Dove Summer Glow vs Palmers Natural Bronze

It's the world heavy weight bout between Dove Summer Glow Gradual Tanner for fair to medium skin and Palmers Natural Bronze body lotion, who will come out on top?  Let the fight begin... place your bets now!

ROUND 1

The Smell off

Dove Gradual Tanner has a fairly nice sweet smell, not a fake tan hue but nothing spectacular either.

Palmer's Natural Bronze also smells sweet, lovely like Cocoa Butter. A real Delight

Winner

Palmer's Natural Bronze

ROUND 2

Texture Time

Dove Gradual Tanner is really lovely and thick. You feel like you are giving your body a good moisture boost. The down side of this is that it takes quite a while to dry and remains slightly tacky.

Palmer's Natural Bronze is slightly less thick than the Dove. It dries a lot quicker leaving behind a smooth finish, no stickiness here!

Winner

Palmer's Natural Bronze

ROUND 3

The Final Colour Challenge

Dove Gradual Tanner definitely gives your body a good tan after one application. However for me it is slightly on the orange side and partial to streaking if not blended well. Easily build able, after 2 applications there is a significant colour change.

Palmer's Natural Bronze gives your body a very good tan after the first application. No streaking and a more natural colour, less orange and more olive.

Winner

Palmer's Natural Bronze

ROUND 4

The Price is Right

Dove Gradual Tannner £2.49

Palmer's Natural Bronze £5.35

Winner

Dove Gradual Tanner

OVERALL OPINIONS

I did like the Dove Gradual Tanner and would have bought it again had I not tried the Palmer's natural Bronze. I would say that The Palmer's is better all round, especially for fair skinned beauties. However, at £2.49 the Dove is a great bargain priced alternative that does the job.

Dove Summer Glow has been knocked to the floor! It's a victory for Palmer's Natural Bronze!!


Have you tried either of these?

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REVIEW | Vita Liberata pHenomenol 2-3 week Tan in Fair*

I have seen and heard so much about the Vita Liberata 2-3 week tan for a year. Often seeing it in store, looking at the price (£37) and being put off buying it. The price wasn't the only reason I was unsure about it, the other reason was the promise of the 2-3 week tan. I thought to myself, golly if it is the wrong colour or if I put it on wrong I am going to have to look that way for up to 3 weeks. This was not something that appealed to me.

So when I was given the opportunity to review the product I was intregued and decided to take the plunge. It would either go one way or the other.

I received the Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 week long lasting tan Mousse in Fair. The product comes in a metallic violet box which looks fairly tall and slim. Inside the box is a dark brown bottle with lid and spout which you push down for the mousse to expell. This design is very much similar in shape and function to a lot of other tanning mousse bottles like St Tropez and St Moritz.  They seem to do a good job of releasing the right amount of product.  I also received the Vita Liberata Tanning mitt which is recommended for use in applying the mousse.

I applied the tan as directed, after exfoliating, and using the mitt. Now on the packaging it distinctly states "no streaking and no smells". The no streaking part is absolutely true. I did not have one streak or uneven patch. The second claim, "no smells", is a huge claim to make.  Most products have some smell and this one is no exception. Although it doesn't have the usual fake tan stinky biscuit odour it smells to me of something pickled. It isn't awful or offputting, just different. Once applied to the skin the odour fades very quickly and is unnoticable after half an hour or so.

The application of this product is incredibly easy. It glides on beautifully with no crumbling or stickiness. It feels very light and absorbs in an instant. You would think this could cause a problem with blending but it doesn't at all. In fact I did half my arm went off to answer the phone and 5 minutes later finished the rest of my arm with absolutely no problem.  A gorgeous silky streak free finish. I was so pleased with the absorbtion and imediate colour that I put on my clothes and went out straight away feeling great. Wow the first self tan which actually does dry immediately.

Straight after applying Vita Liberata 2-3 week tan in Fair

One thing I really like about this product is the colour. It is quite different to most other mousse tanners or lotion tanners for that matter. A lot of these are "olive toned" and use a green colour to counteract any orange, which is lovely and I have had no problem with that. However, what I have realised since using Vita Liberata is that the colour of this product is far more suited to my natural fair skin tones.  I can not put my finger on why exactly, but it appears to have less green tones to it. Which suits my blue undertoned skin far better.

