BRONZE ME BEAUTIFUL || Gradual Tanning Moisturiser

Hi ladies, today I want to talk to you about all things tan related, as some of you might be aware, especially if you follow me on Instagram that I am quiet the serial fake tanner. I have been tanning since my teens and till this day I am still slapping on the fake stuff. Seeing as I have been tanning for quite some time now I think it's fair to say that I have tried and tested a whole range of tanning lotions, potions, wipes so on  and so on. Shockingly though, I've never done one single review on my blog on a tanning product or shared with any of you some of my tanning secrets, so over the weekend I gave myself a right telling off and came up with the idea to start a little series here on Miss Sunshine & Sparkle called 'BRONZE ME BEAUTIFUL' - Every time you see a post starting with this title expect to see some talk on some of my most loved tanning products, why they work for me and more importantly how they will work for you! Today I thought I would start off with one of my favourite ways to fake it and that's by using gradual tanning moisturisers. 

Dover Summer Glow Nourishing Lotion has to be one of my favourite gradual tanning moisturisers and probably one that I have been using the longest. What I really love about the Dove Summer Glow is that it gives your skin a lovely summer glow and depending on how often you apply it, you can achieve a deep golden tan in just a week. This gradual tanner is a great way to have more control over your tan as you can apply it once or twice a week for tan that's a lot more subtle and gives you the look as though you've been out in the sun for a few hours. However if you were to apply this four to five times a week you would end up with a lovely deep tan that gives you that perfect golden glow. I love the colour pay out of this tan as I find it doesn't sway towards orange shades and gives you a tan that looks pretty natural. I always use the shade 'normal to dark skin' but if you are a little worried about this being a little too dark for you, you can also pick one up in the shade 'light to medium skin'. What's really nice about the Dove Summer Glow is that it's such a lovely smelling moisturiser and doesn't have that typical fake tan smell - Well not until it really starts developing on your skin many hours after it's initial application. However when you first squeeze this out the bottle you get an almost fruity smell which reminds me a little of peaches and apricots, which makes using it very pleasant. The actual moistuiser itself is a delight to use as its quite creamy and absorbs pretty quickly into your skin. Although this moisturiser doesn't take a lot to actually work into your skin, it can leave you feeling pretty sticky afterwards - so you definitely don't want to be putting your clothes straight on right after use. I try to apply this at bed time, so I wake up looking beautifully bronzed. The only downside is that it can leave you feeling a little sticky afterwards, but I am yet to find a gradual tanner that doesn't do this.

As a lot of you may know I absolutely love the original Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula, so it goes without saying that my holy grail and most favourite gradual fake tanner is the Palmer's Natural Bronze Body Lotion. If your really looking to get a deep, beautiful natural tan this summer with a holiday bronzed look, then this is the gradual tanner for you! I love the colour payout of the Natural Bronze body lotion as I find that the tan develops into a shade which I naturally go too when I have been out sunbathing, catching a real tan - which makes it the perfect gradual tanner for me. As far as I'm aware the Palmer's Natural Bronze only comes in one shade and they make the product for all skin tones. Like with the Dove Summer Glow, if you were to only use this once or twice a week, you would find that you have a lovely subtle glow - However I do find that this one from Palmer's is darker than the one from Dove, so those of you with fairer skin and are worried about tanning may want to work their way up to using the Palmer's Natural Glow. Not only do I love the rich tan colour that the Natural Glow gives you, I also love how amazing this is as a moistursier and if your also a fan of Palmer's Cocoa Butter you will know exactly what I mean when I say that it has that wonderful Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula to it. It even smells just like the original Palmer's Cocoa Butter which I just find dreamy and I love the smell of this on my skin. However, because this is a gradual tanner again I find that after many hours after its initial application you can start to smell that typical fake tan smell a little.  I also find that the Palmer's Natural Bronze is the best gradual tanner to use if your wanting to maintain any tan, real or fake and I have been using this non stop since coming back off my holiday and I still have a beautiful golden glow.

I personally think gradual tanners are one of the best ways to fake tan. I find that you have so much more control over your tan and by choosing how often you want to apply it, you can determine what sort of shade you want your tan to be. It can always be a little scary trying out a new fake tan for the first time and having that fear that you might look like an orangutan once the tan develops, but gradual tanners take all this fear away. Not only are they a great way to build up a tan, but they have to be such a fuss free way to build up a lovely natural bronzed looking tan - application really is as easy as applying any other moisturiser and you can incorporate it into your beauty routine pretty easily. Another big plus is not having to scrub your hands, and then scrub your hands some more after you've applied your gradual tan - a quick wash with some soap and water will ensure that you don't have evidence for the whole world to see that you've been applying fake tan. If you do wash your hands pretty quickly after application, you don't need to use a tanning mitt when using a gradual tanner, which again makes this a super fuss free way to tan. I also find that gradual tanners are the best type of tanners to use for this time of year, especially with the gorgeous weather we have been having here over the past few weeks. If you have been sunbathing and have managed to catch a bit of a natural golden glow, maintain and top that tan up with a gradual tanner to ensure your natural tan will last longer - Not only will it keep your tan looking flawless, but you will also be hydrating and nourishing your skin at the same time because the gradual tanner is also a moisturiser.

If your are looking to try a new gradual tanner I really can't recommend the Dove Summer Glow and the Palmer's Natural Bronze enough, I love both of them equally and I'm always alternating between the two of them. Although being the fake tan fanatic that I am, I'm always looking to try new products, so I would love to know your recommendations for gradual tanners. 

Be sure to keep your eyes open for the next 'BRONZE ME BEAUTIFUL' post and if there is any type of fake tan that you are wanting me to review, then just let me know as you can guarantee I probably would have tried it.

What's your favourite way to tan?

Lots of Love