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St Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Body Lotion in Light/ Medium, £14.50
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The promise: "Gradually builds to create a classic, healthy looking tan to suit you."
We give it: 7/10
Review: "Gradual tanners give me flashbacks to summer at secondary school. Coated in lashings of “holiday skin” lotion, we proudly displayed our streaky legs and bright orange hands, thinking we were terribly grown up. Cringe. Luckily, this St Tropez slow builder was a touch more sophisticated on every level."
"It’s easy to apply, but takes a little while to seep in, so I wouldn’t recommend applying it right before you head out the door. It does develop the familiar biscuit scent after a couple of hours which I personally love (!) but many hate. To avoid any pointed glares on the tube, I applied at night and showered in the morning to dampen the smell. It left my skin moisturised and glowing, but it did collect around my knees and ankles after a couple of applications, which is frustrating. It’s also difficult to get it all off your hands after applying, leaving me with giveaway orange patches between my fingers. More seasoned tanners will know that a mitt's the way to go."
"The price tag is quite steep when you need several all-over applications to build up a good colour. Going for the “dark” version made me feel I got more bang for my biscuit-y buck. My big discovery was that it was brilliant for touching up any mistakes when using “proper” fake tan, blending in any telltale streaks beautifully. I think I’ll stick to my normal big-girl tanning routine and use it as emergency back-up for missed patches and for sneaky top ups."
Reviewer: IB
Score: 7/10