Spring Series: Tanning!

We're back with our last but one installment in our Spring Series.

We've already covered fitness, hands, feet, facal skincare and body care.

This weeks topic is tanning, and I will be referring back to Pinterest for the obligatory pictures of tanned and toned bodies.

 

So that's enough to get me laying off the pizza for a few hours...

As we all know tanning can help to make your skin appear more uniform, hide scars and make you look more toned and slimmer. As far as I'm concerned this is a pretty damn good thing so I try and do this every time I go out (which sadly is getting a more rare occasion!).

To do this I normally have been keeping up with my scrub and moisturise routine so my skin is in good condition.

Then I start with a few days tanning 'prep' by using Dove tanning moisturiser.

I find that I'm so pale I need a few layers of this to get my skin to a relatively normal colour.

After this when my skin is super moisturised and a few shades darker than it was before, my first choice for application would be Vita Liberata's Extra Rich Silken Chocolate lotion which I have previously posted about.

I just haven't found anything else like it that is so easy to apply, gives a great even colour and fades more evenly than anything else also. It's a lotion in a pump that seems to last such a long time before you need to buy another, I'm a huge fan!

Having said that, if you're looking for a mousse option I am a fan of St Tropez's mousse which is great for your weekend tan as well. It's easy to rub in and control how much you're applying for an even colour.

If you're looking for a spray option then I recommend Garnier's Ambre Solaire which is also a great budget buy and always on offer. It dries pretty quickly but I do recommend covering your flooring before hand, don't cover your blue carpet and make it a brown colour like I did.....

I like to make sure my tan is done before the day it needs to be done so I can apply some sort of shimmery stuff but this isn't always possible and i find they don't mix together too well!

So as for wash off tans, I absolutely love Rimmel's Sun Shimmer Instant Tan range. There's everything you want from a mousse to a lotion for some instant even colour. 

After this I do like to apply some shimmer to the middles of my limbs and collar bones.

Mixing High Beam with your facial moisturiser can be really good to apply to your collarbones and chest area.

I find a spray such as Soap and Glory's Easy Glistening super easy to use as you can just hold it a fair distance away for a sheen and closer for a heavier coating. It's made from almond oil so its more of a dry oil and gives a subtle sheen which I prefer to an all over glitter look!

What are your favourite tanning products?? Do you prefer mousse or lotions or sprays?

L xxx

I'm naturally very pale, if I'm not the palest shade in a foundation it's a surprise. Being naturally blonde I have very freckly skin too so during the summer I get a little tan if I sunbathe but my skin doesn't tan particularly well (50 degree sun in Ibiza and I still came back with white legs despite using factor 8 on them, it's like they repel the sun).

I love fake tan. I've mentioned before I'm naturally very pear shaped, hello huge bum, this does mean I have cellulite towards the top of my thighs which never looks great with a dress. I always tan for a night out as it does help improve the appearance, and I prefer the way I look with a tan.

I'm like L and start with a good exfoliation (favouring Next Spa scrub or a Soap and Glory one) followed by  lots of moisturiser and shaving 24 hours prior to tanning.

My tastes in tan has changed over the past 18 months. It started with me absolutely loving Fake Bake Mouse. It gave an even colour, was a reasonable price and was easy to apply.

After trying a sample set of St Tropez lotion I was totally converted to lotions. I find they are so much easier and I think they last longer so are therefore better for value. I loved St Tropez but as I'm so pale I was finding I needed to apply it for 2 or 3 days in a row to get a good colour pay off from it after washing off. The other thing with St Tropez was that it has the typical fake tan smell. Which results in my Other Half complaining I stink.

After much deliberation I decided to try Lauren's Way. Something about celebrity endorsed products always puts me off and makes me doubt how good they are. This product received so many rave reviews I wondered if it could be that good. Plus lets face it Lauren has sported more than one bad orange tan and no one wants that look. I ordered the darker than dark lotion.

Firstly if you are pale don't be worried about darker than dark. It gives a gorgeous natural glow, it's green tinged before being washed off which does help it not turn orange. Another bonus it doesn't smell typical fake tan straight away. I find when it's developed it does have a slight smell but nothing as bad.

Overall I love this tan. It's even colour, gives a great colour pay off after one application, smells better than others and is cheaper than St Tropez.

My favourite tan at the moment is Glo Tan Tan in a Can. Since receiving this product it has now been released for public sale and the packaging looks a lot better. Much more sleek.

I'm so glad we were lucky enough to try this (original review here), I've been totally converted. My can has now done three full body applications and still has around half left. It gives the most natural result (once you've mastered application which I had by the second attempt). Due to being a spray it gives a light coating all over the skin so no streaks are left. I tend to use a clean mitt and slightly buff it in. I do still think it's harder to apply than other tans but for me I wouldn't use any others now.

