Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! I'm faking it!!!! (Nivea Self Tan Spray)

Member Name: jo1l

Product:	Nivea Self Tan Spray
Date:	29/08/05 (4008 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Natural looking results

Disadvantages: None

Genetics is an odd business don't you think? For some reason, you'd have thought dark hair, darkish eyes I'd have had skin that wasn't pale. The Irish genes finally came out and gave me skin that doesn't tan and no don't suggest I let myself burn then you'll tan because you know it doesn't work for me and it's not sensible. You know that pale person you saw in arrivals clutching the duty free and the case -well that was probably me or a few years that person who looked red and I'm talking RED erm that was probably me as well. It took me a good few years to realise that nothing on this earth was going to give me a tan you know one of those brown glossy tan that just needs a white T shirt I tried the 6 week sun bed hire prior to the holiday - I came back with a slight golden hue and searching questions of " well if it wasn't raining we know what you've been up to…." One year prior to a holiday ok an hour before leaving for the airport I decided to be brave and use the handy sachet of fake tan I'd got -a posh one as well - Lancôme if I remember. Unfortunately I became tangoed mid point between the UK and Italy After that incident I decided that a tan, real or fake were never going to happen and resolved to stop trying!


My tango moment aboard an Air tours flight will be for ever etched on my sub conscious. The trauma of being pale one moment and a fetching orange -think Max Factor foundation of the 80's and you've got a rough idea of how bad I looked was one of those moments that is recalled with a shudder……..Fast forward a few years and you'd find me clutching another freebie sample now when it comes to beauty products - Lancôme is like the crème de la crème the Sainsbury's of the cosmetics world and I'm stood there with a sachet of Nivea fake tan - I'm no snob but Nivea is your Morrison's of the cosmetic world. And worse still I have this compulsion to actually try this sample. Would I be tangoed in Greece? Reassurance came fleetingly in the fact the sachet did say it was for fair skin -yes those lovely people at Nivea actually do fake tan for us lily white people. Then I wondered if their idea of fair skin was my idea of fair skin? The fact that I had some facial scrub did reassure me slightly -yes I'm even a little scrubber on holiday!


Giving into temptation I decided to rip open the golden yellow sachet and give it a go. On first inspection I noticed the contents were a white lotion with a pleasant clean smelling aroma. The sachet contained about 7mls and a full size bottle is 50ml. It was suggested that you exfoliated prior to use, avoided the hairline and eye brows on application and washed your hands promptly after use. By exfoliating prior to use means that the lotion should be more easily absorbed and give an even all over tan. Throwing caution to the wind I squeezed a small blob onto my hand and smeared the thickish lotion onto my skin and prayed! Cosmetic sponges are handy little items and not wanting to have a stripy face I used mine to evenly spread the lotion around. After using most of the sachet, I smeared a bit onto my shoulders and arms. The lotion was readily absorbed and didn't leave any greasy after film like other lotions can do. It was at this point I did wonder if I was going to either be sporting an orange face or a red raw face from all the exfoliating I'd be doing for the remainder of my holiday.


Fake tan takes time to develop and it was the next morning on peering nervously into the hotel bathroom mirror, I was greeted not by a tango glow but more of a healthy looking glow. Think hint of a tint moisturisers at the pale end of the spectrum and you've got the shade I was. It looked natural and not fake which was what I was hoping for. Given that I still had 2 days left of my holiday I still ensured that a suitable sun factor was used as fake tan does not give you any protection from the sun. My healthy glow lasted for about a week after my holiday and indeed people commented that it most have good weather and I received a polifery of "I thought you never tanned" comments.


Given that I tried this after spending 5 days in the sun I did wonder what it would be like if I tried it when I'd got back to my near normal pale shade of white. Whilst avoiding the perfume counter in Boots yesterday I discovered that Nivea self tan was on special offer. The self tan actually comes in two different versions, one that is dedicated for the face and comes in fair and dark skin types and a version that comes again in fair and dark which for all over body use. When I looked at the instructions for the all over version which comes in a bigger bottle as well I did notice it was exactly the same for the facial tanning version. The Facial bottle contains 50mls, the all over version contains 150mls. I was sold by the fact Boots had the all over lotion on special offer and it was a bigger bottle as well.


Both types of lotion come in a golden yellow bottle, with an easy to pull of cap and sport a pump action dispenser which means you are not going to end up with a great big dollop of the lotion. As with the facial lotion the all over lotion smells pleasant, is readily absorbed and it works! I applied a small amount to my face, arms and chest and within 4 hours was sporting a very natural looking glow. Care should be used when applying any fake tan to area's like elbows, knees and ankles as the skin is far drier in these areas and the lotion can soak up more here leading to orange knee syndrome! Nivea self tan doesn't look fake, it's not over the top bronze which given my skin tone would look hideous. Sun kissed would be the way I'd describe it and I like it! Yes I'm happy faking it after all these years! The only problem I have now is the fact it's raining out side and I look as if I've just come back from a fortnight in the sun……..


Nivea Sun Touch For The Face - 50mls £6.99 in Sainsburys
Nivea Sun Touch Self Tan Lotion -150mls -£5.49 - Boots ( special offer)
Both come in a fair skin and dark skin shade.

Summary: Fake tan minus the streaks abd tango moments!