The Tanning Chronicles – 8 Fake Tan Products You Need

The tanning chronicles is about my must-have tanning products. So I really wanted to go through the 8 fake tan products you need to keep your skin golden and glowing, but also keep it nourished and exfoliated.

Being fair-skinned, I do need to fake tan all year round. But I want you to know you should be considering sunscreen at the same time to make sure your skin is looked after.

I am so pale, I am practically a ghost so to make myself look a little healthier, I do go for a glow.
So I am sharing my skincare routine for my body in achieving the desired tan.

Before I kick this off about fake tans, the first thing is skincare. I use a lot of different skincare but NSPA is a brand I use a lot.

Maintaining soft, smooth skin is essential to get the most out of your tan, stop patchiness and streaking.
Eliminate those dry areas coming up and ruining your tan.

The Tanning Chronicles – 8 Fake Tan Products You Need

St Tropez Prep and Maintain Tan Enhancing Moisturiser and Body Polish.

The duo I am loving at the moment is St Tropez Prep and Maintain Tan Enhancing Moisturiser and Body Polish.

The scent is so luscious, it is like wearing perfume.

The body polish is a very fine granulated polish that effectively rids of any dead skin, dryness and also offers some nourishment to the skin at the same time.

The moisturiser does a really good job and helps maintain the tan for longer, applying after using foam type tans helps keep the skin moisturised and does offer protection to keep the tan longer.

I even use this skincare set when I am not tanning as it is so good. My skin is super soft after use and I feel fabulous. I had to include these in my tanning chronicles.

Sienna X Polishing Body Scrub

I also have a Sienna X Polishing Body Scrub. This is a larger granulated scrub and does the job so well.

My skin is super soft and eliminates any dryness, prepping the skin for ultimate tanning adventures.

Has a fantastic scent and clings to your skin even after you get out of the shower.

Coupled with the gradual tan, this is a great tanning duo and a must have.

James Reed Gradual Tan H20 Tan Mist

Face wise, I have been using the James Reed Gradual Tan H20 Tan Mist for the face. Now this is my ultimate go to product to give me a natural glow on my face.
I don’t like using body tans on my face so do elect for a separate face tan.

For some reason, tans seem to be darker on my face however this one was absolutely amazing. It matched the rest of my body, did not streak and did not look patchy on dry areas either.

I like that is it many things as well as a gradual tan, it’s cooling, refreshing and perfect as a make up primer and setter.

I inlcude this in my summer morning skincare routine too, giving my face a golden glow that looks natural and sunkissed.

Sienna X Gradual Tan

The first tan which I absolutely adore is the Sienna X Gradual Tan. This is like a moisturiser with a lovely scent and gradually darkens the skin over a period of a few hours.
Applied at night, by morning you have a lovely soft glow and you can build this up over time.

As it is a moisturising tan, this stops streaks and dry patches . Giving an even, natural looking finish.

I use this more on my legs as one coat matches my arms (I am slightly tanned on my arms at the moment)

I found it also matched my skin tones, as areas are whiter than the rest, giving it a natural look and blended super well. Like the inside of my arms is naturally whiter, it was paler in this area so looked really natural.

I did not have darker patches on elbows and knees either, this tan worked tremendously in covering well and again looking natural.

Melvita Pro Sun

Another fantastic gradual tan is the Melvita Pro Sun which was one of the first tans I truly loved and has been a staple product for years.

It gives a wonderful gorgeous glow and develops over night, but does not transfer to clothing.

Waking up like a bronzed goddess.

This does have a small hint of biscuits, but once showered it dissipates.

This tan lasted around 2 weeks before fading and gradually faded without patches or streaks.

It is super moisturising on the skin too so don’t need to moisturise for a few days before hand as it works it’s magic whilst tanning.

It is a thick gel like cream that is creamy coloured, massages easily into the skin with no transfer.
It is super nourishing and mositurising so you don’t need to prep skin much beforehand.

Dr Organic Moroccan Glow

The Dr Organic Moroccan Glow is another firm favourite.

It’s a mousse so is quick-drying but unfortunately not coloured so you can’t tell where you missed if you do.

The scent to this tan is amazing, it smells slightly perfumed, but you can detect the array of scents like vanilla, patchouli, cinnamon leaf, baobab fruit and more.
It’s a really exotic scent and no biscuit scent afterwards.

It takes about 5 minutes to fully dry, if that then you can get dressed and watch your tan grow gradually over the course of the day.

It’s free from parabens, SLS, DEA, BHT and more, so this is perfect if you have sensitive skin or refrain from using the nasties.

The glow I get is gorgeous, I use this in medium and one application gives me a light colour and looks healthy.

No streaking or patchiness, but I do exfoliate and moisturise for a few days before.
There is also a moisturiser and exfoliator that goes with this too.

Vita Liberata Luxury Tan

Vita Liberata Luxury Tan is a recent addition to my collection.

After seeing rave reviews, I had to give this one a try.

Again this is a mousse tan, but this one is coloured so you can see where you have applied this to your skin.

Straight away I had colour on my skin and left overnight to develop.

The scent is slightly chemical with this one but has your typical tan scent, with a slight whiff of biscuits but dissipates after a shower.

This is my longest-lasting tan, I managed 3 weeks before I needed to apply again.

It gradually comes off with no patchiness or streaking, but certainly, need a good exfoliation beforehand and when it starts to fade. It’s wise to consider skincare products for your dry skin needs.

Keeping your skin moisturised, using moisturisers specifically for tanning does help keep the colour longer. Especially St Tropez moisturiser.

Rimmel In-Shower Self Tan

The final one intrigued me with no end.

Now I have to admit, this tan did take some getting used to and I will tell you why.

Rimmel In-Shower Self Tan is a tan you use in the shower.

The first problem I had with this, as I forgot to wash it off my feet so had very tanned feet for a while.

I would suggest sitting on side of the bath and using the showerhead, avoiding the feet or giving your feet a good wash after.

It takes a good 12-14 hours to develop but can not see where you missed so you could get patches if missed anywhere.

It’s a really light colour, but you can apply more, layering the tan on.

Lasts around 2 weeks and gives a nice healthy glow.

You just rub all over, then shower off. Simple as that!

Just wash hands and feet after to avoid tanned palms and soles.

I can’t choose a favourite product because each is grand, but the one I use most at the moment is Sienna X.

Final thoughts

You would be wise to consider simple and practical skincare that will make your tan look less patchy, give you a golden glow and make your skin look healthy too!

This is a great way to get your skin ready for summer.

Do you fake tan? What do you use?