Facial fake tan

As we all know, I am a great believer in my beloved Xen Tan Dark Lotion, in combination with the Sienna X aerosol mist for days when there is no one to tan my back. However, as I no longer get my face in the sun (SPF 50 and Sun Togs hat are always with me), I do have a bit of a brown-body-white-face situation and I looked to rectify this.

I am extremely careful what I put on my face. I only use active ingredients in their purest serum form and oil free, fragrance free products over the top. I therefore thought I probably shouldn't be using body tan on my face. I have used the Clarins Liquid Bronze tanner for years however as it gives quite a natural tan (compared to my body which goes very dark even with SPF 50 use), it has to be used repeatedly to give colour, and whilst this worked well, it also resulted in various blocked pores and comedones. I therefore avoided any gradual tanners as I do not want to have to apply a product daily to get a result when I already have a hefty skin care routine with very carefully chosen ingredients.

Therefore I looked for specific facial tanners with minimal ingredients and minimal oil.

I have tried A LOT for you. Prepare for some fairly hideous photos. Apologies in advance.

La Roche Posay Anthelios Self Tanner

I thought I would first of all see what one of my favourite skin care brands had to offer from their self tan. This comes in a large bottle as I believe it is meant for body, however good old La Roche Posay are famous for their no nonsense, non irritating forumlas so I was quite happy to use this on my face.

 As you can see, the result is VERY natural, and would only really pick up in darker lighting. I found the formula quite sticky and I definitely would not want to try applying make up over it. However, unlike a lot of self tanners, it does not have a guide tint so if you used a good primer you could apply make up over it without it affecting the shade until it developed.

Verdict:
Not for me. This would require multiple applications to get to the desired colour and I have way too many other skin care products I would rather use than fake tan.

Xen Tan Medium Dark Face Tanner Luxe

Whilst this is marketed as a gradual tanner, I purchased the medium/dark option so that it would give a strong enough result on one application.

The "light vanilla scent" is anything but light. My nurse could smell it from where she was sitting despite me wearing a mask. It is a lovely smell, but the level of fragrance that this product must contain to give said scent terrifies me. It does apply very nicely and leaves less of a sticky residue, however it does come with a guide colour which is slightly on the orange side. I would definitely recommend wearing make up over it as it is not a pleasant shade on its own.

See below

Clockwise from top left:
Before, during, after 1 application, after 2 applications

As you can see, the guide tan is quite dark and orange, it gave a good change in shade however it clung to my darker areas of pigmentation e.g. around my chin and mouth. You could definitely apply it avoiding these areas to give a nice result, or if you are blessed, apply all over.

Verdict:
Good colour however I woke up the following day with a huge spot and blocked pores so will categorically never use this again.

Hylamide Glow Booster

I did not even bother to take photos with this as it did absolutely nothing to my skin. It was a nice but slightly sticky serum but absolutely no tan occurred. If you were very pale this may work, and give a slight hint of colour. The best thing is that it does it without DHA which can be irritating on some skins.

Vita Liberata Invis Foaming Tan Water in Super Dark

This seemed to be the answer to my prayers.
1) Super dark so only one application needed
2) Virtually nasty and oil free
3) Light, foam texture
4) No transfer
5) No guide tan

HOWEVER this was without doubt the WORST tan I have ever used. It clung to every single patch on my face. I had zero dry patches but it clung to every area of pigmentation I posses, even the ones that do not even show up in sunlight. I have shown below the patchiness. I look furious/depressed because I was.

HIDEOUS.
I wouldn't even use this on my body.

I therefore thought I would try my Xen Tan Dark body lotion on my face and ta da, perfect results. I avoid any areas of pigmentation e.g. where my melasma is, and it blends evenly and perfectly after 1 application.

Conclusion

If you have perfect, evenly toned skin, I would go for one of the mousse tans or the xen tan face. If you are a human being and have any patches of pigmentation or dryness, I would stick with whatever your favourite body tanner is, and just use it as a one off.

My Summer Body Survival Kit

Following on from my SPF post, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss body skin health too!

These products are my fail, safe go-to, summer survival products .

Dirty Works Glow Girl Buttery Salt Scrub

Without getting anyone in trouble....this whole range seems to be a knock off of Soap and Glory. The scent is EXACTLY the same as some of the Soap and Glory range - especially the Hand Food hand cream. There are some pretty similar products too, at a fraction of the price!

This scrub is my absolute favourite. I have tried tens of body scrubs and they are either way too oily, not scrubby enough, or too expensive for something that rubs off dead skin and goes down the plug hole. This has little salt and pumice grains (no microbeads) in a carrier that is in no way oily. It is the perfect prep for fake tan unlike a lot of oily scrubs out there, as it does not leave a residue.
It also does not foam, which causes the opposite product of drying out the skin too much

This is a necessary before, during and after holiday to keep the tan looking fresh and avoiding the dreaded "skank tan". This atrocity can be seen on those who are so desperate to keep the tan they got on their yearly sun-baking-skin-leathering holiday, that they don't dare touch the tan in case it fades. This leads to the skin becoming dusty grey, wrinkled, dehydrated and at the slightest touch they turn to ash. Like someone has emptied a hoover onto their arms and rubbed it in. To me, this completely defeats the object of a holiday glow.

