Self Tanning …WATER?

Ohh girlfriend LOVES her some self tanners! When I saw THE WATER, I knew I had to try it. It claims to be an organic, color-free, vitamin-infused, paraben/sulfate/phthalate free, and promises to deliver a streak-free, natural looking glow in 2-4 hours. Woah.

So…did it? Keep reading!

I actually wrote this blog/filmed this review prior to my little social media break in the Spring! I never got around to posting it and just knowing how I was feeling at that time (that day), I can’t say it was much fun revisiting the footage (hello hot mess). However, I took the time to test this stuff out and many people followed up asking for feedback on the product, so I figured I might as well share what I already put together! Let’s get right into the nitty gritty…

This bottle of Tan Luxe The Water arrived as shows. No mitt or anything (although directions suggest applying with one). Luckily, I had a mitt from another tanning system that worked just fine. 🙂

I decided to first try it on my legs! I did one leg at a time by spraying it evenly and rubbing it in with the mitt in circular motions to distribute. It was so easy to apply, it dried very fast, and while it initially had no “self-tanner” smell, it did have a very strong perfume-like odor to it.

I snapped these pictures about 24 hours apart, and while it’s pretty obvious that it worked, it didn’t give the deepest color. I’ve since been using it in conjunction with a gradual self-tanning lotion & find I get a much darker result!

I wanted to tan the rest of my body as well, so I filmed it for my YouTube channel! I did my arms, back, and stomach. You can see the application process, the developed color (after 7 hours), and some of my additional thoughts on the product in the video below.

SO! Here’s my final opinion:

PROS:

• Sleek packaging
• Effective
• Very easy to use
• No mess
• No streaks

CONS:

• Strong odor. A self-tanner smell does develop after hours of wear, but disappears after a shower the next day!
• It’s a bit pricey at $47.00
• Does not come with a mitt for application
• Full clor did not last for more than a few days

Overall, it definitely didn’t change my life like I was hoping it would, but it does work. I’m most disappointed in the smell…no one likes to smell like self tanner. I’m not sure if it claims to be odorless, but I swear I read that somewhere. I’ll continue to use it on my legs and face, but I don’t think I’ll be applying it to my arms or body.

Aside from effectiveness, scent is probably the most important component to me. And I have yet to find a completely odorless self tanner. They all seem promising, but after a few hours, that smell seems to surface …womp womp. In my experience, a quick shower the next the day (or once the color has fully developed), followed by applying a yummy smelling lotion takes care of the problem!

If you have any self tanners that you love (especially odorless ones…do they even exist!?) Let me know below!

XOXO