Self tanning

[Tia4]

Hi everyone! Before I go shopping tomorrow, is there TRULY a self tan product which smells nice? I think I'd prefer the gradual type "with a touch of ...) as I'm very fair skinned. The smell has always put me off in the past. Any recommendations please?

Thank you!

Tia.

[onadifferentplanettoday]

I am very fair and have had a few disasters in the past,but have recently bought Garnier Summerbody and it's the best I have used no streaks and really natural looking and smells nice too. Got mine half price in Tescos.

[Tia4]

Wow! thank you for the speedy reply! Will definitely buy that today :)

Tia.

[wendihouse22]

I've tried them all as have real difficulty with the sun......need anti histamines to go on holiday! Can recommend the Dove gradual tan but get the medium/dark, even though you're pale otherwise you'll be using a lot of product. The Garnier is good too.

Best self tan for no smell? St Tropez self tan mousse......expensive But lasts forever. Xen Tan off Feelunique website bot is a little more difficult to apply. Both these brands do gradual tan formulae.

[Shhhh]

I hate st tropez.. I feel weighted with it on and as though im covered in something awful iykiwm...
BUT from Boots take a look at makebelieve. I always go back to this as its fantastic.
Easy to apply, I never have streaky bits or missed bits as its so subtle but you build on it by applying daily.
Smells fantastic.. Easy to apply quickly and I apply it every day even on a morning then rush out with the kids...

I am about to try XEN TAN, just ordered it after so many people telling me how fab it is... I will see...

Good luck x

[HouseOfBamboo]

I always thought ANY fake tan that develops over time - even the gradual ones - contain DHA?

DHA is the stuff that smells - it doesn't matter how nice it smells when it goes on, the DHA will release its pong eventually!

Having said that I think St Tropez claim to have an ingredient that reduces the DHA pong by 70% - haven't tried it though.

The only way to be pong-free is to go for the wash off make-up type ones I think. I have this one 24ct Silken Shimmer by Vita Liberata which seems fine - you can get it cheaper than this at Cheap Smells. If you do order any make sure it's the right one as Vita Liberata do conventional (smelly) fake tan too and their product names are confusingly similar.

[HouseOfBamboo]

Found this link on another thread, might be useful:

Guardian article

[Butterbur]

I have used the Vita Liberata Silken chocolate fake tan. It's slightly tinted, so you have some idea of where you've put it.

It doesn't have that biscuity smell, and developed into a streak-free natural coloured tan on my purplish white legs. It's the only product that has ever worked for me.

[Tia4]

Thanks to all of you! I have bought the Garnier one and also the Dove as recommended. I liked the sound of the Boots one too but it is a bit pricey for me.

Will come back and give my verdict in a couple of days.

Thanks again,

Tia.

[wendihouse22]

Just to say.... The St Tropez Mousse self tan (can't speak for the lotion as never tried) goes on easily and feels like, well, nothing on your skin. Dries quickly and to me, there was no real smell. I put on my usual body lotion after shower and smelt fine. Also, there was no Turin Shroud mark on my cream bedding. The Vita Liberata one, which I love, left a full body imprint of me on the sheets.

Will definiately continue with the St Tropez Mousse.

[Shhhh]

tia4, if you are able to treat yourself at a later date then ime do so... I find that fake tans/mositurisers at the lower price end £4 are not a good as those priced £20+.

[wendihouse22]

I agree. The more expensive ones tend to last longer and fade more realistically, with care.

[porcamiseria]

buy cheap, be orange

I use clarins OK its 20 quid but its works and it smells lovely and lasts ages

[HouseOfBamboo]

- I just don't get it... how can anything with DHA in smell lovely? It might do at first, till The Smell starts to develop - then they all smell the same.

I've just rushed off to whack on a bit of St Tropez Everyday (the so called 'gradual' tan that you're supposed to subject yourself to every day) just to check - again - that it stinks, and it DOES.

It's not even a 'biscuity' smell - not like any biscuit I've ever eaten anyway. It's just that rank chemically fake tan smell. Maybe my nose is weird, or my skin...

[wendihouse22]

I think it depends on the shelf life of the product as well. Some products may be a couple of years old. Sat in sunlight or just gotten too hot..... That's what the lady at Boots told me, anyway.

My new St Tropez doesn't smell. At all.

[HouseOfBamboo]

I dunno - I think it might be me actually. Apparently the DHA smell is worse on some people than others depending on the amount of collagen in the skin.

Honestly and truly EVERY fake tan product I have ever tried smells exactly the same on me - cheap, expensive, lotion, spray etc. Even the 'gradual' ones with less DHA smell very strong. Yes they might briefly smell of the perfumed lotion they come in, but then the DHA takes over very quickly.

It would be interesting to try that new St Tropez as that is supposed to have a smell neutraliser though. The St Tropez I have on definitely doesn't!

[wendihouse22]

Maybe this St Tropez Mousse IS a new product. Smell wise, best ever IMO. Maybe, as I'm an old lady pushing 50, I'm losing collagen and it doesn't smell as bad on me!

[Butterbur]

Wendihouse, it's good idea to wash yourself before going to bed, with the Vita Liberata one, asit's tinted, and the tint DOES come off especially if you put Bio Oil on just before you get into bed. It washed off our white sheets OK though.

[wendihouse22]

I like to put it on after a shower before bed though. Then shower in the morning. That's why the St Tropez Mousse is better for me. Not as strong a guide colour as the VitaLiberata. iMO.

[gourd]

The only self tanning lotion I like is actually an after sun lotion with a hint of self tan - Laboratoire Garnier after sun "hydrating tan maintainer" (tan intensifier). It does smell slightly but as it is quite subtle (it has only a small amount of DHA) it's not too smelly. It's the only one I've used that doesn't stain the bed sheets. It does do what it says on the tube pretty well - "intensifies and prolongs suntan". Maybe that's more what you're after, if you're fair, rather than a full-on tango orange attack type thing!

[HouseOfBamboo]

I stuck my St Tropez'd arm under DH's nose the other night and said 'what does that smell of?'. 'Curry?' he replied, wrinkling up his nose.

(I hadn't been eating any btw, and my non-St-Tropez'd bits did not smell of curry...).

[Mumelie]

In my experiance any of the lotion/cream/mouse fake tans smell (and on me I liken it to babies nappies!). The spray ones dont and I find are far more even and easy to apply. Try this one

[wendihouse22]

Oh gawd....makes me wonder if there's something wrong with my nose!

I had mine on last night.....smells a bit cucumber-ish initially and this morning....no residue smell at all. The Mousse is fairly new, I think. And it has that new "70% less odour" thing in it. It works.

I used the original lotion years ago and hated the after smell. I think they've improved it, big time!

[HouseOfBamboo]

This blog is interesting beautyaddict blogspot - how self tanners work and why

I do get irrationally irritated by all the claims that if only you buy this or that brand or formulation, spend x amount of money, exfoliate etc etc, then all the pongy problems will miraculously disappear.

EVERY no-wash-off fake tan contains DHA which is what makes the smell. I'm willing to consider the fact that St Tropez may have added something which neutralises it to some extent (but remain totally unconvinced till I've tried it ).

I think I'm mainly irritated because I've wasted so much money over the years. You either 'get on' with the smell of DHA or you don't, imo. The lotions and potions they couch it in are immaterial.

[KatieScarlett2833]

St Tropez 3 for 2 at Boots here. Sniffs arm, no curry smell here.....