans in your bathroom draw on standby.
St. Tropez Tanning Mousse ($43.95)
I was really excited to try St. Tropez, one of the most well-known self-tanning brands on the market. This was a great natural colour, but I found that it took a day to ‘settle in’ to become its best colour. The mousse was easy to apply, and blended well – no complaints about that process. St. Tropez also has an amazing tanning side product called Tan Go, which helps get rid of those pesky orange palms that no amount of soap and water can remove. Tan Go can be used on the hands, and any other areas where you think you may have overdone it, say, that splotch I left on my foot that day. It contains little exfoliating granules that help to scrub away excess tan, as well as a cleansing solution. An accessory every tan-fan needs!
Hissyfit Body Bronze $29.95
This thick lotion was ultra hydrating thanks to the included aloe vera and vitamins B, C and E. It was easy to rub in and didn’t leave any streaks apart from a blob I left on my foot – whoops! I loved the smell and the colour was great, but like the St. Tropez I felt it was even better on the 2nd and remaining days. This was easy to re-apply, as the colour didn’t build up in those scraggy patches I hate seeing on other people. Yes, I can be a fake tan snob…
Have you tried any of these brands?
Are there any wonders you’ve come across that should be on this list?
Am I There Yet? 