Reg: August 2001 Location: Lexington, MA Posts: 2587
Date: April 18, 2005
Rating: 7
Recommend? Yes
Price you paid?: $8.99
Self-tanner has always struck me as a very "accessory" product. If you were a starving artist, for example, self-tanner would not be at the top of your beauty buys list. But if anyone needs self-tanner, I suppose it's me.
Let me be clear. I loathe tans. There's nothing I find more unattractive than a deep bake. Especially fake ones. It's just my own personal aesthetic opinion, but I think they're hideous. I say I'm "light", but by that, it's with the pallor of Irish complexions in mind. I'm pale/light, really.
That said, a bit of a glow makes everyone look better. I've no glow of my own, as I'm not the sort of person who can wear shorts and a tank top, however, and in any case, it's better that I don't get a natural tan. But I'm quite ghostly. As my mother exclaims, "Your legs! It's cadaver skin!"
...
Actually, she means it entirely as a compliment. There's a certain aesthetic in Asian culture that prefers snow white skin. The summer tan is considered akin to "peasant". But you know what that means... I needed to do something.
So, this. I don't really know much about self-tanners. I know what one's supposed to do: heavy exfoliation prior, plenty of moisturization (so that self-tanner doesn't "grab" onto dry spots and look uneven), that sort of thing. I also know that Clarins reputedly makes the best ones. Ehh... I heard a lot of hubbub about L'Oréal's in magazines, and I wasn't too eager to spend $25 on what I consider an "accessory" product, so this was fine. It works well (looks natural), though methinks I shouldn't have gotten the "dark" shade (it was the only one there). I hate the smell, so I won't repurchase. It's that classic suntan lotion scent... eugh. SPF 15, and yes, UVA/UVB protection. A good product, but I dislike the smell, so...
Just so we're on the same page, I only use self-tanner on my legs.
