It’s safe to say that fake tan and I, don’t usually get along. Although I can usually achieve something fairly natural looking, the process itself is such a palaver that I’d rather stick to my natural, ‘English rose’ skin tone. Even if pale is ‘pale and boring’. The whole ordeal usually takes me a good 3 hours, ruins my white bedsheets and several towels and on one occasion, left me in tears. Yes, really. It was the night before prom and it’s a story I can’t even go into without feeling stressed.
Anyway, I think you get the idea – self tanning isn’t something that I’ve managed to seamlessly incorporate into my daily life – much to the despair of my summer wardrobe, which I’m sure would look much better with a slight olive glow.
I’ve been trying to find something that I could use on a daily basis, that provides the same results without the fear of staining every object you brush past or losing your mind when it comes to ensuring you’re streak free. And I think I may have found it. Introducing, Selfie Tan – the pretty much brand new range which has already been picked up by Asos – and is making waves among the blogosphere. It’s biscuit-smell free (in fact, they have a patented formula which means you won’t go to bed with that tell-tale fake tan scent) and it’s super easy to use. Oh, and it’s mega affordable too!
With a rather special event in the pipeline (oh so allusive, read on to find out more), I knew I needed to get my act together and start working on topping up my tan – so I began with the Tan’n Go Sunless Spray – a marvellous little invention which means you literally spray colour on for immediate bronzing! It sounds a bit scary but if you stand in the shower (and make sure the surfaces around you are fully wipe-down-able) then it’s absolutely fine. You can do your entire body, super easily, within 5 minutes. And despite my novice tendencies, I pretty much got off streak-free (minus one on the back of my legs, which I’d simply forgotten to spritz because I got carried away with how instantly the front of them changed to a golden brown). It dries very quickly, so you can get dressed again within 5-10 minutes (maybe even sooner if you’re wearing black) and it lasts upto 7 days. This is the kind of bronzing I can jump on board with!
A few days prior to the event, I knew my tan needed a bit of a top up – however in a bid to not recreate the prom saga, I wanted to go for something relatively commitment free. I.e: if it all went horribly wrong, it wouldn’t be too drastic. So, I opted for the Tan’n Go Gradual Tanner, whose USP’s I’m sure you’re all familiar with. Selfie’s version have Vitamins A & E extracts, as well as Green Tea and Kola ingredients, which means that it’s super hydrating, as well as boosting your natural golden tan. Some gradual tanners tend to provide very subtle results, which I thought would be the case with this one – because upon first application, I didn’t notice any difference at all (if I’m being honest), however I persevered and applied it again the next morning, only to be greeted a few hours later with a lovely golden glow. It’s very natural (trust me, there’s nothing orange or ‘Essex’ about it) but obviously it can be built upon depending on how dark you like your tan to be.
In fact, all of the Selfie range is very versatile dependent on your tanning preferences. You can mix and match the products to create your perfect shade, all while maintaining it with ease. I think that’s the thing I love most about Selfie – the fact that you don’t need to do a full tanning sesh every week, because you can maintain a natural glow very simply. You might need to do a mousse or a spray once a month (if you, like me, prefer as natural as possible) but you can then just weave the maintenance into your daily routine – usually the gradual tanner (which doubles as a moisturiser) and then their Body Bronzer if you need a quick top up for a big event.
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This particular product in fact, was one that I trialled for that big event I mentioned previously. This event happened to be the BAFTA TV Awards, which I was incredibly excited about – but also slightly terrified! A full post on this will be coming very soon, but until then, I’ll leave you with a small snippet (and a quick picture) below. I wanted my tan to be very natural – but with a subtle glow, in keeping with the summery grecian theme to my red dress.
The Body Bronzer was the biggest saviour in this regards as it’s a wash off formula and can be applied before an event to give an instant glow. It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced before, because it looks very much like an exfoliator but the tiny beads actually burst upon contact with your skin, providing a beautiful, natural colour. It sounds like a bit of an odd concept (I’ll admit, I was initially cynical) but it works so well at leaving your skin silky smooth and glowing! A definite must-have in your travel luggage for any last minute top ups!
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I haven’t had time to try out the full range yet, but I’ve listed it (and photographed it) in case you fancy giving the other products a whirl yourself and letting me know what you think. I suppose depending on your tanning experience (I’m sure all of you will be far better than me) and your shade preferences, different products will suit but I personally loved the above and will continue to use these to maintain my colour up until my first holiday at the end of the month. I can’t wait to see some real sun, but until then – I’m keeping my tan selfie ready!
Selfie Instant Body Bronzer (£11.98)
Selfie 1 hour Express Bronzing Mousse Super Dark (£17.99)
Selfie 1 Hour Express Bronzing Mousse Medium Dark (£17.99)
Selfie Instant Facial Bronzing Wash Off Serum (£5.99)
Selfie Two Hour Tanning Lotion with Immediate Bronzers (£16.99)
Selfie Gradual Tanner with 24Hour Moisturizers (£12.99)
Selfie Two Hour Tanning Spray with Immediate Bronzers (£16.99)
The lovely ladies behind Selfie Tan have also kindly given me a gift box of the product range to give away to one of you! Beautifully wrapped in their signature blue tissue paper – with so many of their staple products to try, you’ll receive yours just in time for summer – so that you’ll be ready to swap the jeans for skirts! All you have to do to enter is use the widget below. There are so many ways to get involved, whether it’s over on Instagram – or following Selfie on Facebook! The winner will be announced on Twitter in 3 weeks time! Good luck!
Have you tried Selfie tan? Do you have any tanning tips?
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