First off, is Body Meringue not an awesome name for a product? Love it!

This cutely-named pink can is one of the latest in ModelCo's stable of excellent self-tanning products (remember my experience with Tan in a Can? Awesome tan, but the shower looked like a scene straight out of Psycho!).

Body Meringue is a triple threat: it provides an instant, shimmery bronze glow, delivers a light faux tan within a few hours, and claims to have firming properties that reduce the appearance of cellulite (regular readers will know that I don't bother to comment on any body products' firming claims, since I usually don't believe them. But, a little potential firming action never hurt anyone!).

When I uncapped the can, the first thing I thought was, "is this tanner, or Reddi Wip?" It has a notched nozzle that's eerily similar to a can of whipped cream. I shook it up and sprayed some into my palm; what came out was a very lightweight mousse that looked quite like a charming little meringue. But...where was the promised bronze glow? It looked more like a pale peach shade in my hand.

But then I smoothed some onto my leg and POOF! It was shimmery bronze. I don't know if it's micro-encapsulated pigment or just that the mousse disguises the bronze bits at first, but it was definitely peach in my hand, bronze on my leg.

I wouldn't say that the shimmer in this product is work safe -- it's definitely noticeable -- but it won't leave you looking like a disco ball, either. The shimmery bits are VERY fine and the mousse formula helps them distribute evenly over your skin.

Like other mousse tanners I've tried, Body Meringue dried fairly quickly, allowing me to get dressed and go on my merry way. There was a little bit of "glitter transfer" onto my clothes during the day, but nothing major.

I tried Body Meringue on my legs only for the first go-round, and by the end of the day, they were noticeably darker than the rest of my body. It is a gradual tanner, so don't expect immediate St. Tropez-level results, but it performs on the level of my favorite L'Oreal Sublime Glow in Medium. For impatient people like me, "noticeable after one day" is a must, even with these gradual tanners. This one's a winner!

Snag your own can of Reddi Wip, I mean, Body Meringue, for $38 at Beautyhabit.