Jordan, Christina, Donatella... take note! (Boots Soltan Self Tan Lotion)

Member Name: Jess-L

Product:	Boots Soltan Self Tan Lotion
Date:	15/04/04 (649 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Works well, reasonably priced

Disadvantages: None

I've never been particularly tempted by fake tan - I've always been afraid of turning orange and seeing pictures of Christina Aguilera and Donatella Versace in all their tangerine glory didn't help! I am naturally quite tanned and all my friends are very pale and always burn rather than tan, so I've never felt white and pasty, either!

Summer is fast approaching though, and I want golden skin that looks as though I've been on holiday! The mahogany Peter Stringfellow-look isn't quite for me but I wanted a healthy glow that looked natural - more a weekend away to southern France than a month in the Carribean! After reading Carly_pussycat's review on St Tropez, I decided to get my arse into gear and give it a go, especially as she's so lovely and tanned herself.


BOOTS SOLTAN LIGHT SELF-TAN LOTION
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Now normally I'm in and out of Boots in 15 minutes because I'm familiar with the layout (because I have a good memory, not because I spend half my life in there...), and I know which products work and which ones don't, but the fake tan section completely confused me. After half an hour of umming and aahing, I settled on Boots Soltan because I use their range of sunscreens and aftersuns, which all work well enough.

You can choose from Light, Medium and Dark. Be careful though, as the shades are referring to how deep a tan you want, rather than your skin colour! I chose Light, and at £6.99, seemed pretty reasonable as there were much more expensive ones available. I was extremely suspicious when the cashier, wearing far too much blue eyeshad
ow, politely informed me it had been reduced to a mere £1.19. I had saved myself £5.80, but surely something had to be wrong with it!

Anyhow, the fake, or self tan if you prefer, seems promising enough. The attractive metallic bronze bottle promised to give me a natural, lightly tanned look in 2-3 hours that'll last for days. It is moisturising but I wouldn't use it as a normal body lotion - it's a bit too expensive for that!


APPLICATI& #79;N
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I normally exfoliate thoroughly with in the shower, paying special attention to elbows, knees and heels, as these are generally the driest areas. Once that's done, I use shower gel as normal, and moisturise afterwards, again concentrating on the driest bits.

After 15-20 minutes, I put on a little more moisturiser to my elbows and knees, then apply the fake tan. I rub some of the runny white lotion between my hands, then spread quickly over the chosen area, using swift, circular movements and making sure to rub it in evenly. Take care with your hands, ankles and feet - I usually do my arms and legs, then swipe the excess cream over those areas lightly, which is enough.

It's fairly runny but not so runny that it's hard to apply. It absorbs quickly and feels quite moisturising, though not as much as an ordinary body lotion would be. Normally I stay in a towel for maybe half an hour after application before I go to bed, and I've never noticed any marks or stains on my clothes, towels or bed sheets. The smell itself is quite chemical-y, like sunscreen, but pleasant enough, in a strange way!

The whole process takes maybe an hour at the most, if you include having a shower as well, but I do take my time, stop to text someone, get a drink, etc. If you rush it too quickly, you'll end up re
ally streaky, so set aside some time one evening to do it! It might help to have a friend or sister to help you do your back, but with a bit of practise you should be able to do it yourself easily enough.


THE RESULTS
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It works, but not on my face. I might as well not have bothered! I kept reapplying but it just doesn't seem to show up on my face - very strange; I just have to use bronzing powder on my face now! However, it works perfectly well everywhere else -the colour is subtle but I can definitely notice a change, and I feel healthier for it! My friend noticed the tan straight away, and started whinging and moaning that I get a tan so easily, whereas she just peels and burns, so yes, I'd say it was natural! My skin wasn't at all orange, just darker with a hint of lovely browness to it!

If you're after a deep tan, I'd choose Medium or Dark, but Light works well for me. It is very easy to use and I only had a few streaks around my ankles and shoulders the first time I used it. Once you get used to applying it, it's a doddle and I rarely get streaks now! The cream leaves a slight sheen on your skin, although it isn't greasy, so you can see where you have and haven't applied it - it's practically fool-proof! Just remember to wash your hands afterwards unless you want orange palms!

The only problem is it does take a while to develop, maybe 3-4 hours but you can use it just before you go to sleep and when you wake up, ta da, glowing, tanned skin! The tan doesn't last too long and starts to fade very naturally and evenly after two days, which I think is very reasonable.

I was quite concerned when I saw paraffinum liquidum in the ingredients list - using baby oil products bring me out in a red, itch
y rash that takes ages to calm down, and as the only ingredient other than water in baby oil is paraffinum liquidum, I assume that's what I'm allergic to! Fortunately, I didn't have any reaction to this at all - the bottle also states it's hypoallergenic and is dermatologically tested. So it's all good then!


TANNING TIPS
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* Drier areas tend to soak up more colour. To combat this, apply a little moisturiser over areas such as elbows and knees before you put the fake tan on - that way, it'll absorb less product.

* If your tan turns out drastically wrong or there are a few uneven areas, use an exfoliator to try and loosen up the colour. If it's your face that resembles a satsuma, try working a creamy face mask into your skin, rubbing it in rather than leaving it on the surface. Leave it there for about ten minutes, then use a facial scrub. Failing that, stay in the house until the tan fades!

* Do not use it in place of moisturiser because you'll end up applying more to dry areas and less to oily patches, which will result in a patchy tan! If you're using it on your face, be very careful around areas such as your nose, eyes, etc, and if you notice any orangey or streaky bits, use an exfoliator as soon as possible to minimise the damage! You don't want to look like Jordan!

* Exfoliating gets rid of dead skin cells and helps to prolong your tan! You can use a shower puff thing (the ones that are made out of net) if you like, but I'd recommend looking for a decent body scrub You can get quite cheap ones, if you don't want to spend a lot of money.


CONCLUSIO& #78;
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It works well, for a very reasonable price. Even a fake tan novice like me c
an use this without any streaks! The effect is very subtle, and people will probably just think you're looking well rather than tanned, but if you prefer, you can build up the layers for a deeper tan. It's so easy to use and I feel much more confident!

At £6.99 for 200ml, it's good value, and at £1.19, it's amazing! In fact, I'm going down to Boots tomorrow to pick up some more and perhaps try a bottle in Medium for when I go on holiday. I think my fake tan had been reduced so much because Boots have actually revamped the whole Soltan range - mine has the old packaging.

I'd definitely recommend this but I've been wondering - how do the likes of Jordan and Jodie Marsh turn out so orange? I honestly don't understand! What do they do; bathe in the stuff?? Very odd!

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