Hey bronzed beauts
Those loveys who have been keen bean followers from the start will know fo-shoo that I am a mahooosive fake tan fan!! have tried many of the well-known brands, from St Moritz, Fake Bake and St Tropez... I am constantly on ther hunt for the PERFECT fake tan, taking streakiness, smell, price and colour into consideration!
"Where are you aMAZing Belle Fake Tan...?"
And then, lo and behold, the golden goddesses at
Xen Tan UK heard my cries and sent me some of their goodies to try out.
So let's have a look what popped through my letterbox:
Xen Tan Dark Lotion 236ml (£25.95)
Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe 80ml (£18.95)
Xen Tan Body Scrub 236ml (£12.95)
Xen Tan Luxury Tanning Mitt (£3.50)
Eeek...so like an excited puppy at Crufts, I whipped out these beauts and couldn't wait to slap them on and watch the magic happen!
From top left :-
Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe
Xen Tan Body Scrub
Xen Tan Dark Lotion
Firstly, it is vital to exfoliate your skin before you apply any fake tan, so I reached for my body scrub and got a-scrubbing...
The moment I popped this bad boy open, I was overwhelmed by it's 'minty freshness'...it was a little bit like bathing in Colgate! That said, I think it was a blooming good exfoliator. Some exfoliators tend to be a tad abrasive and leave my skin looking a tad raw, but this one didn't. It certainly removed all traces of dead skin and left my skin feeling smooth and well conditioned, and minty fresh!! :)
I think the product is a tad pricey compared to other exfoliators on the market, but you do get 236ml and I only really needed to use 2-3 pumps each session, so it will last me yonks!
(Handy hint: I also used this as a hand wash after I had applied my fake tan. Worked wonders to avoid tangoed palms!)
So, now freshly scrubbed within an inch of my life, it was time to reach for the Creme de la Creme...the dark lotion!
As an 'experienced' tanner in search for the most bronzed look achievable, I was more than happy to be faced with the darkest of Xen Tan's fake tan. However, maybe if you are a newbie fake tanner, or are after a more subtle colour, then have a recky at their products for a lighter tan.
As you can see above, the lotion is VERY dark! Indeedy, tres scary! But please don't fear my little cupcakes, it really doesn't stay that dark as you rub it in. I personally prefer fake tanners that offer an instant colour so you can see exactly where you are applying the products, thus eliminating white bits or streaky patches.
The product rubbed in really smoothly, and I adored the consistency of it. I have always worked with mousses or mists, so was popping my fake tan lotion cherry for the very first time! I am definitely a fan. It is smooth and silky on the skin and you can feel it is also moisturising it too, and won't leave you with patchy dry skin in the next morning.
And OMG girlfriends...did I mention the smell?!
Holy guacamole, it IS divine. It is basically bottled bakewell tart!! Marzipanny heaveness!! Nom nom...it is lush! I am addicted... A lot of fake tanners I have tried either smell foul or just a bit blah, but to find one that actually smells like cake is just awesome! It makes me such a happy bunny to have found such a sweet smelling product. Yum! I applied one layer before beddy byes, wafted around like a zombified bakewell tart for a bit and when I arose, I was more than happy with the results. Firstly, NO streaks, absolutely nadda!
The colour was a gorgeous golden glow, not a pigment of ORANGEYNESS in sight! Amazing!
I examined my pores, as very often fake tanners can clog these up and make them look a bit ming, but again, I honestly could not find anything to make me feel dissatisfied!
I showered the layer off and was left feeling sun-kissed but not in a scary Jordan-esque way. This pleased me, and demonstrates that the Dark Lotion isn't that scary when applied correctly.
It is definitely buildable and I used it for 3 days in a row (showering in between) to build up a really dark, but natural, glowing and even tan...see exhibit A below...I was dead CHUFFED to say the least...
Exhibit A :)
The mitt was a bit blah for me.
I have never used a tanning mitt or glove before when applying my fake tan! Just call me a fake tan maverick! I have never found they allowed you to apply the tan quite as well as the naked palm! And because I apply my tan in stages, I always manage to wash my hands sufficiently in between applications, to avoid any tango palm situation surmounting.
However, always happy to embrace new experiences, I gave the mitt a go and it wasn't as traumatising as I thought it may be! It just didn't fill me with love and warm fluffy feelings like I thought it may!
I love the texture of the mitt, silky soft like little puppy's ears, and it did rub the product it quite well. But I felt I had to use more product that normal because a lot got left on the mitt.
Plus, due to my vigorous rubbing motions, it kept slipping off/twisting round, which was a bit infuriating.
I think if they changed the mitt to fit more snug on the hand OR made it into a glove, I would definitely be more of a fan!
The Face Tanner Luxe = Amaziballs!!
Before Xen Tan magically appeared in my life, I had always tanned my face but used the same fake tan I was using all over the bod, usually mixed with a bit of face moisturiser. It never really wowed me and left my face looking a bit ming and my pores exaggerated times a gazillion. But I felt this process was necessary to blend body and neck to face and make the whole tan look as natural as poss!
So I was more than giddy to try out this beaut.
I had to research what Xen Tan said about this product to confirm what my expectations should be...this is what they say...
"In response to the growing demand for nourishing facial tanners, we've developed FACE TANNER LUXE. New and advanced FACE TANNER LUXE delivers an instant olive colour for a healthy glow in seconds, whilst its skin-loving formula nourishes your skin.
FACE TANNER LUXE builds an intense olive tan with an extra boost of active tanning ingredient DHA, providing the ultimate natural-looking deep tan. With Vitamin E, Ginkgo Biloba, Shea butter and anti-oxidants, its gentle moisturising formula is ideal for everyday use."
All read and understood, I prepped and primped my face ready for application.
As you witnessed above, it does come out quite a gunky, murky greeny brown colour. But please don't be put off by this. Once slapped onto the face and neck area, it leaves a lovely olive (definitely not orange) glow to the skin. The colour develops overnight, much like a fake tan, and then I washed it off in the morning.
It really did leave my skin feeling incredible. Not only did it look good because it seemed like I had just returned from a long sunny weekend in the Costas, but my skin felt amazing. Because this product contains Shea Butter and other fancy sounding stuff, it really does nourish and moisturise the skin too! I use to have some dry patches on my chin that my normal moisturiser would never passify, but since using this for nearly 2 weeks, I can hand on heart say I have never had healthier, glowing skin! I feel plump and so moisturised and it doesn't leave nasty cloggy pores either!!
It is now such a staple in my evening facial routine, and is a product I would definitely repurchase! :)
(excuse the 'just back from the gym' grease slicked hair!)
So there we go honey bees! So sorry about the waffle, but this was my first 'real' review and wanted it to be precise, in depth and reflect my true feelings of the products.
I hope you have found it useful, and any questions or comments, please just tinkle me below and I'll get back to you.
