Sunshine in a bottle (Johnson's Holiday Skin Body Lotion)

Member Name: kittybuttons

Product:	Johnson's Holiday Skin Body Lotion
Date:	31/05/09 (144 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Guves a healthy glow

Disadvantages: If you're not careful you'll end up streaky

The suns shining outside and it's sunbathing time for most people but unfortunately me + lying in the sun doesn't do anything for my really pale skin, i.e. I end up looking like a lobster! The only way I can get a good tan is either building it up gradually (and there's not much chance with the amount of sunshine we get here!) or getting it out of a bottle.

I'm not a big fan of fake tan out of a bottle as I always end of going really Jodie Marsh style orangey and streaky - that kind of streaky where you check the mirror ten times and don't notice the streaks until half an hour after you've left!

However, when this came out a few years ago, it was getting rave reviews and absolutely everyone was using it from my best friend to my mother and it was sold out everywhere, so I thought I had to give it a go!

The idea of it is that it gradually builds a tan, leaving you with a natural healthy glow. This was a pretty new concept at the time and Johnson's Holiday Skin was the first of it's type. Of course there are now many other types on the market you can try!

The lotion comes in a tall curved yellow bottle with a picture of some palm leaves on and it claims that it provides '24 hour moisturisation and gradually builds a beautiful, light tan.' There are two versions - a lighter one and one for darker skin.

The lotion itself is white and goes on clear like a normal body lotion. This can provide the first problem as you can't see where you have put it like with other self tans but as it is light and gradual building, it isn't too much of a problem.

It has quite a strong smell to it, very similar to other self tans, not unpleasant. A lot of people don't like it but I do as it reminds me of my summer holidays!

You don't need too much of it, to do your whole body you would probably need about 2 tablespoons worth so it should last you a while. As it is a body lotion as well, it moisturises and does leave your skin feeling lovely and soft. To apply it, just massage it into your skin like a normal body lotion.

When you wake up the next morning you can barely notice the difference but there is definitely a slight hint of colour. You repeat every night, or every other night and the tan is gradually built up to a glow.

From reading other reviews I have found that there are a lot of mixed feelings out there about this, with many people saying that it is streaky and drys patchy. When I first used it, yes I was a bit streaky but then I found out how to stop this -

Firstly apply it very sparingly. Don't put a huge glob on your hand like you would with any other moisturiser. Make sure it is rubbed it so your skin isn't left too 'wet.'

Be very careful around your ankles as this is where you are most likely to get streaks and don't apply it to your neck, it doesn't tan much naturally and it will look wrong.

Make sure it drys before you go to bed, it will only take about 5 - 10 minutes and try to wear minimal clothes as you are waiting for it to do this, preferably nothing!

Make sure you use the light one if you are not too sure. The dark one definately did me no favours!

For the first few nights, apply it every night until it builds up to the desirable level. After you hit this level, if you want to keep it up then make sure you apply it every other night or every three nights otherwise it will go past healthy glow to obviously fake.

Make sure you don't get it on your nice clothes and whatever you do don't drop it on your carpet. I have a brown mark on my cream carpet that I couldn't figure out for 3 months - it goes on white so you won't notice it until it has tanned the floor!

Oh and if you ever get fake tan on your hands, toothpaste washes it off!

Johnson's Holiday Skin is available from all supermarkets for £4.45 for a 200ml bottle.

Summary: Johnson's Holiday Skin