I’ve been using this for about a month now to get ready for shower and wedding events and photos. As someone who has always had trouble getting a tan and is very pale (don’t burn either!) this is a miracle!! I use it every other day and apply it after a shower. It never streaks and smells like a mix between tanning lotion and shea butter. It’s a little strong at first but you sort of get used to it, it’s not bad, just very much like a tanning salon. But oh my gosh, the tan is amazing. The first time I used it I noticed a sort of sun-kissed color the next day, and reapplied after another day and it was the perfect color. It doesn’t over-darken or leave marks anywhere, doesn’t look orange, just looks like you’ve been out in the sun and it moisturizes your skin at the same time since it’s a lotion. It also doesn’t seem to get on my clothes although it does get on the white hand towels in the bathroom when I dry my hands (because they’re wet) so just maybe avoid white colored things while using and make sure it dries completely before getting dressed. I’m hooked! I also got some of their other products for the face and have been loving the results. For someone that has never been able to get a tan this is a total game changer. I would love a way to know how to better do “transition zones” like wrists and hands but they’re hardly noticeable especially in photos. Also using it every other day, everywhere, for one month I’ve used a little over half a bottle, so definitely less money than going to a tanning salon for sprays. Read more
Addressing smell first: I think the only way the scent of this would bother you is if you were VERY sensitive to smell. It has an extremely light coco butter smell. Not bad at all. It glides on so smoothly and does give you a gradual, glowy tan. This is a great product. Think I’m going to replace my everyday lotion with this going forward. I like self tanner but don’t have the discipline to consistently keep up with it. This is a good alternative for the lazy lol! Read more
Let's get it out of the way -- pretty much all tanning lotion products stink. This one is slightly better than the others in that it smells a little like chocolate and coconut when you first put it on, but inevitably, once it stays on and you sweat a bit in the summer heat, it reeks ,though fortunately I've found that the odor doesn't travel. OTHERWISE, this product is perfect. Unlike many, many other self-tanners, it looks incredibly natural on my (pale, Slavic) skin, and I see results in just a few days. Nobody has ever clocked it as being fake. It doesn't stain anything, and the slow, buildable quality means that you can easily correct any mistakes and get an even tan without your streaks and missed zones being obvious. Just stop using it a few days before your event so that the smell goes away in time! Read more
I'm very pale & have had a hard time finding a "natural" looking self tan. This really works well for me! I am about to the level I want to be after 3 consecutive days of applying it. It's not super dark, not orange or muddy looking, it's just a tan glow like I've been in the sun for the past few weekends. Just what I wanted, nothing more. I love that it's gradual, that way if you do get some where it shouldn't be it's not noticeable. Couple application tips that have made a huge difference for me: EXFOLIATE really well with shower gloves. You can get 4 pairs on Amazon for around $8 & they are reusable & work great! After exfoliating/showering, apply thick REGULAR lotion to your feet, ankles, knees, elbows, etc. This keeps the tanning milk from soaking into dryer places & causing them to be dark. Wash the regular moisturizer off of your hands & apply the Bondi Sands. Now some people avoid their feet/ankles/knees/elbows all together but I'm super pale so I don't skip those bc it would be noticeable lol. After I have applied it everywhere & it's ALMOST dry I use whats left on my hands to BLEND onto my feet, PAT my knees/elbows. This method works great for me. You can't just slap it on, it does take some prep work. It smells good going on but it DOES have that familiar "self tan" smell that you will get with ANY self tan product once it starts to dry. I've used all kinds & they ALL have it when it starts to dry so it's unavoidable. Read more
