Tanning Up for Summer


So, we had a teeny bit of warmth and sun last week, and now I am well and truly in summer mode. Summer ASOS orders are being made, I've put away all my winter coats and now all I need is the British weather to cooperate - for once! 
Every year, I go through a phase of fake tanning. I tend to leave it for special occasions over the winter, but with warmer weather comes less clothes, and I like to have a bit of a glow going on to feel more comfortable getting my legs out. I've been using fake tan for around 7 years now (what?! Cannot believe that's true but it is!), so I'd like to think of myself as an expert in the area. I've tried everything, from instant tan, to lotions, to mousses, to gradual tan. I have a selection here, some new and some old, that I will be using over summer.
Firstly, the Bondi Sands Dark Lotion. This is a new purchase, after finally tracking it down in Superdrug. This Australian brand come out in Superdrug earlier this year, and it's proved to be very popular. I was following them on Instagram before they came to the UK, so I was keen to give it a go. I will be posting a full review very soon, so when I try it out properly I will let you know if it lives up to expectations!
Next, a 1 Hour Tan from Cocoa Brown. I got this a while ago - the top of my can has actually fallen off but I've not had the chance to repurchase yet! It's a great one for a quick fix, like when you wake up and see bright sunshine and you know it's going to be a bare legs day - you never know with the British weather! It definitely doesn't give the darkest tan out of these, but a good one to take the edge off.
Next up is a mousse tan from Madame La La*. I have not had the chance to try this yet, as I'm trialling the Bondi Sands one, but it sounds amazing. It's inspired by the Malibu tan, and has Coco Water, Vitamin E, Aloe and Green Tea within it, making it hydrating - unlike lots of mousse tans! It is also a DD tan, meaning it has a colour correcting, smoothing element to it, covering all those little bumps or any redness. I'm keen to see if this lives up to these claims, as it sounds like a great does-it-all tan. It's not cheap at £36, but I have found that often you have to pay a bit more for tan for good quality, long lasting formulas.
Next is my holy grail fake tan: St Tropez Express Mousse. I actually posted a full review of this last summer, so I won't say too much about this here! But this is now my second bottle. It is similar to the Cocoa Brown in that it develops over 1-3 hours, although I have found better colour results with this one, and it lasts a good 5 days. 
Finally, a gradual tan recommendation in the form of Palmers Natural Bronze. I believe they have now also introduced an 'Instant' formulation of this. I haven't tried this too much, but it definitely gives a darker colour than most gradual tans, as overnight after just one application I certainly noticed a difference. There were some issues with unevenness on my thighs, but overall it's a nice gradual tan that gives more colour than others. I have to say, the scent is quite overwhelming, if you're familiar with the scent of Palmer's products, it smells like that. 

Have you tried any of these? Let me know your favourite tans in the comments! 

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