When people say Summer, we mostly think about the sea, lots of outdoor activities and of course a tan! I am not a fan of tanning (because my maximum is not so great - I get maybe two shades darker). And well the sun is still pretty dangerous. I'd rather be white as a wall (it's a saying here) than have a wonderful tan and risk getting cancer.
But lucky for me and all those that would still love to be tanned - we can get sunlessly tanned!
It's easy - it's actually tan in a bottle. And we all know that there are many brands to self-tanners out there.
That's why I decided to review this self-tanner from St.Tropez that was so kindly sent to me from Notino.
St. Tropez Extra Dark Mousse Self Tan
I tried self-tanning a couple of times in my life. I think it was exactly three times. The first try was 10 years ago with a gradual tanner, then next it was last year when I tried the Fake Bake brand which went Okay, but washed off pretty quickly and now with the St.Tropez tanner.
I picked the darkest shade because I was curious how deep it would develop on my skin. I mean, I'm really pale. I avoid the sun and I never tan.
- ensures an intensive tanned effect
- evens skin tone
- easily spread and absorbed
- leaves no residue
- long-lasting effect
It comes in a pump bottle - it's really easy to use. One pump should cover quite a bit of skin.
The mousse is deeply coloured so you can always see where you're applying it.
I used the Prep & Maintain mitten for application because oops, I didn't know that there was a different kind of glove for application. Oh well!
It worked fine but it did feel a bit rough on the skin. Nothing too bad, but not completely smooth. Tho it did help with the application - it really got the than in there.
I may get a "real" application mitten but so far I like it this way. It's still really simple to apply - put a latex glove, put the mitten on and apply circularly from ankles upwards. Cover everything. Ta-da!
For this review, I used the tanner two times - the first time I did no special preparation. I left it on for 4 hours before I washed it off. I had the tan about 6 days before it vanished.
For the second application, I also did no special preparation. I left the tanner on overnight - 8 hours. Then I washed it off. It washed off in 8 days.
Shake before use. Apply an appropriate amount of the product to skin all over the body. Work in thoroughly and evenly.
FIRST APPLICATION - 4 HOURS
I took a shower and used a bit of body lotion the day before. On the day of the application, I actually didn't do anything. I just slathered on the self-tan and called it a day. I was trying to "be free" and walk in the nude for that one hour when the tanner is still a bit sticky - to no success. I can't stay still or do nothing for an hour. So after 15 minutes I gave up and dressed.
I got some stains on my shorts but that was it. My tan wasn't any less even because of that.
I washed the tanner after 4 hours. The scent was at first very perfumey but after 2 hours it developed to the all dreaded DHA scent. Some people don't smell it, on some people it doesn't even develop but on me it does. I smell like burned cookies!
Once I washed the mousse off, my tan looked amazingly natural! It looked like my most tanned skin ever looked like. Perfection! I loved it!
People noticed that I was a tad tanner but couldn't call it fake as it looked very natural. It also faded nicely. I usually shower daily as I sweat quite a lot.
It lasted for 6 days before it washed off.
I didn't get any weird streaks and it made me want to try it again - this time for a longer period of time before I would wash it right off. That's why I decided to try it once more but this time leave it on for 8 hours.
SECOND APPLICATION - 8 HOURS
I did it all over again! But this time I decided to do it before bed. So I'd go sleep with it and hopefully, nothing would get dirty in the process.
I applied the tanner, did some stuff for about an hour (okay more like 30 minutes), got dressed for bed (a t-shirt) and called it a day. I could already smell the DHA developing but I didn't care. I needed my rest.
When I woke up in the morning I could smell myself (burned cookie) but that was pretty much gone once I took a shower. But just as last time I could notice the DHA scent right until the 3rd day (or 3rd shower). It is subtle and people next to me couldn't notice it, but I did since it was a change in a scent that I usually smell.
But the most important thing - I had an even tan! No streaks, no weird patches, nothing! I also realized that I should add some moisturizer to my ankles and where I got some blisters as that's a place where the tanner would stick to even more. My bed didn't get any marks and you couldn't tell that I was self-tanning before bed (okay, maybe you could by the smell?).
Anyway, this time people noticed my tan. As in ooh, you are tanned! YES! I AM! I loved it! The tan also faded nicely and this time it lasted a while longer - 10 days compared to 6.
When I didn't shower for 3 days (I was sick, don't judge me!), I noticed that the tan would get off a bit streaky, but with normal showers that won't happen.
Pros:
+ easy to use
+ has a nice scent (for 2h)
+ you decide what sort of tan you'd like - light (4h) or dark (8h)
+ fades evenly
+ I felt like a goddess while wearing it
Cons:
- hardly needs any preparation (maybe a shower?)
- on me it developed the burned cookie scent (DHA)
- expensive (25€)
As no everyone likes to use self-tanning mouses. For the ones who love to use a tanning bed, we also found a great guide on indoor tanning lotions.
Overall:
If you are a very light "princess" that normally never tans and are looking for a really deep tan - then this is the product for you. Sunless and harmless it develops in 4 to 8 hours and after it you have a nice, even tan. It is completely fuss-free and it just works. I wanted a tan that would look dark from the first use and I got exactly that. I am in love and would definitely recommend it.
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