That Summer Glow – Faking It!

Being a red head, I unsurprisingly have quite pale skin so tanning naturally is something that does not happen easily but now that summer is approaching I’d like to get a bit of a tan. I don’t think I’d ever use a sunbed – I’ve heard too many horror stories and sitting in the sun (wearing factor 50 of course) doesn’t really do much, so I’m left with tanning products. I’ve used two relatively new products recently to help achieve a bit of a summer glow and I’ve not been disappointed…

Body:

No7 Perfectly Bronzed Quick Dry Tinted Mousse:

I saw this in the May/June issue of Boots Health & Beauty magazine before it launched in stores on 14^th May, so I waited until this was available and got a bottle last weekend.

What They Say:

It’s a lightweight mousse which gives your skin a natural glow without the risks of tell-tale streaks or fake tan smell. The mousse glides on effortlessly to provide an instant hit of colour and within 3-5 hours, develops into a natural looking tan.

What I Say:

I love this – it does exactly what it says on the bottle! It is a really lightweight mousse and gave a good amount of colour when first applied before developing slightly more after a couple of hours. I had no streaks and there was no smell! – I didn’t believe when it said on the bottle that there was no fake tan smell, there always is but with this there was nothing.

I prepped skin first by exfoliating with No7 Microdermabrasion Body Exfoliator (which is also really good too, by the way) and then applied a thin layer of moisturiser a couple of hours before applying the tan with a mitt. It did ‘glide’ on really easily and instantly gave a nice, natural colour. I washed off after a couple of hours and most of it did come off leaving just a hint of colour, so I think if you wanted a longer lasting tan, you’d need to apply it for a few consecutive days to allow it to build up. It’s great for a nice instant natural colour though and has no fake tan smell – I definitely recommend!

Face:

Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster:

I also saw this in the Boots magazine and thought it was really clever how it is just mixed with moisturiser to provide an instant glow, it also allows for a customised tan as you can choose how many drops of oil you add.

What They Say:

A natural formula that provides all the benefits of a self-tanner without the drawbacks! Its high-precision dosage works with any day or night cream to deliver made-to-measure results. Simply add 1, 2 or 3 drops to your daily moisturiser and apply to your face in the normal manner.

What I Say:

I mixed just one drop with my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser as I didn’t want to go too dark and instantly I had a really natural looking glow – perfect for summer. It’s not like using fake tan at all – it doesn’t make you orange and like the No7 Mousse, it doesn’t have a fake tan smell.

It is quite expensive at £18 a bottle (which is also smaller than I expected too), however if you’re only using 1-2 drops every couple of days then it should last quite a long time. I’m really glad I tried it and think it will be perfect for when I go on holiday this summer to build up a bit of a tan before I even go. I managed to get my bottle online from Debenhams but they along with Boots.com seem to be sold out for now. It’s a great alternative to foundation or tinted moisturiser as it’s not heavy on the skin being that it’s just basically using your normal moisturiser.

I really like both of these products and they’re great for achieving a natural glow, I absolutely would buy them both again!