Hey ladies! It’s that time of year again when I get sick of being pale. Thankfully, HER Campus sent our group some self-tanner in last month’s gift box! I have used self-tanner before, mostly Jergens, and have had a lot of success. However, I know that it takes a few uses before the color starts to kick in. So, I was excited when I read that this L’Oréal brand self-tanner gives you some color within just three hours of the first use!
I applied the self-tanner to my arms, hands, neck, and face right after I got out of the shower. I made sure to fully apply the cream around my elbows, fingers, and palms evenly. I then went to bed. When I woke up, I was TAN. My roommate noticed that the tanner had worked the second I got up that morning. The tan that I got from this product was definitely a more natural and less orangey tan than the one I typically got from Jergens, which is good! I was surprised at how dark my skin had turned after using the product only once. It looked like I had just come back from a trip to Florida!
Here are some pictures showing the results.
Hands:
These two images show my hands after using the self-tanner. As you can see, the tanning on my fingers and palms got a little funky. When applying the lotion to my hands, I made an effort to be super cautious to avoid streaking and creasing. Apparently, this wasn’t enough. You can see that the tops of my hands appear very streaky, while my palms are way too dark. They almost look dirty!
This was because I applied the lotion with my hands, so more product ended up here than anywhere else. Next time, I might try using an applicator to put on the lotion like a cloth or body sponge.
Nose:
My face does appear to have full coverage and no streaks besides the crease along the side of my nose. I think I might have let some of the lotion settle here by accident. It is not super noticeable from a distance, but up close and under good lighting, like in this picture, it is noticeable.
Different Lightings:
Snapchat Flash:
If you’re like me, how your skin looks in the Snapchat camera is the most important thing to consider when self-tanning. I found that a Snapchat with the flash on makes this tan look the best. The tan looks super natural and flattering!
White Light:
This is the same white lighting that I used to show the streaks near my nose. I think this resembles natural light the most. So, when outside, which is rare in the winter anyways, it is a little noticeable that the tan is fake.
Yellow Light:
This is an indoor, yellowy light. This light might be present in a classroom or the dining hall. It’s clear that I’m very tan in this lighting, which is probably due to the yellowness of the light bringing out the yellowness of the tan. I look less naturally tan in this lighting, but I’m okay with looking a little orange if it means that I don’t look ghostly pale!
Overall rating: 7/10
I am very satisfied with this product and am already feeling more self-confident now that my skin is not ghostly pale. This self-tanner is a great alternative to spray tans, which can get expensive, and tanning beds that cause cancer! I definitely recommend this product :)