Hello my lovelies, I hope you are doing ok and keeping well wherever you are in the world..I've been taking some time off blogging and social media lately as there were some other things that needed my time and focus in this period. And during the sadness and uncertainty of the last few months, I honestly didn't find it right to post about beauty and fashion when the world just seems to fall apart. I felt the need to just be in my own space, enjoy slow living, observe everything, reflect, thinking to what's next, to what our future will look like.. I have also started to be very careful with what kind of information I expose myself to. That's not to say I am ignoring the news and stay in my bubble of positivity detached from what is happening, it only means making more mindful choices and being more selective about the type of content I am consuming. I find this helps me a lot to keep my calmness, clarity of thinking and get a more balanced perspective on a multitude of situations.
For me blogging remains a very dear passion I will try to make more time for as it really helps me relax and recharge when I engage in something I enjoy doing. I also highly encourage you to find more space in your life for what truly brings you joy, focus on what nurtures your mind and soul and take this period also as an opportunity to tune in with your values. And I really hope we will get out of it stronger, more kind and loving and help each other more.
Ok, so onto my review. I have recently tried these two products from Tan Luxe, if you are into self tanning I am sure you already know about this brand. For those of you who don't, Tan Luxe is mainly famous for their tailor-made self tanners that are designed to give you total control over the intensity of the colour you want to achieve and get you a tan that suits your skin tone. Tan Luxe products are also formulated with nourishing ingredients and naturally derived tanning agents and are free from parabens, mineral oils, sulfates or other harsh chemicals that can be harmful for the skin.
Looking through the ingredient list I wouldn't say there are no skin irritants in there because I see perfume and alcohol but I liked very much their approach and aesthetics, I mean their products look soo stylish and I was curious to try them. From their line I picked up Tan Luxe Hydrating Self Tan Water and The Face Illuminating Self Tan Drops.
TAN LUXE HYDRATING SELF TAN WATER ( MEDIUM-DARK )
This is a vitamin infused, colourless liquid self tanner that will give you a tan in 4 to 8 hours. You spray it directly onto your body then blend it in with a mitt and the longer you leave it on your skin the darker your tan will be. Since it is clear and has no colour guide it means it won't transfer onto clothing and sheets but it also means you cannot see if you miss any areas when you apply it. So bear that in mind if you are not experienced with self tanning. I personally liked it very much and loved the result.
I have tried a few other transparent self tanners before and this has the lightest texture of all. It is similar to Vita Liberata Invisi Tan Water ( review here ) but is even lighter, it's literally like water which allows you to apply more layers if you want a deeper tan. Basically how much you spritz determines the level of darkness.
The tan after one application is pretty intense, I chose the medium-dark version and it gets deep indeed but I think I applied too much the first time. However I really loved how it turned out, a flawless brownish bronze with no streaks or patches that was pretty long lasting and faded evenly.
The smell is very nice when you initially spray it, it has a gorgeous fresh floral fragrance I really like, I would even say this is one of the best smelling self tanners I have ever tried. However as the tan starts to develop, it begins to smell of DHA but that's typical with dark tanners, I am yet to discover one that is completely odourless.
Other than this, Tan Luxe The Water is a very good self tanner, with a super lightweight texture that produces a beautiful bronze that looks very natural. I do recommend this product but I will stress this again, if you are not experienced with self tanning better choose a product which has a colour guide, it will be much easier for you to get an even tan. Transparent tanners require more attention with application.
TAN LUXE THE FACE ILLUMINATION SELF TAN DROPS ( MEDIUM-DARK )
This is a concentrated self tanning formula designed to be mixed in with your moisturiser, serum or oil to customise the bronze shade you want to achieve. You can build the tan from a light medium all the way to super dark, depending on how many drops you use. I suggest you start off your first time with fewer drops to see how the colour will show on your face and on the next applications you can experiment and add more.
I really liked the idea of a customisable tan but if I am being honest I can't say this is a product I would repurchase. It is not bad by any means but I find it a bit difficult to work with. The first time I used it I mixed four drops with a face cream and they didn't blend well together resulting in a slightly uneven dark tan and a pretty harsh line around along my hairline. The colour turned out a bit too strong so the second time I used only two drops mixed in with another moisturiser and it worked well. I got a medium even tan and I really liked the tone, it was a brownish reddish shade that looked similar to a natural tan with a slight hint of burn.
The texture is that of a serum but it's on the thick side and it also thickened the moisturiser I mixed it with making it a little hard to blend on the face. And my skin was a bit drier after using it, probably because of the content of alcohol in it. If you have oily or combination skin you may like it because it doesn't leave a greasy feeling on the skin.
Overall, I think Tan Luxe The Face is a good product than can get you a nice tan if you mix it with the right moisturiser but in comparison with other face self tanners I have, I wouldn't say this is one of my favourites. If I were to recommend one, it would definitely be St Tropez Purity Face Water ( review here ) which is one of the best self tanners I've tried so far. I am not saying Tan Luxe The Face is not worth trying, it actually has great reviews on line so you may like it more than I do but I suggest you buy the travel size bottle first just to see if it suits you.