I applied the tan at 3pm on Friday 2nd August and bathed 9 hours later at 11pm that night. Throughot those 9 hours I had developed a beautiful golden tan. I was slightly concerned that a lot of it may disappear down the plug hole but in fact the bath water only marginly chained colour, leaving me with a lovely natural tan. I did notice some grabbing at the knees and elbows and noted that I needed to apply moisturiser in those areas before reapplying. After this first coat I was so pleased that I didn't want to 'spoil' my new tan by reapplying, but I was revewing the product so knew I had to follow the 'rules' and reapply to get that 2-3 week tan I was hoping for.

One coat down, the next one went on with exactly the same streak free silky finish. Off I went to bed ready to begin my 2-3 week tan. 

Day 1

I showered leaving a beautiful golden colour to my skin. It wasn't twice as dark with 2 coats in fact there wasn't a huge amount of difference from 1 but I was very happy as I liked the colour after the 1st coat. So off I went for lunch with the girls to be told I was a "lovely colour". It was going down well. The only slight problem was the grabbing at my knees.

Day 2

I feel like my skin is softer than yesterday and looks like I have been away for a month. Brilliant. Moisturising my skin daily.

Day 3

Had a bath and gave my knees a scrub. Looking a bit better now. Gave my skin a rub with a face cloth, with most tanners by day 3 the 'rub test' would reveal some crumbling. No crumbs here.

Day 4

Bathed and noticed very slight fading. Very slight residue on towel but nothing severe.

Day 7

Keep checking my skin for signs of fading or uneveness. Can't see any that are noticable but it does look lighter than when I first applied it.

Day 13

Very faint tan left. Will hold out and see what happens.

Day 14

nearly gone, time to reapply!!

As you can see above, there is very little colour difference between day 1 and day 3. By day 10 there was still a slight tan left and that didn't fade much more leading up to day 14 when I reapplied. The tanner does fade but very slowly and evenly. So evenly in fact that if it wasn't for a small area that I had missed, I wouldn't have been able to tell if there was tanner left on.

Pros
Gorgeous immediate colour
guide colour same as final colour
fades very slowly

no flaking 

Cons

Price. £37 I have had 4 applications and I would say there is another 2 left in the bottle.

some colour grabbing at knees and elbows

Overall I would say that this is a really great fake tan, and probably my new favourite. I wasn't sure what to expect with a 2-3 week self tanner and was very pleasantly surprised. It does last a lot longer than any other fake tan I have tried and the colour is superb. Will I be buying it again in the future? deffinitely!!!

Have you tried Vita Liberata before?  If not what is your favourite self tanner?

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REVIEW | Ultimo Utan Deluxe Gradual Tan Miami Beach

I use to wear a lot of self tanner but over the past few months I have been embracing my true colour which is quite pale. I decided with it being summer to try out a few gradual tanners as ideally they just give a very subtle glow. Firstly, I tried the Dove Summer glow which was ok but I didn't love it. Then while searching the Selfridges sale I came across my all time favourite fake tan brand, Utan. I have reviewed their Brazilian Bronze Mousse and Ibiza Extreme Lotion previously both of which I loved. So when I saw their Gradual Tanner I thought it would be a great buy.

The packaging is the same fabulous design as the rest of their tanners, sleek and stylish. I really love it, I am a sucker for packaging after all. 

The pump dispenser makes it very easy to control the amount of product dispensed on to the palm of your hand. Now it does smell very tanneresque which unfortunately will put a lot of you off. I was a little surprised at this because the other Utan products I have tried do not have this smell. It seems to be they made no effort to disguise it. However, this really doesn't bother me because I know how great their products are so I am prepared to put up with it.  I am glad I did.

The formula is very light which I love. The Dove summer glow was very thick and sticky. This is nothing like that. It soaks in very quickly leaving hardly any hint of residue, which is great.

I applied it before bed just like moisturiser, not putting any on my face or hand. It soaked in quickly and the next morning I was over the moon. The colour really is fantastic.  There was not a hint of the fake tan smell on me or my bedsheets either which is a bonus.

