Clinique Self Sun

Readers have asked me to review more self-tanning products and lucky for them, I enjoy reviewing them!

I have to say that I love the name of Clinique's product: it's called Self Sun instead of Self Tan... clever!

So I took the plunge and tried Clinique Self Sun Touch of Bronze Moisturizing Body Lotion. It's good. It's got a lemony scent, but I have to say that the tan you get when you use this is not that gradual. After the first day that I used this, I was noticeably more bronze. I don't think that this is a bad thing - if you're in a rush and only have a couple of days to colour, you will absolutely love this lotion. Because it's in a moisturizing base, it goes on very evenly and has a beautiful golden bronze colour that builds after just a couple of days of use.

Of course, the typical self-tanner smell does make an appearance after a few hours, but that's bound to happen because of the active ingredient. In any case: good lotion, give it a shot.

Different Interests

So last week I did a poll on self-tanner usage.

What fun.I have to say that the answers surprised me a little, and I am rarely surprised by poll results. 34% of you have no interest in self-tanners. I'm sure that most of you in that group are already tan and thus don't feel the need to add colour to yourself. The rest, I have to presume, just don't know the magic of this product, because trust me once you use it properly, you love the effect.

I could relate to the 26% who only use this product once in a while and to tell you the truth, the upkeep can get kind of tiresome. I don't know how people stay tan all year round and I have to conclude that there is some harmful sun damage at work there.

At the end of the day: 34% not interested means that 66% are interested and that's a lot. This means self-tanner reviews for a little while atleast. I love using them in the summer to even out a tan that was inadvertently obtained and to make myself look healthier.

Olay Age Transform Skin Tone Equalizer

This is another one of those self-tanners that is part moisturizer and I thought I'd post this review after hearing from a reader about trying an Olay self-tan product. This one is extremely light in feel and the colour building is gradual.
What I really liked about this Olay Age Transform Skin Tone Equalizer is that it's sheer and it leaves a subtle shimmer on your skin. Your skin really does look glowing with this moisturizer and the tanning that occurs is a nice effect.

I think the thing with most Olay products is that they're reliable and this moisturizer is as well. You won't get too much tanning with this one, it'll be just enough.

Aveeno Continous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion

Since a reader mentioned this in the comment section of discussing self-tanners, I thought I would post my review of Aveeno Continuous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion.

It's found easily at the drugstore, and I'm using the kind for medium skin tones.

The reader is right: this is the most gradual tanning lotion out there. I hardly saw a change in skin colour after the first application, but the build-up after a week of use was noticeable.

I think that this has a lower concentration of active ingredients which also means that the self-tanner smell was minimal! If you're sensitive to the smell or really hate it, then use this!

I do have to say that it was very moisturizing. I never had dry skin when I used this, and I was really pleased with that. The lotion itself is light and absorbs reasonably quickly.

It's also light-weight enough that I could use it on my face, like one of my readers does. It worked beautifully and is the only gradual lotion that I would do this with.

The Aveeno Continuous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion is definitely worth trying and because it's customizable I liked it a lot.

Self Tanner Discussion

In addition to answering the poll, I want to really hear from you. Where do you use self-tanner and how do you use it? When do you use it and why? What brands have you tried and why did you pick them? Bad experiences, good experiences? I want to hear it all. You'll be hearing my own thoughts shortly, of course, but in the mean time - share!

Get Bronze

The sun is shining which means that winter is officially gone! Yesterday I saw people in shorts and T-shirts, and although I used to laugh at such optimistic behaviour, I have to admit that I started to wear flip flops as soon as the temperature hit the double digits.

I know that for many of you, revealing more skin is either on your mind already or will be soon. Some of you will want a summer glow before summer even hits, and as always, I would say that self-tanners are the way to go in that department.

Whether you like a real tan or a fake one, tanning salons can sometimes be unsavory places to visit in the city - they are usually in plazas or strip malls, sometimes require you to clean your own area, and can generally be places where you don't want to run into acquaintances.

All that is changing thanks to a new Toronto bronzing location called Bronzeado. It's a tanning salon/spa which means that it's ultra-lux, very clean, and has great service.


Besides having lots of new efficient tanning beds, I think that the best part is that they offer spray tans too, and from what I've seen, they are the best in the city. When you sign up to get a spray tan from Bronzeado, you not only have someone giving you a perfectly even tan, they first give you a scrub so that there's no dead skin, and they make sure that none of the tanning solution gets left on your hands or nails. If you decide to get a pedicure or manicure there, they'll also work that into your routine.

The best part is that once you're done, you'll be an even colour and your skin will be absolutely glowing. The tan lasts a week to 10 days and it fades evenly - better than most at-home solutions.

I think that the services at Bronzeado are priced so that you don't just have to get them for special occasions. A scrub and spray tan costs $85, and it's worth getting once or even twice a month or even as a pick-me-up for when you need it. If I was attending a special event, I would love to get this done the day before because of how healthy and glowing your skin looks immediately afterwards. If you want to book an appointment, call them at 416-987-1987.

Jergens Natural Glow Review

So I know that the summer is over, and some days it feels like winter already, but I am not over being tan partly because of this great product.

I've been using Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. This is a moisturizer that adds a gradual tan, and the advantage of using a product like this is that it's harder to make mistakes and easier to correct them. You build colour up slowly, and if you just use this product instead of your regular moisturizer. Let me tell you that the best part of this moisturizer is that it smells like cookies - and not in an overly sweet way either.

The smell of cookies lasted for about an hour before the scent of the self-tanner started to come out. I've heard people complain about this scent, but the fact of the matter is that if you want to get a tan and avoid the sun, then you're going to have to put up with this. My tip for getting around it? Apply the lotion before you go to bed. You'll fall asleep before the tanner smell ever kicks in and will hardly be able to smell it in the morning. Plus you wake up with a golden glow - what could be better?

Also, the lotion is shimmery but not so much that it's overly obvious.

As for colour development, I didn't see much on the first day of using this moisturizer, but in about three days I had a noticable tan, and after over a week of using this product, I think that I've reached full potential - very dark but that's fine, I used the darkest shade. I have a very natural looking tan and I'm not orange at all. What's nice as well is that this product is very moisturizing. The bottle dispenses a smooth thick lotion that I can use in place of my regular moisturizer.

As with all self tanners, you have to wait for this product to dry on your skin, but it doesn't have any colour on it so don't worry about staining your clothes. Mess free application, nice scent, and a product that works! Here's to a longer summer!

Caramel Skin

I'd just like to say that glow-in-the-dark body parts are never in style, and lately I've noticed that women have jumped into skirts and dresses revealing skin that, to be quite frank, could use some sunshine.

Enter Olay Body Touch of Sun Overnight. Why go out in the sun when you can get the same effect at home while you sleep without running the risk of skin cancer or sunburn? Slick this stuff on and you'll see your skin turn a lovely shade of caramel on the first day itself. Use it for a week and you'll be at your darkest and to maintain the tan use it at least once a week. Unlike regular self-tanners, this is in the form of a lotion which means that there's virtually no way that you're going to make any mistakes or come out with streakiness. The lotion has just enough self-tanner in it to make a difference but not so much that any potential mistakes couldn't be smoothed over with subsequent applications.

This is excellent for summer - rock those skirts and dresses, but use this first.