Hi guys. I have never really been a fan of fake-tanning before because I find the process so laborious and time-consuming, plus most products that I have used have never lived up to my expectations. Either the end result is too light or too dark, or from time to time, patchy. However, I am a big fan of moisturisers like this one from Garnier, as it builds up a natural colour over time rather than you going from a milk bottle to a bronzed goddess overnight. This product is also a great alternative for beginners or fake tan novices, as it is less daunting to use and gives a more subtle finish. So today, I thought that I would do a little review of this product sharing what I think of it. Let's get started!
Garnier's Summer Body Moisturising Lotion is a mix between a body lotion and a gradual tanner which leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturised for over 12 hours. Summer Body comes in two shades so that it can cater for all different skin tones. The light lotion is suitable for those with pale to fair skin and claims to leave you with a light sunkissed look, whereas the darker version gives a deeper colour and is best suited to those with medium, olive or darker skin tones. The great thing about this product is that you can control how often you use it and therefore, you can control the end result too. Using the lotion for a day or two will enable you to get a noticeable colour and a healthy glow, or alternatively you can use the lotion for longer if you want to build up the intensity of the tan.
I opted for the lighter version as my skin tone is fair and even after one application, I got amazing results. My skin had a noticeable light tanned colour to it which was not overly orange (something that I know a lot of people worry about!) The colour was perfect for me and so I decided that I did not need to bother with a second application the following night! Although you would usually use your hands to apply lotion, I would suggest using a tanning mitt instead like you would if you were applying a proper fake tan product. Not only will this give you a much more even result, you will also avoid getting orange hands. The only thing you will need to bear in mind is that the lotion does go on clear, so take care not to miss any patches!
The other great thing about this product is that it does not have your typical fake tan smell, which can often have a 'biscuit-y' scent. Summer Body contains natural apricot extracts which means that the lotion is fruity and a lot more pleasant to apply than the likes of St Moritz and so on. Even though the moisturiser has a fast absorption and drying time, I still like to wait a little while before I get dressed just to be on the safe side. I usually apply this at night time too, so that I can then throw on some loose pyjamas to go to bed in. I have also applied this to my face (mixed in with a bit of my normal moisturiser) and have never encountered any problems whether it be clinging to dry patches or clogging up my pores/causing spots. I know that there are tanning products that particularly targeted to tanning your face but this method does the trick for me - and it's cheaper!
Overall, this is a great product to use if you want to gradually build up colour until you are happy with its intensity. It is both moisturising and simple to use, which means it is fuss free and does not take too long to apply. Plus, it smells divine so this lotion is an absolute winner in my books and I would highly recommend it! What do you think of this product? Have you tried it before? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!
Garnier Summer Body retails at around £5.10 for a 250ml bottle and is widely available from drugstores and supermarkets.
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!