I favour Glo Tan over others still because with this I can tan on a Friday night and wake up on Saturday with a good colour. Other tans require two coats on my pale skin. It also really doesn't smell. I find other tans that claim not to smell do after they've developed. Literally can't say enough positive things about this tan. It is slightly more expensive at £26. But it does last a long time.

In 18 months I've gone from mouse to liquid to spray. What's your favourite tan? Will you pay more for a better product?

Love M

xxx

Review: Glo Tan Tan in a Can

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to be sent a can of Glo Tanz Tan in a Can*.

This is a new style of fake tan which isn't in an aerosol, and you do not need to shake it before use.

Both of us are regular self tan users, being naturally pale if we plan a night out we spend around a week before preparing tan. It seems to take us both a good few coats to build up tan onto our skins. It's fair to say we've both tried a fair few of the ones on the market at the moment. L's favourite currently being Vita Liberata and M's being Lauren's Way Darker than Dark.

This was a tan that appealed to both of us after reading the press release on it. It's paraben free, alcohol free, environmentally friendly and not tested on animals. It also boasts to be fast drying, non sticky and to have a light tropical fragrance. 

The can has a list of instructions that are important to follow. This tan is really not like any spray tan I've ever used. I think it may be due to the fact it's a non aerosol can. There is definitely a temptation to shake the can but it really is best not to. With spray tans usually you layer them on and spray over an area a few times. This isn't the case with this tan. If you do you'll end up with this.

L and I both ended up with results like this the first time. We wondered if we were doing something wrong with the tan. I washed it off straight away and stepped away from the tan. The first time I used it I found it quite difficult. It's hard to go against what you normally do and only spray over each area once. The product is a really fine mist and does disperse onto the skin pretty much by itself. 

After my first attempt I'd emailed the company and asked for some advice. The next day I reapplied it all over as L and I were off to fashion week and I wanted a tan. I was so surprised by the different result I achieved. This tan will last ages as you really use so little when you apply it. This time I held the can basically as far away from my body as my arm would let me. I found this gave the best even application. I lightly sprayed each body part and was careful not to spray the same area twice.

Pre tan skin colour in natural light. 

I had a few dark spots on my stomach so lightly dabbed these with a tanning mit. I did find that even though it didn't look fully even when applied I was surprised as it dried it evened out and I was left with a gorgeous colour.

Immediately after application  in natural light.

As you can see it doesn't look that even but once dried it's amazing. It's feels really light on the skin and is really quick drying. I find on my skin it needs to be left at least 4 hours before washing it off. I tend to leave it over night. (don't do this on white sheets, I've now learnt)

once washed off in the bathroom light.

As the photo shows and when compared with my skin above you can see the glow it gives. I found this tan unlike any others I have used so it was hard to get used to but since the second time I have done 3 full body applications and the can still feels reasonably full.

A few tips

• Don't shake the can
• Apply a sheet a double sheet (one you don't mind ruining) down where you apply it. 
• As it's a fine mist it does disperse far hence the sheet but it gives it an amazing finish
• Apply with socks on. As the tan go everywhere the first time I ended up with dark feet. Now I wear trainer socks then apply tan to them last
• Put vaseline on spot scars and brows
• Only spray each area once. Tan can be built up over a few days
• Keep a tanning mit near by and dab if necessary

I'm now converted. The tan is messy but the results are worth it. When slept in the tan I'm left with a gorgeous even colour (I've had no streaks yet) that lasts around 4 days all over and then leaves a glow for up to 7. I absolutely love that it DIDN'T smell of biscuits!!!! How amazing. I find some that don't smell on application start to smell as it develops. Not with this one. I noticed a slight tan smell the next day but nothing that all other tans have left.

This also makes a great face tan. Where it is fast drying and a light mist it doesn't break me out. It's handy being able to use the same face and body tan. 

Overall it's an effort the first time you apply it but great afterwards and I've used it a good few times now. It does take getting used to but it's really worth it for the colour you get an how long it lasts. 

Love M

xxx

My first attempt at using this was admittedly a disaster. 

I got into my shower as it was the easiest place to spray tan onto me without making a mess.

However a shower cubicle provided the first problem, you need to hold the can a bigger distance from your skin than I ever have with other tans and my shower cubicle simply wasn't big enough for me to hold the can far enough without it running down my legs!

The tan feels quite wet and so you definitely need to hold it far away to allow the spray to settle onto your skin without running and leaving patches.

After my first attempt I was a little put off, but tried it again by getting into my bath and trying it again.

This was much more successful as there was much more space, though a little more scary as the dark coloured tan looked black against the white bath tub!

The effort to apply the tan was well worth it though as the colour is very natural and lasted a good few days.

I think as we are used to shaking a can, applying it and rubbing it in it took a few goes to get the technique right but the outcome was worth it.

I will definitely be using this again for the colour that it produced.

L xxx

This is a new product that is currently being prepared for sale by a company who previously only dealt with professional air brush tan. It can now be purchased for £26.39. 

This was a PR sample but both of our opinions were honest