Love it: St Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion

I’m a confessed connoisseur of the faux glow, and have tried pretty much every formulation out there - with varying degrees of success. It is still the safest tan out there for tanning at any time of year, and with New Zealand skin cancer rates constantly on the rise it’s time to pick a formula that works for you rather than baking under what are some pretty damn dangerous rays.  All of which brings me to one of the most recent releases from St Tropez, who most definitely know their stuff when it comes to tanning.

I feel I need to be completely honest here: at first I was verrrry sceptical about St. Tropez's Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion, how the hell would THAT work? Especially given its unusual application method… Fast forward a few weeks though and by damn, I’m obsessed. Not only is it less prone to streaking than the usual self-tanning body formula, but it has plenty of extra positives to rave about that give it an edge over the competition.

The directions state to shower as normal, then shut off running water and generously apply the product in circular motions with your hands to wet skin to create an even coverage. I was a little freaked out at first about the “generously” part of that statement as I’m usually used to building up colour, but in the name of science I went for it. Doing so gives you a super silky lather that glides over skin and makes the formula less prone to streaking, and applying the product while your skin is wet means the product doesn't grab on to dry patches – magic!

Wash your palms carefully after this to leave no telltale tanning signs, whilst waiting three minutes before rinsing the product off your body. At the end of three minutes, rinse with warm water (no soap), and then gently pat yourself dry with a towel. No more waiting, you are seriously good to go!

The result is a light, golden tan that can be deepened with successive applications. It is described as a gradual tanner, which means you can keep applying it day after day to build the colour until your desired tan level is achieved. This makes it great for those with fair skin who like to go easy on the glow, but does mean a little more work if you have a medium skin tone and are headed off on a tropical holiday. I found the ideal colour for me developed after the third time using Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion – and it lasted.

Last up, I love that the formula includes sweet almond oil for added moisturisation – your skin feels silky and looks glow-y to boot. Love it.