The result is a perfectly even lightly tanner glow. Enough colour to make a difference and give me the subtle glow I was looking for without feeling like I was slathering on fake tan. I am so impressed. There is not a hint of a line, streak or unevenness anywhere. I applied the Dove summer glow exactly the same way and was left very streaky. So I think the Utan formula works wonders.

With one application I find it lasts 3 days at the most, which is ok and it fades evenly.

Another fantastic product from Ultimo Utan.

What do you think of Utan have you tried it before? Leave a comment below

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REVIEW | Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Lotion for Fair to Medium Skin

For the last few months I have been totally off fake tan. I just wanted to be my own skin colour for a while and embrace the pale! But with the sun beginning to peep out (among the hail and snow) I thought I would venture in to the build up your tan gradual tanner moisturiser route. I haven't tried anything like that for years so I didn't have a clue where to start. Where better to ask for advice than from my fellow bloggers?

I was recommended the Dove Summer glow and decided to jump in and try it! Off I went to the shops and ended up picking up a bit of a haul which I blogged about here.

There are 2 options with the Dove Summer glow, Fair to medium or medium to dark. Obvs I chose the lighter one because my skin is super pale at the mo. It was £2.49 which I think is an abolsute bargain for a 500ml bottle.

I really like the packaging of this product. It is very sleek and has a good lid for keeping the product fresh with no spills.

The smell is quite pleasant and there is not a hint of tanner stench when you open the lid, which I really didn't want. With a gradual tanner I don't like to feel like I am applying fake tan or I would just apply fake tan. So thumbs up there.

The colour of the actual product is a lovely peachy pink and the texture is nice and thick. After slathering it on everywhere bar my face I felt a little sticky for half an hour but after that faded I was left with a lovely moisturised bod.

The next day I noticed I was looking a little more tanned (in some places). Especially around my stomach, I could see my belly button was paler inside. I applied it again that night and waited in anticipation to see my colour the next day.

I looked even more tanned after the second application. Probably more so than I thought I would. I did note that I had quite a few streaks, notable on my arm and on my shin which I wasn't too impressed with, I didn't think this gradual tanner would be as dark as quickly.

I stopped at the 2 applications due to the streak. It faded very evenly after a couple days.

Overall I would say I will be using this again. It is a very easy product to use and does what it says on the tin. I don't really have any complaints but note that it will streak if put on unevenly so I will pay a lot more attention to rubbing in fully.

Great if you want to create a slight colour change and will build with more applications. A good way to start the summer sun leg showing celebrations!

Have you tried Dove Summer Glow?

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REVIEW - UTAN ULTIMO SELF TAN LOTION Ibiza Extreme

I popped in to boots to pick up a bottle of my usual Utan Brazilian Bronze but to my shock and horror, they did not have it. 

So... in a rush I grabbed what I thought was a darker Utan mousse deciding, although I may end up looking like an oompa loompa at least I wouldn't be pale and uninteresting.

It wasn't until I got home ready to apply that I realised it was not a mousse at all but it was in fact the Dark Lotion - Ibiza Extreme. 

I needed to apply it that night so there was no time to swap it. 

I have found that it is quite different to the Brazilian Bronze Mousse which I reviewed here so felt that I should share my findings!

First of all the bottle is a lot bigger which is a bonus. And Secondly, the lotion is very dark when it squirts out, quite scary. 

I used it quite sparingly thinking it would come out super dark but it actually didn't. I like how even it is and i found it to be rather moisturising so good on my legs, especially at this time of year when your skin can get very dry. 

So don't be fooled by the guide colour it is not too dark at all!!

It lasted well, came off evenly and I liked it a lot.

I will however stick with my Mousse but I will definitely finish this bottle.

Overall 7/10

Have you tried Utan?

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REVIEW - FAMOUS DAVE'S FAKE TAN MOUSSE - yes or no?

Another day another fake tanner. Now this one I was excited about as I had been eager to try it for quite a while.

Famous Dave's Fake Tan Mousse has been talked about a lot in magazines and the views have been favourable. So lets see what it is really like...

The bottle is nothing exciting. A little bit like St Tropez packaging.

Famous Dave's

So lets take a look at the claims...

