Calypso SPF2 deep tan oil - grab some before they make it illegal! (Calypso)

Member Name: k4ssie

Product:	Calypso
Date:	17/06/09 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gorgeous smell, low sun factor, perfect for tan maintenance

Disadvantages: You will get wrinkly. You know it, i know it, but i still do it.

As I may have mentioned in previous reviews, i'm an avid sun worshipper, and i usually dispose of my natural blue tinge with a long haul holiday towards the end of the winter. Once i'm back in the UK, I need a sun product as much for the moisturising properties as for UV protection, especially on arms and legs where the sun seems to have very, very little impact on my skin.

Consequently i'm always on the lookout for low factor products, which these days seem to be practically banned - i'm showing my age here, but in the 80s when i was a kid, factor 6 was considered "high". These days it's the lowest that many ranges go to. I think this is bizarre, because if the only option i have is between Factor 15 and nothing, i'll go with the nothing. Anyway, my health endangering tendencies duly noted, I was delighted to discover Calypso deep tanning carrot oil with the delightful factor of a mere 2, in my local Wilkinsons recently.

Calypso are a budget brand available through Wilko's and (i think) Matalan. They produce a full range of sun products including the normal high factor creams, but also a good range of "dry oil" type products in the lower factors - 2, 4 and 6.

The 250ml bottle is clear plastic apart from the label, with a bright orange pump spray top. According to the label, in addition to the F2 protection, the oil also provides vitamins A and E plus Carrot Oil and moisturisers to keep skin hydrated and supple whilst tanning.

~ In use ~

The oil itself actually is slightly orange when sprayed onto the skin, but this just acts as a very slight intensification of your existing tan once you've rubbed it in.

It
Smells
Deeeeeeelicious.

Again this might be an 80s thing, but the scent is just what retro suntan oil should be - it's what the Wham! Club Tropicana video would have smelt like. Coconut and pineapple, but in that entirely unnatural way that convinces you no living item was harmed in the production of this oil! I love it, but i would suggest anyone thinking of buying this should unscrew the top and take a quick sniff before buying, cos it could be a "love it or hate it" response for most.

A quick rub over the skin, and it feels very briefly oily, but on my skin is quickly absorbed, providing a really good softening and moisturising effect. You'd have to be a bit crazy to use this before you already had a fairly decent tan, but that being the case, the factor 2 works well enough for a little bit of protection and to help keep the tan even. I also need a lot less after-shower moisturiser at the end of the day, as the oil is so nourishing that the effects last really well.

Oh and a final thing - the bottle cost about £2.60, so it's a bargain, too.

Overall, i love this stuff, and i really hope it won't become impossible to find over the next few years. Use it sensibly - when you already have a tan, are not in the depths of the tropics, and alongside a high SPF on delicate areas (shoulders and chest, for me) and it really will help take care of your skin. Not as much as staying indoors with the blinds drawn, no, but if you're going to be outside then at least give your skin some TLC.

Summary: Brilliant retro tanning experience!