.:: CybeleSays ::.

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!

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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.

The faux tan is on as in if you need or want color, ditch the tanning beds and give a self-tanner a whirl.
Each one new one that comes out is just better than the last and this next one proves my theory! It’s BEAUTISOL Need I Glow More? Face Self-Tanner and what’s interesting is that when I tried one for the face last year, it burned my face – made it all red. So needless-to-say, I didn’t use it again. The Beautisol PR person told me it had been reformulated and asked me to try it, so why not? I picked a day where I had nothing going on to try it out initially.

So how did it go? Click below to find out!

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I’m kind of a moron when it comes to self-tanners. I can never seem to get it just right and end up with some areas darker than others so NIVEA’s new Sun-Kissed Beautiful Legs Shave Minimizing Gradual Tan Moisturizer is right up my alley as I don’t think anyone can mess it up! As the name states, it’s a gradual one that builds a natural looking tan with everyday use. And this one has an added bonus of not only moisturizing but also somehow making “hair less noticeable.” I have no idea what that means and didn’t really see the hair on my legs and could not figure out which ingredient was able to do that so I’m shrugging over that one. But if you are looking for a natural looking buildable color for your skin, this is a good one to try. Available in Fair to Medium and Medium to Dark for $9.99/6.7oz @ cvs.com.

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

Have you ever wondered just how self-tanners work? I mean, if you think about it, the result is quite amazing. So I did a little research and found that the majority of self-tanners include an ingredient called dihydroxyacetone or DHA, a “… colourless 3-carbon sugar that when applied to the skin causes a chemical reaction with amino acids in the surface cells of the skin producing a darkening effect.” (source). So is this the ingredient that makes is smell so bad? From what I can gather, yes. It’s what the reaction (it) smells like. Eww. But like everything in beauty, there is always someone trying to improve what’s out there. Here are two that I think do it well and they are both what I call spray and wash (come off with soap and water), so you won’t have to worry about the smell.

ST. TROPEZ Instant Glow Mousse ($22.50/4oz) and Instant Glow Body Lotion ($18/5oz) both give a realistic sun-kissed tan. @ sttropeztan.com. I’m also liking VICTORIA’S SECRET limited edition Flawless Airbrush Instant Bronze Body Spray ($12/4oz @ victoriassecret.com) from the Beach Sexy Collection. Another one that gives some great natural looking color.

So now that we’re full into summer, tanning is in full swing. Thankfully I’ve never been one to enjoy sitting out in the sun so I try and get my color other ways and one is in a can. I’m lucky enough to not be stark white but I do like a little color here and there. Once in a while I visit a tanning salon to get a Mystic Tan but that adds up after a while so for this summer, at least, home self-tanners is going to be the norm. One that’s been buzzing lately is called BEAUTISOL (formerly know as Antidote Skincare) and the main selling point of this one is their patented Smell Right fragrance technology. If you use self-tanners, you know how bad they can smell but this brand is able to neutralize about 80% of the odor! I tried their All Seasons Glow and it gave a real subtle wash of color to my skin. It’s a gradual to medium color and the color is totally buildable over a couple of days. Now I’m not great at applying these, especially around the ankles and elbow and I usually end up getting a streaky finish with most of them. But with this one, nothing of the sort! I was quite delighted.

Sadly, I can’t recommend this one to use on the face as it made my face quite red within the first 5 minutes of putting just a little on. In all of the 9 years of doing this site, I’ve only had this happen one other time from a face mask from MAC. Remember when they put one out about 6 years ago? Anyway, I probably wouldn’t recommend this one at all since it burned my face (gotta find out what ingredient this is that just doesn't agree with my face!) but it really did leave a nice wash of color on my body that I am going to look past the face mishap. Just be sure to do a spot test before applying it all over! $39/6oz @ beautisol.com.

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