.:: CybeleSays ::.

I was so excited to try this new VITA LIBERATA Phenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Mousse ($54/4.22oz @ sephora.com). Is this the new wave of self-tanners?? Could it be that a 2 to 3 week self-tanner is amongst us now and this one is leading the way??

The only way to really tell was to give this one the solid test – apply a round Band Aid on my skin, apply the tanner and then see how the colors lasts over the coming weeks.

What it is: Long-lasting color with a perfect fade—every time. Using pHenO2 technology, this advanced luxury mousse gives an immediate and long-lasting, golden result with a completely odorless, light, airy, and instantly dry application. Easy to use with a beautiful bronze finish, it nourishes the skin with marine and organic botanical extracts that allow the tan to last up to four times longer than regular tans.

My take: While this one had almost no self-tanner smell to it and it gave a great shade of tan, one of the best I’ve ever used and no orangey what-so-ever! But sadly, by my testing, it didn’t last even 1 week (I did what I call the Band-aid test. I put a round Band-aid on my belly and apply the tanner as usual and then see how it fades over time). I believe for the price this one should last longer than it did. Available in Fair, Medium and Dark.

Bottom line: While I love the natural color it instills on my skin and lack of strong tanning scent, the claim of 2 to 3 weeks kept ringing in my head an since I didn't get that longevity, I'm not sure I would recommend this for that reason alone. If $$$ is no object, then for sure pick this one up.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

JERGENS Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer ($9.99/6.25oz @ drugstore.com) – the Kings of build-a-tan comes a foam (fun!) and they just reformulated them to remove the common self-tanner odor (yeah!). Choose from Fair to Medium and Medium to Tan.

KATE SOMERVILLE Somerville360º Face Self Tanning Pads ($45/12 pads @ sephora.com) – they took their self-tanning formula and put it in these wicked easy to use pad pods. Just slip three fingers into the sleeve and work into your skin. Not only do they leave a nice natural color in just 2 to 4 hours but no stink!

Makeup bronzers on the face can be a little tricky so hopefully these recommendations will help out.

TARTE Park Ave Princess Bronze & Glow Matte Bronzer & Cheek Tint ($32 @ tartecosmetics.com) – loving this 2-in-1 matte bronzer and cheek tint. The liquid bronzer shouldn’t scare you as it’s on the tamer side and the cheek tint is a coral on the slight shimmer side.

ESTEE LAUDER Luminous Liquid Bronzer from the Bronze Goddess Collection ($28.50 @ esteelauder.com.com) – this is a more serious liquid bronzer and I tried it a few times on my face but since I’m not the best at applying these, I found it better on my arms and shoulders. Go figure!

BARE ESCENTUALS bareMinerals Warmth All-Over Face Color ($19 @ bareescentuals.com) – if you are better at wielding the powder form, this might be a better choice for you. Great for practicing your “3” technique on the face (start at the temple, drag the brush to the cheeks and then down to the jawbone).

They always say to exfoliate prior to applying self-tanner but it’s hard to know which scrub is the best. I don’t think you are supposed to use one with any oils in it because that may affect the tanner’s absorption, right? Glad that someone thought of this conundrum and it’s the VERSASPA brand. Each product includes 3 key ingredients: vitamin D3, Avocado Oil, and Caffeine and have 3 products out of the 5 available in getting the right looking and lasting self-tan:

Sunless PRO Pre-Tan Exfoliant ($32/6.4oz) – this one gently gets rid of dead skin calls and contains alpha hydroxyl acids to help you get the most even tan you can.

Sunless PRO Tanning Bronzer ($48/7.8oz) – the formula infuses vitamin D3, Caffeine, and Avocado Oil and will apply at any odd angle, which they call a 360º ability. Nice! They also recommend using this one in-between professional sunless tanning sessions.

Sunless PRO Post-Tan Moisturizer ($/7.8oz) – This is a moisturizer you apply daily to extend the color. It’s tinted and also contains some of the same ingredients as the Bronzer like vitamin D3, Caffeine and Avocado Oil. Make sure you get the most out of your next tan! All @ versaspa.com.

Oh and did I mention that these give off a great bronzy color on the skin? It looks totally natural! Can't believe I almost forgot to mention the most important part of this brand!

Rarely am I confused by a beauty product but this 60 Minutes Self-Tan Liquid from FAKE BAKE has me a little perplexed. I get it that the formula reaches it full glow within 60 minutes but what I don’t get is that you can adjust the depth of the color. Basically, after 60 minutes, if you are not satisfied, leave it on for another 60 minute and then wash off. Well I’m not much of a direction reader (I inherited this trait from my father) so I just put it on, and kept it on, and didn’t wash it off and got a nice medium dark tan on my legs, which is where I always test first. Maybe I’m not their target person to try this one out as I can’t see why anyone would want a light tan as like I said, this one left some medium color on me. Nothing outrageous.

