Since my late teen's I have longed for beautiful, bronzed, natural looking skin. I grew up resembling a milk bottle, and being a natural red head, my skin sizzles at the mere thought of sunlight. I have truly Irish skin, in every sense if the word, pale, pasty and freckly. I gave up on fake tan a long time ago, a slue of failed attempts, wasted money and ruined bed sheets had resigned me to the fact that I just wasn't meant to be a bronzed goddess......... Or was I??
There are so many different types of tan out there, each promising their own little miracles, but the fact of the matter is- Some tan's will take to your skin and some wont. I have often marveled at women's beautiful, even, natural glow and asked them what tan they use. Almost inevitably it'll be a tan I've tried, and am left gawping saying 'Well it didn't look like that on me!!!' The vast majority of tans leave me patchy, or streaky, or bright orange, or with elbows and knee's that look like they've been dipped in poo. Woe is poor pasty me. I always apply tan to the letter, sometimes even blasting myself with the hair dryer to make sure I'm bone dry before dressing, but there's always streaks and patches, and places that will need hiding. Being on a really tight budget, I did find it difficult to find a nice smelling tan, that could tackle even my skin, without leaving myself too broke to go out and show it off. Then I met Decadence Tan.
I have followed them on Twitter for a while, and noticed a competition tweet to win a bottle of tan. Never one to pass up a freebie, and out of curiosity since I've never actually tried the tan before, I retweeted my ass off! And it worked :D I was announced as the winner at about 9 o clock at night on a Wednesday, passed on my details, and got my tan on Friday morning! By courier no less!! I can safely say it's the quickest I have ever received a prize. I was delighted! And of course, the courier had only just pulled out of the garden and I was stripping off to try it out! So here are my thought's on the tan itself-
Smell- What smell? There is no disgusting soggy biscuit smell, not even in the slightest. In fact, there is a lovely floral scent from the tan that actually sticks around for hours. I did find myself having a quick sniff of my arm while i was watching telly. There is nothing worse that walking around wearing a developing tan and being completely aware and conscious that you smell like an old tea bag. Don't even waste your time on that thought with this tan, it just doesn't happen.
Application- The tan comes out in a mist, and a little goes a long way. There's a pretty noticeable colour when you first apply, making it essentially fool proof. It goes on smooth and even, and dries almost instantly. No more John Wayne-ing it around your house while your tan dries. I applied mine with a sock over a latex glove because I find that the mitt over the latex glove moves around too much, and leaves too much room for error. With the sock it's almost as if you were applying it with your bare hands (you can steal that trick, i'll let ya! Just make sure its a clean sock!) Also, And I can't stress this enough, I have never, ever encountered a tan that made my skin feel as silky and soft as this tan did. I was a bit gobsmacked, so gobsmacked that I was going up to friend's, lashing my arms in their direction and saying 'FEEL HOW SOFT!!!!' They all agree'd..... of course that could have been just so I'd go away...
Developing time- Don't be thrown by your starter colour and lash on half the bottle, you will get darker. I'd say I went a good 3-4 shades deeper by the times I was going out. The colour suited me perfect. I don't tan my face, never have, never will, but I didn't have that tanned body and ghostly white face that seems to be going around. The tan actually brought my skin to a colour that suited me, and one that I could very easily match my make up to.
Staying power- I applied the tan on Friday afternoon, was fully bronzed by Friday evening, and on Tuesday evening after 1 or 2 quick showers the majority of my tan is still perfect. I won't lie, or kiss any butts, there are area's that are looking slightly mucky. My hands for instance are almost tan free at this stage, but after almost 4 days of housework and hand washing, I would be slightly horrified if they were still tanned, and to be fair, I normally notice that after about 2 days with any other tan. Also, I have been bold and haven't been moisturising so I am partially to blame for that.
After trying and failing for so long I think I have finally found the tan that suits me. It stays on my skin \and not on my clothes or bed sheets. It made my skin look
and feel soft, silky and sexy, which made me feel more confident and sexy going out (not smooth though, i'll never be smooth). It made be feel like a tanning guru because it was easy to get perfect. I can honestly say that even though I won this tan, they will definitely be getting my custom again, and I would highly recommend them to ANYONE with slightly difficult skin. It's confidence in a bottle, and that, to me, is priceless.
