Fake It Like The Stars (Fake Bake Self Tanning Lotion)

Member Name: blonde_girl774

Product:	Fake Bake Self Tanning Lotion
Date:	22/04/09 (431 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gives a Golden and Natural Tan

Disadvantages: Can Stain Your Bedding!

Now there's something I'm going to share with all of you on DooYoo, I'm a complete fake tan addict and I don't have a problem in telling you that. I think pretty much everyone looks better with a bit of a tan and I'm definitely no exception to that rule. In fact I can't even bare the thought of going on a night out or seeing my friends without a good coating of fake tan to take away that pale and pasty look I seem to sport for about nine months of the year!

I've finally got past the stage of thinking that sun beds are a good idea and now stick to the bottled tan, although whether or not this is scientifically any safer I'm not actually sure. I've been using fake tan for a good few years now and have probably tried over half the fake tans out there. It's just so difficult to find the absolutely perfect fake tan that gives a good colour without it going blotchy, going on unevenly, staining my clothes, staining my hands, etc.

My latest acquisition was a birthday treat as it's certainly one of the higher priced fake tans out there and is the Fake Bake Self Tanning Lotion. Fake Bake originated in America in 1995 and was later launched in the UK in 2001. It was the first self tan to combine naturally derived tanning agents which guaranteed longer lasting and more natural looking results which saw the range become an instant success, especially with the celebrities.

I selected the Fake Bake Self Tanning Lotion as this seemed to be one of the original products and I've always found that I've got the best results with lotions oppose to mousses or sprays. The lotion comes in a dark brown plastic bottle which is a long oval in shape and stands upright on its lid. There is some deep orange writing on the front of the bottle informing you of the brand, the product name and the logo while the back provides more detail.

The bottle itself isn't particularly expensive looking or luxurious looking despite the high price that the brand seems to retail at. The packaging is quite functional, I like the fact that the bottle stands upright on the lid meaning that when you come to squeeze the lotion out you never need to shake the bottle and when you get near the end of the lotion it's always easy to get out. Overall the packaging is nice but not exactly exclusive looking at all.

When I first saw the lotion I was quite afraid to be honest as the colour of it almost matches the colour of the bottle! It's a very dark and rich brown colour which does look almost black in certain lights. It looks a bit like runny treacle to give you a better idea and I was very worried that I'd end up looking like I'd been dipped in treacle! It's got a very false and quite heavy scent about it, it's not really an off putting smell but nor is it overly pleasant.

Onto the application...

* Step 1 *

Before you apply the fake tan there are several things that you are recommended to do which include shaving any areas twenty four hours before, exfoliating all areas and moisturising any dry patches which may result in the fake tan clogging there. They also recommend you don't apply any body spray, deodorant or perfume prior to using this fake tan as that can lead to uneven coverage on those areas.

* Step 2 *

The bottle recommends that you always wear gloves to apply the fake tan and that you start at your neck and working down. You are told to use small amounts and work it into your skin in small circular motions to get the best results. There are certain tips to follow which include apply the tan to the front of your leg with you knee bent, but make sure your knee is straight when applying it to the back of your leg.

* Step 3 *

Once you've covered your body or the areas that you want you need to very carefully remove your gloves and remember to apply the fake tan to your hands as well. After that it's best to remain standing with no clothes on for about ten to fifteen minutes to let the fake tan soak into your body. Then it's recommended that you wear quite loose fitting, dark clothing to ensure that the fake tan isn't rubbed off at all.

* Step 4 *

Apparently it's best to fake tan at night just before bed which is when I normally do it, plus you won't need to use any deodorant or perfume at night... well it's easier to smell at night! This means the fake tan will have six to eight hours to soak into your skin without being rubbed off. When you wake up you'll need a shower to remove all the excess fake tan and reveal your gorgeously tanned skin underneath.

That's basically all there is to it, although my boyfriend does always comment how it's like a major operation when I fake tan! There are a few problems with this method as gloves don't always produce the most even of results and doing it just before bed can result in your bedding becoming rather stained. However I've found it works well for me and I just try to wear long pyjamas whenever I'm fake tanning to avoid staining the bed!

So what's the result like? Well when I first used it I woke up and found a lovely, deep golden tan that was unfortunately very streaky and uneven! However I found that when I showered these streaks seemed to disappear and I was left with a lovely even tan, except on my elbows where it had clogged a little due to dry skin. The colour was very intense; I looked like I'd spent about three weeks in the Caribbean sunbathing all day!

The second time I used it I made sure I moisturised any dry patches before applying it and also diluted the fake tan slightly using a Nivea moisturising cream. I used about one part Nivea and two parts Fake Bake which resulted in my skin feeling really moisturised, the tan colour looking much more natural, and the lotion going a lot further than before! I'd definitely recommend doing this if the colour is too dark for you as it can look a bit much.

One thing that I really rate this fake tan for is the colour that it is when you first apply it, as it's such a dark colour it almost shows where it goes in a sense so you can spot any areas that you've missed. Saying that when you apply it you will find that it goes on quite streaky so don't panic about that as it's all resolved once you have a shower the next day. It's really easy to apply too and sort of glides onto the skin effortlessly.

Apparantly it works by using a "combination of cutting edge, naturally derived tanning agents DHA and Erythulose which work with the melanin cells which lie in the top layers of your skin to develop into a tan that complements you skin tones for a perfectly natural looking result." This does seem true, although I don't understand it at all, as when my friend applies this her tan is lighter than mine but naturally she is much paler than me.

The effects of the tan last about four to five days in total, longer if I remember to moisturise although after about two to three days it can start to go a little patchy. If you want to build up your tan then you can reapply the fake tan every other day although I've a feeling I'd look far too tanned if I did that! Luckily the colour doesn't border on orange at all on me which was a huge relief, just good old natural golden brown tan!

The only downside is that when it does eventually come off, or when you stop reapplying it I tend to find that it sticks to any dry patches on my body. So you can be left with brown elbows but white arms and so on, not overly desirable really. I've not used the Fake Bake lotion for a full week now and it's practically vanished, except I could really do with exfoliating my neck and elbows to get rid of the final remnants of it!

As for the price well it can vary immensely depending where you buy it from. The standard size is 170ml and you can find this online at funkygroup.co.uk for £16.50, at missgroovy.co.uk for £18.95 and at amazon.co.uk for £19.99. If you want to buy it from the high street you'll be looking at around the £20 mark or slightly higher, Debenhams do stock it although I'm not one hundred percent sure of their current prices.

I'm half way through my first bottle and have another bottle to use yet so that should last me well into the summer months. I would certainly recommend this product as it creates the most natural looking tan that I've come across although it is priced at the higher end of the spectrum. I've used some far cheaper products that cost around £5 and found they give good results, but just not as good and not as long lasting as this one.

Thanks for reading.

Summary: Fake Bake's original fake tan that gives you a glowing and natural looking tan.