The lotion is colored so it “shows where it goes,” as they call it, and it doesn’t have any strong self-tanner scent to it, which is usually what you have to tolerate those first 24-hours. $31.99/8oz and mitt @ fakebake.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I’m beginning to think that self-tanners are as personal as foundation when it comes to the colors and if it works for my tone. I can’t think of any one product that has worked for just about everyone except the Proactiv line but I digress.

So how did this one from FAKE BAKE do? Read more after the jump!

Click here to read more

Being that it’s the beginning of November, who’s thinking of tanning? Well living in LA, the legs are still showing as well as the arms, so Must. Have. Color! I feel like INFINITY SUN’s new Glow on the Go is a new level of self-tanner. It is a really fine mist and I tried it twice and felt like I didn’t get much color so I came up with an idea. I put a 1” piece of tape on my upper thigh, which is quite pale right now, and then misted that area and wow, nice realistic color and it lasts quite a few days! It for sure is not like any other self-tanner I have used in that you can’t see where you just applied the tanner, just a nice glow of color. $40/5oz @ infinitysun.com.

I think I may have found my go-to self-tanner for the summer. It’s PERFEKT BEAUTY’s new Body Perfection Gel in Tan. As the names states, it is a matte body gel that they call it an alternative to tanners, bronzers and even pantyhose but I call it a tanner, or at least the Tan color is though I am curious about the other colors too. It looks like chocolate cake mousse or frosting, coming out of the tube and when it’s smeared onto the skin and it blends really well. It simply looks the most natural and true to life and the secret is their ingredient, Isododecane, an emollient and skin conditioner that helps maintain hydration by locking in moisture and making the skin feel like this one feels on my face. Smooth, but that’s just due to the silicones inside.

It’s easy to apply and seems to work on dry areas, as in, it won’t appear darker in those areas, which is amazing as I have a perpetually dry patch on my right ankle. It contains hyaluronic microspheres to hydrate and ceramides and Shea Butter to make your skin actually look better too.

And like other self-tanners, don’t use any lotion before apply it on the skin. $48/3oz @ perfektbeauty.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I’m really into self-tanners right now and I kind of know what that girl on MTV’s “I’m Addicted to Tanning” feels like, well, only a little bit. But it’s true, everyone does look a little better with a little color so I’ve been trying quite a few out lately.

One that I’m loving on me bod right now is BEAUTISOL’s Summer Glow Dark Self-Tanning Lotion ($38.95/6oz). It really does look as realistic as it gets! I’ve applied some of this about 6 times now and it really blends nicely and lasts a few days. Like this one, it too contains their Pure Scent odor eliminating fragrance technology, which is supposed to reduce the typical odor by 80%. So while it doesn’t eliminate it altogether and I can still smell it for the first 24-hours, it is worth it for the color it leaves behind.

As a reminder, to get the best out of a self-tanner, you should exfoliate first and the line has a nice one called Go Slough Yourself ($19/4oz), which uses polyethylene beads to do the exfoliating.

Overall, when it comes to self-tanners, using rubber gloves is a no-no. I find I simply can’t blend the color into my skin good enough when I’m wearing them. I know, I know, tanner under nails is not sexy but I just make sure I only use my palms when applying. I mean do people really treat tanner like a hand lotion and get it all over when applying? If you do or don’t, just make sure you use a really coarse salt or sugar scrub immediately after applying the tanner with your hands. Have you even had a problem with rubber gloves? Get both products @ beautisol.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I love the effect of a self-tanner but I am not really down with the whole process; it is really more of a choir then delightful process. But when I saw the Faux Tan from BARE ESCENTUALS, which has been around for a spell (as my Gramma used to say), and the accompanying brush, I became totally interested in it. A boring self-tanner with a cool looking brush. I’m in! QVC just debuted a 16oz Faux Tan with the amazing Deluxe Tan Brush two weeks ago and I just read some of the comments and people seem to be loving the brush too! 

Faux Tan – no orange here, just sun-kissed color. The formula is really dark but don’t worry, it’s just tinted so you know where you are applying it and can do a good job when it comes to coverage. The color develops in a few hours and lasts 5 to 7 days.

Deluxe Tan Brush – For me, this is what really makes this product (that's why I made it extra big in the photo) because I am so poor at applying self-tanners! It stands about 3 inches tall and 2” round and the bristles are densely packed so you can really buff the lotion on your skin evenly. I don’t know of any other brand that includes one with their tanner but it’s totally worth it. And I wonder if they will ever sell this by itself.

I think one other thing to make note of is the lack of the usual self-tanner smell. Did I miss something here? I didn’t really notice a strong smell and the only other one I’ve come across where this is the case is this one two weeks ago. Wow, we have really evolved into a new era of self-tanners!

And this one didn’t win QVC’s Customer Choice Beauty Award for Sunless Tanner for 2010 for nuthin’!

$55/16oz + brush @ qvc.com.

This product contains Propylparaben, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern.

Read my ingredient disclaimer here.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.