Ambre Solaire Fake Tan Review - Let down product

Purchase at Boots here
£11.69

So disaster struck when I went to purchase my favourite fake tan last week.  They had sold out in Boots, I knew of no where else that stocks it and I had pretty much already over-run on my lunch break.  Oh and I needed to fake tan that night before Southport Weekender (which was amazing by the way.  Link to website here for those of you that like soul, RnB, or house music).

For the most part, none of the competitors were available either.  I must say - TIME TO STOCK UP BOOTS MANCHESTER! 

Anyway, I picked up a No7 once and then thought actually I will get Ambre Solaire - I used to use a tan by them back in the day, surely it will have improved by now anyway.  I purchased the dark version and hoped for the best. It wouldn't be the first time I had wasted money on a fake tan and in reality you tend to get what you pay for I have found in my experience. 

So off I trotted to the till and purchased. 

Mistake.  Unfortunately, it was what I can only describe as a massive let down.  I really don't like saying that either.  I hate product bashing - but I have to be honest. 

I exfoliated, moisturised my knees, elbows and ankles and applied as instructed.  I allowed it to develop over night and woke up… PALE and gutted. 

The moral of the story is don't leave your tanning to the last minute!  It will result in pale skin and wasted money. 

Needless to say I do not recommend this product at all.  Unfortunately, it didn't work at all on me. 

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No More Orange Sheets!

So this morning I stumbled across what seems like a very cool, even if simple, invention.  The Tan a Sac.

This is for any of you ladies (or men) that love to tan but hate the effect it has on your bed linen.  The only other alternative is sunbeds and I am just not about that!

So when I was checking my emails this morning and found this product I thought ok we could be on to something here.

Basically it is a sleeping bag that you sleep in whilst you tan overnight, but it goes under your mattress so that it stays in place and fold over your duvet so your arms don't ruin it.  There is also a pillow case cover too.

I'm very tempted to give this a go, but it does have a pretty hefty price tag at £26.99.  I mean it's not that it's massively expensive it's just that I think I would prefer to spend it on other things!

Has anyone else tried this?  What do you do to protect your sheets?

For those of you that want to know more you can see how it works through their interactive gallery here (<---- link).

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Xen Tan Gradual Self Tan Review

I have been planning to do this review for at least a month, but I wanted to have used the product properly and provide pictures, but it's worth the wait I promise!

Now I'll be honest - I've never really understood the whole gradual tanners thing. To me if you want a tan get a self tan - not a moisturiser that gives you a hint of orange and makes you smell like curried biscuits!

However, the lovely people at Xen Tan sent this product to me to test and having heard soooooo many fab things about them I approached the product with an open mind.



What I found
Firstly, it smells divine. I mean I could sit there and smell it all day. It's kind of fruity and sweet but not too sickly. Even the boyf likes the smell. Result.

Secondly, it's so easy to apply. I just squirt a load into my hand and rub in. Like I would with moisturiser I suppose. It leaves my skin feeling a little tacky at first, but it dries quite nicely after that. I suppose it feels like a thick moisturiser on the skin.

Thirdly, it really is moisturising. My skin feels so much nicer for using this than my normal fake tans.

So, how it actually tanned my skin...
Hmmm, what can I say... AMAZINGLY! I am so impressed and a little shocked.

My first application was Saturday morning and then Saturday evening. On Sunday morning I reapplied, but seriously if you have fair skin I think you would stop there! Here is what my skin looked like after two applications:-



Definitely tanned!! Yipee!

I applied again on Sunday night and here is the result after applying last night:-

Amazing or what!? You can literally keep building the colour, but it's a nice colour too - not orangey or dirty looking. I love that my chest looks tanned for once! Usually self-tans don't work well on my chest or neck. My chest and neck are now a lovely tanned brown.

Also, I have been using it on my face which is now a lovely even golden colour, without the horrible blackhead effect you get from using brown based tans when it gets in your pores.

Conclusion

I am definitely not a gradual tan covert, but I am a Xen Tan gradual tan convert! This product can effectively be used like a self tan. As I like my skin to be quite dark, most tans don't show up to be the colour I want without a couple of applications in a row anyway.

My plan is now just to probably use this in winter alone and probably apply a self tan with this as a base or use it over the top the next day to prolong the colour.

Especially because by now I would normally be getting patchy skin as the normal self tan wears off!

I absolutely love this product and would recommend it without a doubt. I am now so excited to try other Xen Tan products, as I just think if the gradual tan works like this what must their self tans work like!?

If you fancy it you can purchase the gradual tan here for £14.95.

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