BlogHer - L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelée - the most genuine way to fake it - Comments

Love the detailed application process

theselftanningqueen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:20:15 -0500

Great review, and I love the application tips. I actually have a blog that focuses on everything self -tanner related! I am in the process of producing a series of videos on application tips and of course I would be more than happy to answer any question. = )

Sinead,

www.selftanningqueen.com

"Orange" you glad you read this self tanner post?

AllinGoodFace — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:54:13 -0500

Sorry, bad pun! You may get pale skin from your ancestory, I received the ability to make really bad puns on the fly.

Seriously, though, I can endorse this self tanner as well and I've tried them all! I love L'Oreal Sublime and it really does live up to it's name.

On a side note, aren't you amazed that people are still frequenting tanning beds!? A 3 story tanning salon just opened in Seattle where I live. 3 stories?! Yes, we are lacking sun here, but do people still use those cancer boxes so much that it warrants three stories of downtown prime real estate. Unbelievable!

Melissa

www.allingoodface.com

The Clumpy Ankler thanks you!

Bearca — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:22:13 -0500

I'll try the lotion trick. Thanks!!

Ankle-area clump stop

lucysspleen — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:14:30 -0500

Dear Clumpy Ankler,

The secret is a bit of lotion first on elbows, knees, and especially ankles. Exfoliate like crazy, then take a bit of lotion and rub it in very well on all your driest bits, then apply your self-tanner in the same order, thus allowing the lotion to set in well before tanning. Ta da! Smoooooth.

Link TextLucy's Spleen

Another trick ...

Shes Gotta Have It — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:08:51 -0500

I have also heard that after applying the slef tanner you can buff it out a bit with a towel [that you don't care to stain of course] ... I haven't tried it yet, but I have high hopes that it will give a smoother more even looking "tan".

Have you guys tried the Jergens Natural Glow Express? That stuff is pretty serious... lol.

Avyanka :)

http://shesgottahaveitnyc.blogspot.com/

thanks

Bearca — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:51:33 -0500

I'll give it a try! I see what you mean about just smoothing the excess from another part of your leg onto the ankle.

This self-tanning business is rather complex, huh?

Ankles are tricky...

NothingButBonfires — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:40:52 -0500

Bearca, I've had this happen to me too. The best advice I can give (aside from the exfoliation -- good call!) is to start the application of your self-tanner at your calves. Rub it all the way around and up and down your leg, then kind of just smooth the excess down around your ankles -- the point is that you're not starting a whole new application around the ankles, you're just using the leftover from your calves, so it's going to be a lot lighter on your skin. Does that make sense? I do the same with my knees, too, because that's another spot that's at risk for streaks. It's kind of a tricky technique but once you do it a few times, you'll get a feeling for how little product you actually need around your ankles and knees to still get the color but not get the streaks.

help me avoid clumpy tan ankles!

Bearca — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:33:26 -0500

I am always looking for a good self-tanner so rest assured I will be buying this one! The one thing I struggle with is getting weird clumpy effects around my ankles, despite aggressive exfoliation. Any advice to avoid that with this product?

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelée - the most genuine way to fake it

NothingButBonfires — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:44:19 -0500

I'll admit it: I'm pale. My mother's side of the family is British and my father's side of the family is Irish and German; add those three heritages together and you've got a pretty pasty-looking family tree. Left to my own devices, I don't really tan very well. Sure, sometimes I'm capable of a little color, but most of the time, I'm not. My skin, in fact, goes from white to red to peeling -- do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not even hover in the "bronzed and glowing" spectrum -- in a matter of days. Bottom line: I need to fake it. I need to fake it bad.

I may have tried every self-tanner you've ever heard of. I've been orange, I've been streaky, I've stained bedsheets, and I've ruined bath towels. In short, I've Oompa-Loompaed my way through 'em all. And while I still believe the all-time best self-tanner on the market may just be Clarins Self-Tanning Instant Gel, sometimes a gal just doesn't have a spare thirty bucks to spend on the fancy stuff. Sometimes, for instance, a gal just wants something cheap and effective that she can throw in the cart at Target.

Well, I've done the legwork for you. Put away the Bain de Soleil and step away from the Banana Boat; the best fake tanner you can buy in the drugstore is L'Oreal's Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelée.

For a start, this won't run you more than ten bucks; it usually costs me $8.99 in my Walgreens in San Francisco, which is more than a third less than all those fancy-schmancy lotions and potions (yes, St. Tropez, I'm looking at you, with your crazy $39 price tag. I've tried you, you know. Verdict? You weren't really worth it.) And since you don't really need very much of this -- that's the key, actually, spread it on nice and thin -- the five ounce bottle will likely last you a whole lot longer than you might expect it to.

The other thing is that this particular magic formula manages -- against all odds -- to do away almost entirely with that very recognizable Eau de Fake that usually goes hand-in-hand with any self-tanning product. With the Clarins, for instance, I'm always aware that I'm wearing fake tan, if only because I can always smell it. With this stuff? I only remember I've used it when I happen to look in the mirror, and only then because I catch myself thinking "Damn, girl! Did you just get back from a week in Aruba?"

Of course, any time you use self-tanner, some fairly hard and fast rules apply, the most important of which, of course, is to exfoliate to within an inch of your life before application. If you're even reading about self-tanner, however, I'm going to assume you've got that one down, so the other thing to remember is to use it sparingly -- the texture is odd at first, sort of like a very smooth and slippery gel, but you get used to it after a while -- and rub it in as much as you can. Personally, I like to rub it in in circles, but I think that speaks more to my neurotic nature than it does to any fail-safe method against streaking.

When you're done, wash your hands to guard against telltale orangey-brown palms -- confession: I forgot to do this once and it wasn't the end of the world; didn't look like I'd been outside playing in dirt or anything -- and then wait a few minutes before getting dressed. Check your email, check your horoscope, whatever, doesn't matter; just make sure you give yourself a little time to dry evenly and you'll be good.

Last thing: to my amazement, I've found that I can use this stuff on my face with very little reaction---no breakout, no shine, nothing. It's great because it means it's an all-in-one-product (no separate "For Faces" formula to buy), but then again, I don't have particularly sensitive skin, so you might want to try it yourself -- preferably not the day before your wedding or high school reunion, just a thought -- and see what happens for your skin.

Bottom line? If you're pale, sunless, and looking to hit the bottle, definitely give this stuff a whirl. You'll get three or four days of very even and genuine-looking color with minimal fuss, no weird smell, and change from a ten dollar bill. Can't argue with that, you know?