Although we may be experiencing a rare heatwave currently, my self tanning products are still very much in action (especially since I have a rather unfortunate hand print tan line which I need to cover up – more on that later). In fact, now that my wardrobe consists of summer dresses and shorts, I’m going to be needing that tan even more so. Last year, I did a little summary of my favourite tanning products (see here), but a year makes a whole lot of difference and with new, innovative products being brought out every month, this year’s pick is slightly different.
Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 week tan (in Dark)
I was given a sample of this at an event I attended months ago, and with a shelf full of tanning products – it remained largely forgotten, until someone mentioned how much they wanted to try it out on Twitter. Curiosity got the better of me, and so with an afternoon free – I decided to give it a go. Claiming to be the only (or one of the only) long lasting tans, with a 2-3 week lasting period, the ‘non-streak’, ‘no smell’ ‘easy to apply’ formula seems to have everything you could possibly want in a fake tan. Whilst there are many tanning products I stay loyal too, the one problem I do find is that they fade very quickly – which is fine if you are attending an event, but not if you want it to last your entire 2 week holiday.
With a mousse texture, this is indeed very easy to apply, gliding softly and smoothly onto skin and blending into your natural skin tone. It doesn’t look too harsh or too orange (despite being ‘dark’) and immediately, you can see a natural golden glow starting to develop. Unfortunately (I’m only being honestly), the ‘no smells’ claim doesn’t uphold as I am currently sitting at my desk stinking of burnt sausage and BBQ’s (yes really, but at least it’s a summer appropriate scent) however the rest of the claims I cannot fault.
With regards to the lasting aspect of the tan, I think 3 weeks is a little ambitious (especially if you’re showering daily, and applying and re-applying suncream regularly) but it definitely lasts much much longer than my loyal favourites and doesn’t peel away gradually (leaving you patchy) but fades gently, which I have to admit – is much more flattering. Overall, it’s a fantastic product – a shame about the smell, but it is smooth, long lasting and soft. Everything you could want in a self tanning product.
This tan is very different to other products I’ve previously tried, because not only does it leave you smelling rather nice (so nice in fact, that I got a little carried away when sniffing it and ended up with a dollop of it on the end of my nose – luckily, I managed to wipe this off quickly enough not to be left with a brown tipped nose) but it’s also very creamy and light in texture and colour, meaning you don’t feel like you’re caking yourself in chocolate whilst applying, more so that you’re rubbing a soft moisturizer into your skin (a far more pleasurable experience). The colour itself develops over a one hour period – to a lovely warm, bronzed glow that can only be described as ‘a week in the Caribbean’. What more could you want?
The scent is a really gorgeous fragrant floral scent, far more pleasant than the usual biscuit (or see above – burnt sausage) odor, and the tan itself lasts several days before showing signs of fading. Ideal for applying before your holiday (you need a little headstart – and you can still tan through fake tan), it gives the perfect pre-summer (or post-summer) boost, both in terms of colour and radiance.
Overall, I am really impressed with this product – having never before been complimented on how nice I smell wearing a fake tan, in addition to the results. I know Cocoa Brown has a few celebrity fans already, but I can assure you – it won’t be long before everyone is trying to get their hands on a bottle!
St Moriz is one of my loyal favourites. It’s cheap, it’s cheerful and it provides gorgeous year-round coverage. It’s a mousse formula, so extremely easy to apply – the only slight downside is it only lasts a few days (sometimes less) and it’s a little stinky. Sold in Wilkinsons stores up and down the country, if you haven’t yet got your hands on a bottle, then it’s definitely worth a try (and if you don’t like it – which is highly doubtful – it’s only £3, so you haven’t wasted much). I’m not going to write a lengthy review of this, as I’ve expressed time and time again how much I love St Moriz (and you’re probably all sick of me going on about it), but I can assure you that it is a self-tanning shelf must have!
Palmer’s is one of my all time favourite brands, primarily (I won’t lie) because of the gorgeous cocoa butter scent that each one of their products maintains, but also because of how soft and silky it leaves your skin feeling. With a little hint of fake tan in, you can build up a very subtle, but golden tan. During the summer months, when you’re building up your perfect glowing tan, this is ideal to put on every night – not only to act as a moisturizing after-sun, but also to boost your skin’s natural tan and give some added shimmer for the evening. If you haven’t yet tried it, it’s an absolute must have!