Gradual Tans And Routine

Summer is fast approaching and with the recent sunny weather we've had in the UK I thought today's post should be on fake tans. I'm going to mention some gradual tans I've recently purchased as well as my previous tanning experiences and how I maintain my tan.


So my previous fake tan was the St. Moriz instant tanning mousse in medium. This is a really inexpensive product at £4.99 (Boots) but works really well. I know this product comes across as cheap but prior to this tan I used St Tropez mousse however this product has a lot of green pigment in which made me look a very bizarre colour. The St. Moriz mousse however is the perfect balance, you don't end up looking orange or green. This tan is good for a solid colour but will only last you a day or so until the colour starts rubbing off in places such as inside your elbow. My trick for applying this tan though is apply it the day before you are going out (preferably the evening), wear old long pyjamas and go to bed. When you wake up in the morning you will look very very dark but then go for a shower and your tan will come out lighter and incredibly even. I'm not going to lie this tan doesn't smell great but it does give you a deep even tan if you follow my steps. If you want a
high end tan though I would recommend St Tropez Bronzing Lotion (I wear this on special occasions).


Recently I went looking for a long wear tan. I thought straight away a gradual tan as I could build this up before my holiday. The only gradual tan I had used before was the Johnson's Holiday Skin but the smell of this tan is so bad and works slowly. Therefore I purchased two gradual tans to test them out. The first one is Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze by Marissa Carter.

This tan was such a good purchase! I will admit this tan does have that developer smell but it is very good as a gradual tan due to the rate at which it develops. Within a few hours you can already see the tan working! This tan is a lotion but unlike any other gradual tan because the lotion isn't white, it comes out a coffee shade. This is helpful when applying because you can already see where the tan has been. I'd really recommend this tan as it's a mix between a gradual and an instant tan. It also gives you the perfect glowing shade like the St Moriz, not too green, not too orange. If it couldn't get any better it's only around £6 at Superdrug. They have such a good range of the Cocoa Brown products in there too. I really want to try their 'Tough Stuff' tan remover for when my tan isn't wearing off naturally and leaves marks. 

The second gradual tan I bought was by Dove. I know a lot of people use this tan as it's not dissimilar to the Johnson's Holiday Skin however I much prefer this product, it smells like apricots, very fresh and sweet. I've also been applying this product to my face unlike the Gentle Bronze as I know it's a lot softer, this is so I don't have to apply foundation every single day to look all one colour. It's also a great tan for people with fairer skin like myself, this is because it can be built up. I think it would also be a great first tan. I've been using the shade medium/dark as I never find the light/medium tans to be effective however they would be good for very very fair skin.  My favorite thing about the product however is how smooth and easy it is to apply. This tan is only £4.99 at Boots and the bottle really does go a long way.

I usually mix both the Cocoa Brown and Dove tan together to get the best of both. Dove's amazing smell and feel on the skin with Cocoa Brown's intense, easy to apply and quick colour. In combination they give me a really deep, long lasting tan. This is why I'm going to continue using them as they work perfectly for me and I shall continue to do so until my holiday in June and probably after when I need to top up my natural tan.

Moving onto my routine, I like to tan every 3 days. This may seem excessive but after the third day of tanning the colour does start to fade in different areas so in the morning I'll have a shower or bath and exfoliate my body gently with Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush Body Wash that's priced at £6.50 (boots). I cannot explain how amazing this smells, you seriously have to go and smell it next time you're in Boots, it reminds me of the chocolate lime sweets. Then after my shower I'll use the Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion to prepare my skin for tanning. I'll also use it through the next few days to maintain my tan and keep my skin hydrated. Then before bed after the body lotion has had all day to sink in I apply both gradual tans, wear old pyjamas as I did with St Moriz, and go to sleep. I'll then repeat the first step in the morning and have an incredibly even tan.

I hope this has been useful for preparing for summer!

Emma x