Over the past year I have accumulated many different formulas and brands of fake tan. From mousses to lotions, high end brands to cheaper options, and here in this post, I will inform you of my tanning experiences.
It can be overwhelming when standing in the shop isles faced with all the different kinds of fake tan. Which one is right for you? As you can see below, I've tried and tested a variety of different kinds and hopefully this post will be of help for those of you in a fake tan rut.
I introduce to you, my fake tan collection. Welcome to the
In my line up from left to right I have;
- Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Lotion
- Superdrugs Solait Tinted Bronzing Foam (Medium/Dark)
- St Tropez Bronzing Mousse
- St Moriz DARK Instant Tanning Mousse
- St Moriz Instant Tanning Mousse
- Xen-Tan Mist Intense DARK
- Rimmel Sun Shimmer (Medium Matte)
We'll start with my all time favourite tan. Rimmel Sun Shimmer is available in any local drug store for £5.99. Sun Shimmer is an instant tanning lotion and I always opt for the shade 'medium matte'. The other shades available are; Fair Matte, Fair Shimmer and Medium Shimmer. I haven't tried the shimmer range myself, but after seeing it on my friends, I much prefer the 'matte' for myself.
Rimmel Sun Shimmer is a little bit like Marmite - you either love it or you hate it. As it is an instant tanning lotion, however you apply, the final outcome is visible straight away. I love instant tans as you have a colour to guide you, hence why I rarely make fake tan mistakes. Tan developers apply clear and are usually a recipe for disaster as I feel you are 'applying blind' and have no idea where you have/haven't applied.
Another reason this tan is like Marmite is because it is a wash off formula. This is great so that you can be really dark for a night out, then as if by magic, in the morning, all traces of the night before are washed away. I love this aspect of Sun Shimmer. However, the only down side is that if you get caught in any rain whilst out, it will give the game away that you're wearing fake tan. And Hello Streaksville!
I suggest this tan if you are looking for: Something with instant results, quick and easy to apply, a dark result.
I do not recommend if: You want a natural look, something long lasting, something build able.
With the fact that this is my favourite fake tan aside, the rating I give this is:
Rating: 4/5
I hadn't heard of Xen-Tan until I joined the blogging community. After reading a few blog reviews and hearing lots of good things, (mainly how odourless it was, it didn't have the tell-tale fake tan smell, and instead was vanilla scented0 I was eager to try out Xen-Tan for myself. I was kindly sent this bottle from the PR team to road test. I don't usually go for sprays as I find them really messy and tend to stain everything in sight. This bottle of Xen-Tan can be found here for £23.99.
I do think the price is high end, and was expecting the tan to live up to it's price. I was rather disappointed with the overall result. The tan as a green-ish tinge to it, yes, you don't end up looking like you've been tango'ed, but you do look like you've spent a few hours down a mine shaft. I refuse to think this tan gives you a 'sun-kissed' look and gives you more of a dirty look. It also clung to unwanted areas, making it look like I had a moustache. After I jumped in the shower to wash off the top layer, I was left looking back to my normal pasty self. Hardly a 'weekly tan' in my opinion.
Some people really like this tan, but unfortunately it isn't for me.
Rating: 1/5
St Moriz Instant Tanning Mousse DARK
Rather than doing two seperate reviews on both of these St Moriz tans, I figured that I would combine them into one. The only difference between the two is that one tan is a medium shade and the other is dark. Both products are a mousse formula providing an easy and streak-free application. St Moriz however does have the tell-tale fake tan scent of biscuits. The scent isn't overpowering, but it is there.
St Moriz retails at £2.99 in the shops, and for that price, you can't really complain. St Moriz has been compared to St Tropez, and it's no surprise why. It provides you with instant colour, is easy to apply and is long lasting.
Rating: 4/5
When it comes to weekly tans, St Tropez has always lived up to my tanning expectations. It can be purchased from any local drugstore and also online here, usually retailing around the £20.00 mark (depending on where you buy it from) - this may seem expensive and St Tropez is a higher end fake tan brand. But, I can honestly say you do get what you pay for. The mousse formula ensures a fast drying and non-streak result. Out of all my fake tans, I feel that St Tropez is the fake tan which provides me with the most natural looking colour to match my own skin tone when I have been in the sun or on holiday.
I have always found St Tropez to be long lasting and best of all, has a very minimized 'fake tan' smell in comparison to other fake tans on the market.
Rating: 5/5
I recently purchased Solait Tinted Bronzing Foam after one of my friends recommended it to me. She always has lovely sunkissed looking skin, so I figured that it would be a great fake tan investment.
Solait is Superdrugs own brand and retails at £6.00. I think this is a good price for fake tan.
Solait reminds me of a mixture between St Moriz and St Tropez - easy to apply and streak free. The only downsides being that it is a rather orange colour, so take this into consideration when apply and don't get too 'Tan-happy' otherwise you may end up resembling a satsuma. Solait also has a really strong fake tan smell, which can be overpowering no matter how much perfume you apply.
Rating: 3/5
Palmers Cocoa Butter is without a doubt my favourite gradual tanning lotion. Perfect for applying daily and keeping your body moisturised with the sweet smelling fragrance of cocoa beans, it's no wonder why this is probably my most re-purchased moisturier. I've used gradual tanners in the past; Dove, Johnsons and Garnier, but they all just don't quite cut it. Especially the Garnier. That product is dangerous and I advise everybody to stay away from it. It serverly burned my skin causing an itchy rash and I am now left with scars.
I can't remember the exact price of Palmers Cocoa Butter, but is is roughly around the £5 mark and can be purchased from your local drugstore.
Rating: 5/5
I hope this post has been of help to any of you who are looking to try out a new fake tan. What are your favourite fake tans? I'd love to hear about them. And also, are your opinions on the fake tans I've listed different to what I think about them.
Tell me all about it in the comments below..
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