[Part of my army of tanning products]
Maybe it’s being born and raised in California. Perhaps it’s partially due to coming from an always (naturally)-tan family. Maybe it’s due to spending nearly three years of my life working at a tanning salon. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because tans are gorgeous! Whatever the reason, I’m obsessed and I have been for a while. I’ve been a tanner since 16ish: UV tanning when I was working at the salon (I know, I know… it’s awful) and then some sunless/spray tanning as I got older. Either way, to find a picture of me sans tan from the last 7 – 8 years? Not possible. I had never gone more than 2 – 3 weeks without some form of tanning.
Then I moved to the UK. Not only could I not afford a tanning membership on a grad student budget (tanning’s incredibly overpriced here!) but on top of that there’s no natural sun! It’s not like I can go outside and soak up the rays… England has a built-in cloud magnet! Grrr! So, I had to cope. And by cope, I of course mean invest in a slew of sunless tanning products. Since my move here, I’ve discovered the amazingness of sunless tanning (although, I must admit, I prefer natural [unhealthy] tans more…); they’re quick, easy, pretty inexpensive, much healthier than UV and they’re super portable! It’s so easy for me to throw some products in my luggage and keep a tan while traveling. Plus a lot of them are under 100ml! Can’t beat it. So here’s a run-down on some products I’ve been using and my experiences with them.
{Note: to be clear, I never (ever!) tan my face… wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation are not attractive and not worth it. For face, I only use sunless tanning products so I have a lot of experience with working on a healthy glow sans UV!}
L’oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes
Probably one of my most favorite products! I’ve had 6 boxes shipped or brought over from the US! The tan is intense so make sure to apply it carefully (streaks will be obvious!) and to wash your hands when you’re done. I apply it at night and wake up with a solid glow! Use one before a night out or a couple per week to maintain a solid California tan.
Also, L’Oreal makes a similar product for face that’s ahhh-mazing! It is an intense facial tanner and the wipes are super easy and super-portable. Make sure you don’t miss any spots and be super (super!) careful around eyebrows and upper lip. Orange brows are not cute.
Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer
I’ve been using this stuff on my legs for years and I love it! It’s really inexpensive ($5 – 7) and it’ll last quite a while! The streaks aren’t quite as obvious as with the super-strength tanning towelettes, but they are noticeable to an extent, so make sure you rub it in well. Bump it up with their moisturizer with firming! That’s the one I normally nab but overlooked it when buying last time. Only downside: it smells like sunless tanner. It’s a pretty strong (not pleasant) scent so I’m always conscious about using it on upper body. If you’re using it during day time, keep it on the lower half so people don’t get a whiff of your sunless tanning tricks!
Boots Soltan Beautiful Bronze Face Cream
After I moved here and discovered they no longer had my tried and true most favorite face tanner in the world (L’oreal Dual Action Face Tanner … more on that later), I had to find a suitable supplement. Enter Boots Soltan Beautiful Bronze. I wanted to keep it in the same price range (this little guy was under 5 pounds) so I snagged it while picking up some basics at Boots. I’ve got to be real: it doesn’t compare to my oh-so-amazing L’Oreal brilliance from back home, but it does smell good and it does deliver a bit (a very slight bit!) of a glow so it can work as a daily moisturizer. Verdict? Probably wouldn’t buy it again.
L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Dual Action Bronzer and Self-Tanning Lotion for Face
Man… looking at the picture of this little guy brings tears to my eyes. It is (by far!) the best sunless tanning product for face I have ever discovered! I used to stock up on this stuff, buying three bottles at a time when I hit up Target. It’s not expensive ($6 or so) and it works like a charm! I used it as a daily moisturizer and the dual action part of it is incredible. The bronzer gives you an immediate tan (thank God!) plus the sunless tanning agent works to build a tan during the day. To my surprise, they don’t carry this stuff in the UK and it’s been really (incredibly!) hard to find in the US as of late. I’ve been requesting bottles of it from family but no one’s been able to get their hands on it… if you find it, I bestow upon you a mission, if you choose to accept it: 1) let me know where you find it, and 2) buy every bottle in sight. You won’t be disappointed!
Garnier Ambre Solair Self Tan No Streaks Bronzer Mist
After my disappointment with the Boots Soltan product (listed above), I decided it was time for a more intense product. No more messing around with cutesy daily moisturizers with ‘tanning formulas’; time to bring out the big guns. Well, I couldn’t really find any big guns in my budget, but I did run across this tanning mist that piqued my interest. I grabbed the intense version without realizing it was for light to medium skin (I should have got the medium to dark skin) but was still pleasantly surprised with the outcome! I typically spray it on at night, let it dry, go to bed and wake up with a noticeable glow. It’s not as intense as those sunless tanning towelettes for face, but you’re in for fewer mishaps! Note: don’t overdo it: spray in circular motions all over your face otherwise you’ll have brown build-up around your nose, eyebrows and chin area. Bleh! Bonus: it smells like delicious apricot :)
St. Tropez Everyday Gradual Tan for Face
This bad boy is the newest (and longest awaited) addition to my sunless tanning collection. My girlfriend, H., had raved about how amazing St. Tropez products are and I finally decided to go for it. If you’ve heard of St. Tropez you know that the products are far from cheap. This little bottle (1.6 oz) normally goes for $20 – $25. I wanted to go for the real stuff; the actually sunless tanner, but instead I got the daily face stuff hoping for some more gradual results. I’ve only been using it for two days, but the verdict? Smells like heaven, goes on like normal moisturizer but the tanning effect isn’t that intense. I was hoping for a really noticeable tan, but that has yet to surface (maybe because it’s the ‘daily’ product). I’m gonna give it a few more days before I make a hasty judgement. Makes me long for my cheap-o L’Oreal Dual Action all the more…
Rimmel Sunshimmer Instant Tan Makeup
This stuff is interesting. Cheap, mind you (4 pounds right now at Superdrug), but interesting. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever purchased before because it’s not a sunless tanner, it’s make-up! Seriously. You put it on and your skin is brown. You take a shower and it washes off. I was a bit thrown off by the concept but I actually quite like it! I mix it in with my moisturizer if I’m going out somewhere super fun (or if I’m looking exceptionally pasty) and it works! It gives a pretty awesome tan immediately and it can be used on face (sparingly). I don’t typically like putting body products on my face, but occasionally I’ll throw a touch into my facial moisturizer and rub it on the cheekbones! Worth nabbing for the price!
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Uggh. I’m tired of typing now. I hadn’t realized quite how many products I have on this front, but I’m definitely figuring out which ones are must-haves and which ones I can do without. For travelers, students, people who are anti-UV or people looking for a quick tan before an event, hope this helps with decision making! There are some incredibly amazing sunless tanning products out there… just gotta do some testing :)
Does anyone else have any sunless tanning/bronzing products that they swear by? I’m always scouring the shelves!
xoxo,