Body Fake Tans (facial tanners to follow soon in a new post!)

Xen Tan Dark Lotion

In my opinion, the best fake tan. Here's why

1. It is olive based (hence a slight greenish tint to the guide colour) so no orange legs
2. It wears AMAZINGLY well. It just fades gently rather than patching and leaving you looking like a tiger bread loaf from your local bakery
3. The solution is easy to apply. It gives a dark tan within 4 hours. Other products with the power to do this are usually in a mousse (very difficult to apply, hard to blend if you make a mistake, clings to dry patches) or a spray (very wasteful for large body parts)
4. The smell is bearable. Any fake tan that actually tans you, will end up smelling like fake tan as it develops. You cannot get around this. 
5. I have never experienced body acne when using this
6. It is under 15 quid for a bottle so very competitively priced

Sienna X express self tan mist

They have changed the bottle from the one in the photo, I stockpile this every Christmas and birthday so I never run out so I still have some with the old design.

I wouldn't use this all over the body as it does lean towards the orange side of tan but still looks natural. However it does not last very long in terms of wearing off. The guide colour is lovely and actually, if you have skin that can tolerate it, sprayed over the face gives a GORGEOUS glow, tint and almost a hint of coverage, as well as developing into a colour over the course of the day.

I use this solely for my back. It is a single girl habit I have not grown out of. It sprays at any angle and doesn't need rubbing in so it's great for all those hard to reach areas - back, down the sides, over the feet and hands to give a more natural distribution if you struggle in these areas.

Dry Body Brush

I personally use this one from Dunelm but any FIRM body brush will do. Avoid the ones with the plastic type bristles as I find these don't work as well. They can come on handles but you can simply detach this and slip your hand under the other loop.

I use this every day on my thighs/bums/hips

You always need to work towards the heart to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage.
I move the brush in circles up the thighs and round the hips and bum, always moving up.
After covering the whole area, I then do straight, upward strokes over the area.
It takes about 2 minutes.
I then put on some body cream, and I'm done.

It's also great for backs of arms or anywhere where you get puffy or have uneven skin texture.


PLEASE NOTE:
NOTHING cosmetic will remove cellulite. It is an unfortunate fact that most women have to deal with. Creams, treatments, massage etc will not make any long term difference.

Massage will temporarily push the fat layer back into the compartment where it should be so might work for a few hours but the cellulite will return again.

All you can hope to do is improve the skin texture, aid lymphatic drainage to remove the "heavy leg" feeling and make the skin more even and smooth and stop fluid pooling in the area worsening the appearance of the cellulite, exfoliate so the light reflects more evenly, and disguise it with some fake tan.

La Roche Posay Serozinc

Amazing for anyone who is prone to body acne (bacne). I take it on holiday with me to use as a cooling mist (because it is anti inflammatory and anti bacterial vs some of the moisturing or hydrating waters which just add oil or heavy layers).
I also use it after showering to cool the skin and reduce the risk of acne forming.
Great also after the gym if you just have a quick shower and need to make sure your back and chest are clean

Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion

I have now tried and tested this for a week and can confirm I LOVE IT.

It smells a bit odd...I think it is a combination of the sweet almond oil and almost a milky smell (unsurprising seeing as the major selling point is the lactic acid base). It is not bad by any means but it wouldn't be my chosen fragrance. HOWEVER it works amazingly.

The lactic acid is a non-harsh and hydrating alpha hydroxy acid (AHA - see my toner post if you want more info) and so if you have been lazy on your exfoliating/can't be bothered with body brushing/your skin is too sensitive for physical exfoliants.

This massively improved the look of my legs even with my obsessive scrubbing and has also improved the texture on my chest. This is also a great one to use on the neck if you are doing the quick shower and out the door routine and don't have a lot of time. It has some great skin care ingredients as well as being a great, hydrating body cream.

If you have bumpy back of arm syndrome (Keratosis Pilaris) this is also amazing and what the product was initially designed for.

Escentual have an offer on this until the end of April if you're quick! They also do different sizes so you can try a small tube and go from there.

Gillette Fusion Proglide Flexball Razor (half price at superdrug currently)

If you are somewhat retarded at shaving (like me) then you will be well versed with having various cuts and nicks on your legs every time you shave. I accepted this as a part of my hair free lifestyle, until I thought I would try a man's razor as a last resort.

This is without doubt the best razor I have ever used and will never use another. When I went away the other weekend I forgot this bad boy and had to use a disposable one. I thought "oh it'll be fine". It was not fine.

This is a pricey option but in the year that I have been using it, I have not cut myself shaving once. I can skim around knees, ankle bones and all sorts with no problem. It requires no shaving cream - just running water. A point on this - just use a shower oil (I love The Sanctuary 2 day Long Lasting Moisture Shower Oil which is an over-half-price dupe for the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil )  or hair conditioner if you struggle with shaving bumps or are very dry.

I tend to wax during winter but during summer I do not have the time or patience for regrowth between appointments

Bonus product
Australian body care tea tree oil body lotion

This is an absolute must for anyone who suffers from bacne .  It is also the ONLY product I have ever found to ease sunburn/heat rash/insect bites. I would not recommend tea tree oil near on spots but this lotion is amazing. All summer I use it on my back and chest.


Enjoy!

Look out for my body SPF and facial fake tanners posts coming soon!