Rimmel London's Sun Shimmer Instant Tan 9-in-1 BB Perfector

Hi guys. Now that spring and summer are fast approaching here in the UK, it's time to whip out our skirts and dresses and embrace this wonderful change in weather. However, after hiding away our bodies during the majority of winter, we are probably all a little bit on the pasty side - unless you are a religious fake tanner all year round! After noticing my own paleness ahead of a girls night out, I decided to quickly nip into my local Boots in search of an instant fake tan that didn't break the bank. This is when I came across Rimmel London's Sun Shimmer Instant Tan 9-in-1 BB Perfector (£6.99) and I was intrigued to say the least. Of course we have all heard of BB creams for our faces by now but the thought of a BB body product excited me a lot!

Rimmel claim that this is a 9-in-1 product that softens, smoothes, moisturises, gives an instant tan, creates a healthy looking glow, evens out your skin tone, covers, perfects and lasts up to 24 hours. Now, that is an awfully big list of promises to make but I really do think that it does most of those things pretty well! This new product comes in two shades; Light Matte and Medium Matte. On the back of the packaging is a little table that tells you the intensity and the desired look that you can achieve with both shades. The light version has an intensity level of 1 that gives you a natural sunkissed look, whereas the medium has an intensity level of 2 that achieves a healthy bronzed glow.

I decided to opt for the light version as I didn't want to go too over the top. That night, my friend whom I was going out with helped me apply the product using a tanning mitt. You could use your hands if you prefer, although a tanning mitt does tend to give a nicer, more even finish. Seeing as using this product was a last minute decision on my behalf, I did not have the time to exfoliate and moisturise like I usually would before applying any type of tanning product. However, the creamy and thick texture of the lotion meant that it did not cling on to any dry patches of skin and it glided on seamlessly! With that being said, as well as the two instant tan shades, the brand have also brought out a Sun Shimmer Pre Tan Exfoliator (£3.99) which could come in handy, though any body scrub or exfoliator (or even exfoliating gloves) would do the trick.

All in all, the end result was lovely! Just like Rimmel claimed on the packaging, I got an instant tan that made me look super healthy and that evened out my skin tone, whilst being moisturising and softening at the same time. I am very glad that I decided to go for the light version as the finish was much darker than I first anticipated, meaning that I had to bronze up my face a lot in order for it to match my body - though that was to be expected! The only thing I would say that I do not think that this formula does last for up to 24 hours, although it is still very long wearing and it lasted extremely well seeing as I was in a clubbing environment. The next day, all I had to do to remove the product was simply use a loofah and some shower gel and viola, it was gone!

Unfortunately, no matter I did with my camera, I was not able to get a good swatch of the tan on my hand before and after application, so I have included this photo of me and my friends before we went out instead. I am on the far right and as you can see, despite being a light tan, the outcome was very dark. My friend (far left) uses St Moriz's Dark Mousse Tan (£4.99) and we both look similar in colour here! I'm not sure if I applied the tan a little too thick, so I might try and be really stingy with the amount of product next time to see if I can achieve a more natural look.

Overall, this new Sun Shimmer product has definitely impressed me and I have a feeling I am going to be using it a lot from now on! Have you tried this product yet? What do you think of it? Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below. Thank you!