I am always on a quest to find the PERFECT self tanning product. Living in the UK means that our chances of catching real sun rays are limited and we all know the dangers of too much sun and the damaging and anti ageing effect of sunbeds, and so finding that perfect colour in a bottle has become something of an obsession of mine!
If you are a bit of a tanning addict like myself you will have heard of Xen-Tan. It has won many awards for its natural deep bronze colour and its streak free, simple application. So of course i ordered some immediately! I ordered from a great website called www.feelunique.com where i picked up their most popular product Dark Lotion for £17.99 which as self tans go is a good price. I wanted to try the Dark Lotion because i am a fan of instant results and feel that if you are going to use a self tan product you want to get as deep a colour as possible as if you have been on holiday for a week. This is the product you are looking for!
Xen-Tan Dark Lotion
The bottle states that it is a weekly tan and the colour is certainly dark enough to last a week. If, like me, you love to be a dark colour for longer you may want to reapply another layer mid week or perhaps apply two nights in a row. You can use as much or as little as you want but generally one pump does one area of the body i.e. one pump for tummy, one pump for arm, one pump for chest area etc but you can use whatever feels right for you. Because the colour is so dark when it comes out you immediately know where you are putting the tan and how much you may need to use. The lotion is a fairly thick texture and requires quite a bit of movement to get it to soak into the skin however the results are worth the effort.
My arm before tanning.
I used Xen-Tan body scrub to exfoliate the skin in the shower before using self tan. This is an essential step before tanning as it removes dead skin cells and allows tan to go on easier and reduces the chance of streaking and product collecting onto dry areas such as elbows and ankles. If you buy these products at the moment you can purchase the dark lotion, body scrub and tanning mitt as a kit for only £28.94. The tanning mitt is an important tool in my opinion as it allows streak free, quick and efficient application. I used the mitt to apply the tan in circular motions, almost buffing the tan into the skin but using soft movements so as not to remove the tan as you are applying it!
My arm after one application of tan
The end results are impressive. The colour is almost the same colour as you would naturally turn whilst sunbathing with almost a red/brown tone. It is best to apply an hour or so before bed, so as not to stain the bed sheets with tan, and leave overnight to let the tan works its magic and then wash off in the shower the next morning. Do not exfoliate the next morning or use harsh soaps on the body which may wash off or affect the tan, instead let the water wash away the guide colour. Pat your body dry being careful not to brush off the tan and follow with a moisturiser. Many brands of self tan come with their own moisturisers however I like to use Palmers Cocoa Butter because it is hydrating, smells wonderful and leaves my skin glowing. The tan itself has a nutty scent whilst applying however once washed off there is almost no scent whatsoever which means I can apply the cocoa butter and there are no interfering scents.
Overall, I would highly recommend this product. The end results are natural but dark enough to make people ask you where you have been on holiday! If someone asks where you have been away to get your tan, that is the greatest compliment for a self tan because it has managed to fool people! The Dark Lotion is worth every penny in my opinion and after using it a number of times on both my face and body I can say that it is my favourite self tan to date. But stay tuned as i will be testing many more...
Can anything beat the mighty Xen-Tan?
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