Famous Dave's Claims (we will come back to these later)

• Creates a golden tan without the need for age-robbing sun or tanning bed exposure
• Dries to the touch almost immediately as it is applied to the skin
• Gives you an instant, streak-free and non-sticky tan that can last up to 7 days
• This professional tanning formula is developed using a blend of natural ingredients and antioxidants
• Compliments your existing tan by deepening and evening out your skin tones
• Contains a guide colour to ensure even application
• Paraben-free
• Not tested on animals; no animal-derived ingredients
• Can be used all year round to give the most natural looking tan you will ever have from a bottle!

The application

  

After bathing and exfoliating, I was ready to apply. I applied using this glove I got previously. When using a mit I tend to wear gloves underneath as I find that tanner can go through the mit and get my hands all stained.

Before Applying

The guide colour is absolutely gross. A horrible green... this is not looking good so far!

It gets worse when the green is applied to my skin, I am not impressed with this look at all.  No chance of going out the house after applying.

Straight after applying (notice the green top right)

There deffinitely is a smell, quite sweet. Not too much fake tan like or chemically though.

So I began applying starting with my face and working my way down to my feet as I usually do. I applied some moisturiser to my hands as I find this stops the tanner from developing too darkly on my hands.

My first impression was that on my face it looked green, pale and awful. I didn't think it would be dark enough when it developed as there really wasn't much of a tan colour at all.

The mitt is the only way to go when applying this one, I tried it with just the gloves and it didn't blend in at all.

It was quite sticky 10 minutes later as I got dressed for bed. Although the green was begining to fade and a very light brown was developing, things are looking up!

8 hours later...

Lets see how it did 

I woke up in the morning expecting not to look brown but I actually did. In fact it was a good job I added the moisturiser to my hands first as they would have been way too dark. After showering I am still pleased with the colour (in other words it didn't all run off). It is a lovely golden brown. However, It is not very even at all. My chest is a totally different colour to my arms, not great!

Final result

Day 2 and it just doesn't look great. Will see how it fares after another day or 2.
Day 4 well this is the total limit for Dave's it is begining to flake off and really not looking good especially on my hands, very dry and almost scally.  Not great!

Day 7 I haven't reapplied and it is looking bad. My legs are pretty cracked and scally... yuk feel like puking.

After 7 days

So lets review the claims 

• Creates a golden tan without the need for age-robbing sun or tanning bed exposure - Does create a golden (ish) tan 

• Dries to the touch almost immediately as it is applied to the skin - 30 minutes later and still sticky!

• Gives you an instant, streak-free and non-sticky tan that can last up to 7 days - very ambiguous! that 'can' last 'up to 7 days'. This definitely did not last 7 days!!

• This professional tanning formula is developed using a blend of natural ingredients and antioxidants - no comment

• Compliments your existing tan by deepening and evening out your skin tones - there was nothing even about my skin tone after applying thats for sure.

• Contains a guide colour to ensure even application - A gross green one

• Paraben-free - well this is a positive

• Not tested on animals; no animal-derived ingredients - very impressed with this one.

• Can be used all year round to give the most natural looking tan you will ever have from a bottle! - well I don't agree that it is the most natural ever from a bottle

Summary  

before left - After right

Overall I am not very impressed. Although I like the colour and that it doesn't all run off after showering.

I just don't think it is worth all the hassle for 2-3 good days of tan.
And the nail in the coffin is that it cracks and is difficult to buff off... this always puts me off using a tan again and needless to say I will not be buying another bottle!

4/10

Will you be trying this tanner? Have you tried Famous Dave's and had a different result?

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REVIEW - UTAN ULTIMO SELF TAN MOUSSE Brazilian Bronze

It's that time again when I review a new fake tan. A very scary prospect as I never know how it will turn out.

The one I chose is Ultimo Utan.

First of all i have to say the bottle design is very nice. I like the silver on the bottle and the box. very chic.

Ultimo Utan in self-tan mousse Brazilian Bronze

 So lets take a look at what they say it does...

Utan Claims 

For a warm and exotic tan. Gives a warm and exotic bronze tint upon application as the deeper, sensual colour develops over 3-4 hours.


