Gettin' My Bronze On

I’ve always been really pale, but as soon as my skin sees some sun, I immediately tan and don’t really burn that quickly. This means, according to Belgian weather, that a tan is only reserved for a holiday. Now accidentally, my parents booked our holiday yesterday, so whilst I’m getting excited (and scared for the flight) I thought I might as well get my body a little bit bronzed just to feel a little bit of that holiday vibe.

Now I’ve gotten a bit afraid of fake tanning (mostly caused by my mom telling me horror stories about streaky lines and the tan sweating off of your body) so I settled for a nice compromise; a gradual tanner.

Last year, I tried the Garnier Summer Bronze which I really liked, but I detested the smell- which is probably why I’ll never really commit to ‘real’ fake tanning. I also had a little bit of a love affair with the Dove gradual tanner, but then I fell in love with the L’Oréal Nutri Bronze. I’m sorry, Dove. So here’s a review with a little bit of a routine thrown in for good measure…

It’s really important to prep your skin before slathering on the tan. This removes dead skin cells, which guarantees streaky-free application. Now gradual tanners aren’t as ‘dangerous’ to apply as fake tan, because they’re gradual and are more of a body moisturiser than a tan. I still like to scrub my body though, especially if the tan has built up over the week to remove the residue and reveal fresh skin. I recently got a sample of the Kiehl’s Gently Exfoliating Body Scrub in “Grapefruit”. This is a really fresh smelling body scrub which really reminds me of summer and holidays for a reason, so I think it would be the perfect scrub to take with you on holiday! It comes out as a white, creamy latter which does also feel really moisturising. The scrub particles feel really gentle on the skin, but they’re still really effective in removing dead skin cells leaving you with softer, radiant looking skin. I love this and I’m debating buying the full size version, even though it’s a little bit pricey so I might wait a little…

After stepping out of the shower, I immediately slap on some of the L’Oréal Nutri Bronze. This is the one for light to normal skin since I am really pale and don’t want to wake up looking like an oompa loompa, so I thought I would play safe and go for this verson. I just apply this using my bare hands, so no tanning mittens, just because I’m al ittle bit lazy and I’ve never really had any problems doing so. I just make sure to wash my hands thoroughly after use. What I really, really like about this gradual tanner, is the smell. It just smells really nice and fresh, which makes it a real pleasure to apply! It does, however, develop in a little bit of a ‘cookie’ scent after a few hours, but by then I’m already used to the scent and it isn’t that strong at all. It sinks into the skin really quickly, which is also really really great since you’re not standing in your bathroom naked waiting for it to absorb because getting dressed can cause streaks. What I don’t like about this product is that it contains quite a lot of mineral oil, but since I’m only using this on my body and not on my face I don’t really mind. I would prefer one without though, so I’m on the lookout for that! I only apply this 2-3 times a week which is enough for me, since it’s quite longlasting and doesn’t need to be applied every day. On other days I just apply my regular body moisturiser.

Have you tried this gradual tanner? Do you have any recommendations?