Anybody else just feel a little better with a tan? That little bit of extra colour somehow makes me feel 10x better about myself, and so I decided to embark on a task to find the best fake tan on the market. I'm pretty pale and don't tan very easily (the process usually goes: burn, peel, pale again) and so in order to achieve any kind of colour to my skin, I turn to the bottle (I suppose it's also better for my skin than the aforementioned burning process).
The first fake tan in the series I tested out was the Garnier Summer Body Moisturising Lotion in Deep. I was drawn to this as it was; a) cheap, and b) a 2-in-1 tanning/moisturising job, and anything that makes my skin prep easier and less time-consuming is appealing to me. The bottle promised 12-hour moisturisation thanks to apricot extracts and a buildable, natural-looking tan that deepens after every use. For some reason, my crazy ass purchased the Dark in the hope that the 'buildable' status would give me greater control of how deep I want the tan to develop. I had high hopes for this little bargain, so here's how I got on:
The first fake tan in the series I tested out was the Garnier Summer Body Moisturising Lotion in Deep. I was drawn to this as it was; a) cheap, and b) a 2-in-1 tanning/moisturising job, and anything that makes my skin prep easier and less time-consuming is appealing to me. The bottle promised 12-hour moisturisation thanks to apricot extracts and a buildable, natural-looking tan that deepens after every use. For some reason, my crazy ass purchased the Dark in the hope that the 'buildable' status would give me greater control of how deep I want the tan to develop. I had high hopes for this little bargain, so here's how I got on:
Day One
Tan applied before bed. Looks just like a white moisturiser with a bit of a fruity scent as opposed to a coconut one a lot of fake tans smell like to begin with. Feels like a heavy duty moisturiser all over my skin. Left to dry (aka danced around the house naked) for about 10 minutes before dressing in loose PJs and getting into bed. Decided to apply overnight as I was conscious of a fake-tan smell developing throughout the day and being unable to do anything about it whilst stuck at work etc.
Day Two
Woke up to a STRONG fake tan smell. Will definitely have to wash the bedding. Skin feels soft and moisturised. Tan evenly distributed. A little patchy at my ankles where my PJs have ridden up and my legs have rubbed together and smudged. Mental note to give a greater dry-down time and/or apply less and make sure it's really sunk into the skin. Overall, healthy-looking glow and really soft skin. I don't think you'd even have to exfoliate properly before using as it doesn't sink into your pores like other tans do and leave a weird dotty effect across your skin. Showered twice to get rid of the smell with a fresh shower gel and body scrub. Applied again in the evening before bed. Used less product and sat around for about an hour before bed.
Day Three
Have combated the streaks on my ankles! Celebrate with yet another shower and put bedding in the washing machine (woo, fresh sheets!). Again, feel really moisturised and tan is even and glowy. Had to have a second shower before the event I tanned for and used a coconut moisturiser afterwards to combat the smell. Did a decent job overall but if you get too close, the inevitable smell of biscuits is definitely there. Boyfriend says it's not an unpleasant smell. Coconut and biscuits: can't complain.
Final Thoughts
In the words of Jeffree Star, let's get down to my final thoughts. Overall, the Garnier Summer Body Lotion is easy to use (even for a novice like myself) and leaves a really pretty glow to the skin (thanks Apricot!). I like the finish of this lotion a lot because it almost has a smoothing effect on the skin? The tan lasted about 3-4 days after the last usage (in which I mean I'd still get my legs out cause they didn't look patchy), although I finally managed to get all remains of tan from my skin about a week after the last usage. With the right exfoliating/moisturisng schedule, it probably wouldn't go as patchy, although the inner elbows are always a bugger for flaking. Although I used the Dark lotion, I wouldn't say the shade was too deep for me, although any more than two uses would probably have just tipped the scale. I love that you can control how deep you want the tan to develop and the smell is actually not too bad compared to a lot of other options on the market. Plus, a little goes a long way so the bottle will last you ages, especially if you only tan for occasions like I do. The only downside is the upkeep. Two whole days of fake-tan bedding and a toss-free night due to streak-paranoia is quite a lot of maintenance for me, but instant tan doesn't last as long and will streak if it rains/you spill a drink (I'm clumsy) so it was worth it in the end and I'll definitely be using it again.
Where to Buy?
Superdrug - £4.95 for 400ml
Boots - £6.49 for 250ml
(Home Bargains also sell it dirt cheap but unfortunately, it's not online)