• Deeper, richer long-lasting colour
• Streak-free
• Guide colour for ease of application
• Moisturising with skin enhancing benefits Plus Body Sculpting Technology.


Our advanced formulation contains; Ultimo Tanning Complex, Wild Indigo Flower and Rainforest Extracts. Designed to deliver an even, longer-lasting colour, improving the appearance of the skin for smoother, firmer contours, plus assists in re-shaping and re-sculpting the body.

The application

 
After bathing and exfoliating, I was ready to apply. I decided to apply Utan with this gorgeous black velvet mit I got from Harrods.(it actually directs you to use gloves)

The texture on the mitt of the mousse is much like St Tropez but the colour is much more even (make sure you shake the bottle well before hand).

It doesn't smell much at all. In fact you wouldn't know it was fake tan you were applying, unlike most brands which tend to have at least a smidgen of a fake tan smell, this really doesn't.

So I began applying starting with my face and working my way down to my feet. Another point to mention is that I had read online Utan graps to dry patches so I made sure I applied a small amount of moisturiser on my elbows, knees, feet, ankles and to my hands before applying the tan.

My first impression was that on my face it looked very dark and I was very worried about how it would look in the morning.  The colour was a light brown everywhere else. Because of the colour on my face I wouldn't recommend applying it and then going out for the day, however if you wanted a bit more colour on your legs or arms it is a totally acceptable colour post application to go out.

One thing I noticed is that when using the mitt it is actually quite difficult to blend, if you rub it too much it crumbles very slightly.  This may be why they direct you to use gloves, I will make sure I do next time.

So off I went to bed, slightly concerned. After about 15 minutes I totally forgot I had applied it. It wasn't sticky or smelly... very smooth and absorbed incredibly well.

Straight after applying Utan

8 hours later...

Lets see how it did

I woke up in the morning expecting to look very brown and I was disappointed when the colour wasn't as deep as I thought it would be. But after showering I am really pleased with the colour. It is actually nice and dark and very even. Unfortunately I do have an uneven patch on my leg where I slept with my hand on my leg. Luckily it is a horrible day so I am wearing trousers.

Day 4 and it has faded quite a bit, I am going to stretch 1 more day out of it before I re-applying.

Day 5 and it hasn't faded much more than yesterday so I will wait till tomorrow evening to apply. I am really pleased with how evenly it has faded. No patchy parts. Normally I find fake tan comes off my chest and face first but this is about the same all over.

So lets review the claims

For a warm and exotic tan. Gives a warm and exotic bronze tint upon application as the deeper, sensual colour develops over 3-4 hours.- I would agree with this. The tan is warm and not orange at all. I wouldn't know if it developed fully after 4 hours because I kept it on for 8.

• Deeper, richer long-lasting colour

- Not sure I would call it long last at 4-5 days.
• Streak-free

- I am a seasoned fake tan wearer and I would say I found it a bit of effort to get it even but now I know how it goes on it will be easier the second time.
• Guide colour for ease of application

- Yup
• Moisturising with skin enhancing benefits
- My skin felt soft after I had applied and it has soaked in

Plus Body Sculpting Technology.

- I am not sure what this means to be honest.


Our advanced formulation contains; Ultimo Tanning Complex, Wild Indigo Flower and Rainforest Extracts. Designed to deliver an even, longer-lasting colour, improving the appearance of the skin for smoother, firmer contours, plus assists in re-shaping and re-sculpting the body.

- Surely you could 'sculpt' the body with any fake tanner by applying more in certain areas so I am not sure about this. I would say it does improve the appearance of the skin.

Summary 


Overall I am impressed and I will buy it again. A very nice colour, even and natural looking.

Next time I will deffinitely apply it with gloves like the directions stipulate.

I normally use Xen Tan or St Tropez dark mousse but I think the more I use this the more I will love this Utan Mousse!!

8/10

*** Update ***

I wanted to do an update as I have now re applied using gloves... it is a whole lot better and easier.  I also put moisturiser on my face before applying and it was a fab colour so I went out for the day and felt.. well very brown!  I met up with a friend who told me she had never seen me so tanned (I took it as a compliment)

So with this in mind, I am now upgrading Utan to a 9/10!!!

Ashly xx

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