Beautifully Bronzed Legs (Boots 17 Instant Glow Wash Off Self Tan - Leg Bronzer)

Member Name: pink_glitter

Product:	Boots 17 Instant Glow Wash Off Self Tan - Leg Bronzer
Date:	02/06/08 (545 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to apply, doesn't streak

Disadvantages: washes off, only for legs

I have said before in reviews, that I am deathly pale, so I rely on self tan to give me a bit of colour. I know that there are various factors that make me especially susceptible to getting skin cancer, so I would never go on a sun bed, but at the same time I don't like going out looking white as a sheet and a tan gives me a bit more confidence. The main problem I have with self-tans is that they usually go streaky or are too dark for my very pale skin - it often looks like I have been rolling in mud rather than just having a healthy tan. I was recommended this product by a friend who is also pale like me, and thought I would give it a go.

~About the product~

This is a wash off gel made by 17 at Boots, which is designed to give a natural bronze colour. It is dermatologically tested and has a non-staining formula. It is only designed for use on the legs.

~Packaging~

This comes in a dark brown tube, with the name of the product on the front. The tube is pretty plain and nothing special. It has a flip top cap from which you dispense the gel, and clear instructions for use on the back.

~Using it~

Like most self tans, the product should be applied over exfoliated and moisturised legs. This is to prevent streaking.

When I squeezed the product out of the tube, I was surprised at how dark the colour was. It was a very dark brown, not dissimilar to the colour of the tube it comes in. It reminded me of Rimmel Sun Shimmer a bit in that respect, as I also recall that being very dark. The smell wasn't too strong, I know some self tans can smell awful, but this wasn't too bad, although I did think it was slightly medicinal smelling and it reminded me of Benilyn Cough Syrup!

With the first leg, I think I applied too much at once, because it was a real pain to blend in. I felt like I was rubbing it in for ages, and it seemed to be doing nothing but making a streaky mess. Eventually though, it just seemed to start looking blending in -maybe it just takes a while to soak into the skin. The second leg, I applied a smaller amount, and found that easier to blend. I much prefer coloured tans, as it is so much easier to see where you've applied it and avoid streaking.

One thing I found to be a pain was washing it off my hands. Obviously you will need to do this straight away to avoid having dark brown palms. It took quite a while to wash off, even though it wasn't completely dry at that point, but even then, I later thought I could see some still on my hands. I gave them a rub with a baby wipe, and that confirmed what I had been thinking, as loads came off onto the wipe.

The tube suggests waiting 5 minutes for the gel to completely dry before getting dressed.

~Results~

The colour of this tan is OK. It's not too dark, but I did think it was slightly orangey. When I first applied it, I thought it looked quite good - it seemed quite a natural colour. I know some tans develop over time, but I don't think this is supposed to be one of them. It was strange then, that I thought this seemed to become darker and more orangey during the first ten minutes it was on my skin. Even then though the colour was not particularly intense - perfect for lighter skins like mine, but if you have a slightly darker skin tone, I'm not even sure if this would show up on your skin.

Because of the fact it's tinted and you can see where you're applying it, the tan didn't streak at all, which I was really pleased about, as tans nearly always end up streaky with me.

One thing I was really pleased about with this product, was that when it had dried, it didn't feel tacky or wet on my skin as some other tans I have used did. It dried completely which made me more confident that it wasn't going to rub off onto my clothes, or my cream chairs. I even tried rubbing my leg with a towel to see if any came off and it didn't.

I have quite sensitive skin, and for the first ten to fifteen minutes that this was on my legs, it made them feel very itchy and uncomfortable. Luckily this feeling wore off, but it is something to bear in mind if you have sensitive skin.

~Staying power~

The tan seems to stay on all day and I haven't found that it wears off during the day. I have gone to bed with it still on my legs, and found when I woke up that it was starting to look a little bit patchy, so I don't think you could get away with leaving it on two days in a row. The main disadvantage of it, is probably that as it washes, rather than wears off, it's not ideal especially as there is a chance of getting caught in the rain, and you can't go swimming with it on.

When you do come to wash it off, I find it is quite easy to remove, and comes off easily with just water and shower gel.

~Price~

This is fairly cheap at only £4.49 and is only available from Boots or www.boots.com

~Conclusion~

Overall, this is one of the better self tans I have come across. It's cheap and is quite easy to apply - despite the time it takes to blend in - and I like that its tinted so you can see where you are applying it. The finish is streak-free, and fairly light, and although I thought it was perhaps a tiny bit orangey, the colour isn't too intense, so I would not be embarrassed to show off my legs while using this.

The main negative points (and the reason I have knocked two stars off the product rating) are the fact that it washes off and that it can only be used on legs - I would have preferred a tan that could be used on the whole body. application

Summary: 17 leg bronzer