I first discovered St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Bronzing Lotion the summer of 2005, when I was in Greece for my friend M's wedding (note: back then it was called Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion). After a summer of tanning, M had a patch of skin on her shoulder that peeled 2 days before the big day. I was fully expecting her to panic, but she just whipped out her bottle of St. Tropez and insisted she could match her natural tan and cover up the pale patch for the wedding.
I scoffed.
I was wrong.
St. Tropez delivered a flawless, even tan for M's wedding, and I've been using it myself ever since. Unfortunately, some (ok, many) aspects of this product are rather off-putting. It's a tinted lotion that looks like Hershey's syrup out of the dispenser, looks streaky when applied, gets everywhere, and smells abominable. But the color it delivers is unmatched. Despite the streaks you might see as the product dries, the tan underneath is never streaky - just perfect, with no orange glow either (St Tropez has more of a pinky-brown look, if you will).
If you have a little patience - and some time to walk around the house in the buff while you dry - St. Tropez is truly worth the effort. My tips:
- Apply St. Tropez before you go to bed; you'll need to leave it on for about 8 hours, and doing it while you sleep will keep you away from any white furniture which YOU WILL RUIN just by looking at it;
- Do your tanning the night before you're planning to wash your sheets! They will be brown, even if you're fully dry when you get in;
- Invest in a bottle of the Self Tan Remover; St. Tropez will stain your hands, so as soon as you're done, scrub away!
- If you're traveling, seal up your bottle in a plastic Ziploc bag.
Scent: 2
Color: 5
Texture: 5
Drying Time: 3
Neatness: 2
Bonus Points: 5 (because the color is JUST THAT GOOD)
Total Rating: 22/30*
*I amended the rating today; meant to give 5 bonus points for the color!
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