Fake Tan Review!

Hi guys!

I have wanted to write this post for some time now and finally getting around to it. It's a review on my fake tan "journey" and I say that because I am no expert on this topic because I absolutely hate the stuff and everything about it. So if you are thinking why I am even doing this post, you better read on ;)

I never used to wear fake tan and the first time ever that i tried it was when I was pregnant with my little girl over two years ago. Back then I tried out Cocoa Brown Tan and to be honest for someone who hates the stuff and in particular the smell of fake tan, that one wasn't the worst. It looked natural on my skin tone and it didn't have that stinky smell that I can't stand and I just kept on using it.

This time around I still had a bit of my natural tan from my holidays so all I was looking for was light gradual tan that would just give me a bit of a glow on top of my own tan.

These are the three products I tried.

1: Vita Liberata Self Tanning Gradual Lotion

This gradual tan turned out super dark on my skin, not what I expected at all and to be honest a bit too dark for my liking because it did not look natural and a bit orange. Even though it claims to be odourless free, this one was actually the worst out of the three I tried and if you are anything like me and hate that smell, I would stay clear of this product.

2: Tan Organic Self Tan Oil

I was super excited to try this one out as it was recommended by someone that really knows their stuff about false tan. I loved that all the ingredients were natural and organic and it also claimed to be smell free.

That was not the case, even though the colour turned out natural looking on my skin and wore off very well, it definitely had that horrible fake tan smell. My other issue was that it is a colourless oil so it's a bit messy on application and hard to see if you have missed any bit of your body. It's not a bad tan but I personally wouldn't use it again.

3: Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula

I use the body butter from this brand quite regularly and I love the smell so I was very keen to try out the gradual tanner. The first time I used this I put on a thin layer all over my body and the smell was as pleasant as the body butter and it made my skin super soft too. Even my partner who hates fake tan and everything about it commented saying that it smelled like melted chocolate. I for sure thought that this will be a winner. The next morning after having a shower there was no fake tan smell but the thin layer i put on was barely visible on my skin which made me feel a bit disappointed. The second time I used it I didn't hold back and lashed it on all over my body which then resulted in a strong fake tan smell the next day.

All these three products in my opinion are pretty good for someone that the smell of fake tan does not bother and maybe for someone that has a good bit of experience in using different types of products all the time. They are all priced very reasonably and can be bought in most pharmacies nationwide.

For me the most important step to fake tan is skin prep. I think if your skin isn't well exfoliated and clean, even if you wear the best most expensive fake tan available, it will look bad and no one wants that.

I use this Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff scrub a couple of days prior to applying fake tan and honestly, I think its the best product to get rid of any dead skin, fake tan leftovers and dirt off your skin. It also smells divine, I literally want to eat it. This product is the perfect prep for perfectly fake tanned skin.

In between I also use this Sanctuary Spa Body Scrub as it is less rough on the skin and gives a more gentle exfoliation that can be used every day.

After fully prepping my skin, I am back using the only fake tan that I love, the Cocoa Brown dark shade. I apply it using the velvet mitt evenly on to my whole body, throw on some jammies and leave it on over night (around 12 hours). I know it says it develops in 1 hour or can be left on for up to three hours but unless you like very light colour, I would recommend to leave it on longer. After washing it off in the morning it looks natural, not one bit streaky and most importantly, not one bit stinky.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope that there is more girls like me that hates the fake tan smell and I am not the only one.

Love E x