Great 'Cheap Tan' Hunt

hilspars

The best and most cost effective fake tan is Ecotan. It is a clear liquid that you just mist over yourself and it dries in under a minute. Great for in a hurry and for guys who dont like mess and creams. As it is clear it doesnt leave a mess everywhere and gives a good natural tan. Lasts for ages as it is such a light mist. Used on the top floor Retreat in Harrods, it is most readily available on QVC where you can currently get 2x200ml bottles for £24 although they do sell them singularly and in larger bottles subject to availability. The tan accellerator is also very good. They do an instant one with colour but you must beware the mess that comes with it!
Just to add to this I have just noticed that QVC have got a "todays special value" for Ecotan starting at midnight 11th March. These are usually greatly reduced items or kits (generally around 50% off but can be much more )

dinky_2

I've used St Tropez for years and always thought it the best, but just couldn't afford to keep shelling out for it. So I thought I'd look around for cheaper brands. By far the best is Boots own Soltan range. I am pale but buy medium (shimmer) and slather it all over me (inc face) and it always look great. I even prefer it to St Tropez now as the lotion isn't as heavy and the smell isn't as strong. Give it a whirl. It was on offer for about £3.50 (half price), but noticed there was a reduction on it for most of last summer.

PS Sorry to be controversial, but I thought the Johnson's Holiday Sun was poor, I used the lighter shade and couldn't see any difference after repeated use. Don't waste your money on the lighter shade.

macwise

I must admit I haven't tried many different tanning products as I largely accepted being whiter than most people a long time ago. However, occasionally in the summer I want to wear skirts and sleeveless tops and there's nothing like a bit of colour to make you feel better (more normal). So I've tried Boots Soltan range which is very good although you do have to be very careful with it and go through the rigmarole of exfoliating and moisturising etc. But I discovered Johnsons Holiday Skin last year and have been delighted with it. I still think its quite expensive at normal price but wait until its on offer somewhere and stock up. I also used the light one for fair skin and was impressed with the results. Its a limited result at first but you can build it up until you're satisfied with the colour and then just keep topping it up every few days.

Much better than the blue/white look I sport all winter!

cheekymole

Tesco have the Johnson Holiday Skin on a BOGOF and also a Dove one on BOGOF
They both work out at about £2.50 ish each

BOGOF valid until 28-03

DizzyDee_2

Hi there,

I totally agree that St Tropez tanning mist is by far the best fake tanning product I have ever come across. I treated myself to a Rio ProAirbrush compressor tanning kit (it was around £80 from Argos last year) and found that the tanning lotion included wasn't really up to much. So I decided to decant some St Tropez into the bottle and wow what a result. The tanning lotion lasts twice as long as what it normally does because you are using a very fine mist rather than relying on the pump action bottle that it comes in (which sometimes gets blocked or gives up the goat completely). If you could get a home compressor on ebay cheap, in the long run I suppose you could save a few quid. However, the result of airbrush tanning speaks for itself! If you have the details of the company where you get the St Tropez from on ebay that would be fantastic. Thank you.

smugdogg

Sure, there are other fake tan products that are better than others, but it is the way you apply the Fake tan that can stop it going orange or streaking and generally making it look real as possible!

1. Apply a small amount of your chosen fake tan to a part of your body which is not immediately visible. This looks after your aesthetic beauty, you don’t want to apply a fake tan to the whole of your body and find it dose not suit your skin tone, or has an allergic reaction!

2. Before applying any fake tan you should wash thoughrely and exfoliate. By exfoliate I mean lightly scrub your body with a loafer or sponge, don’t go too crazy with the rubbing ( it's not a radiation decontamination scrub!).

3. Any moisture is better absorbed by your body when it is wet or has just been wet. So dry yourself lightly-(do not leave drips of water on your body).

4. Wear gloves, or wash off the fake tan from under your nails and in between the fingers of the application hand/s.

5. When it comes to fake tan, a little is a lot! So don’t apply too much. The main trick is to apply it evenly and make sure it is rubbed in circles. Check the crevices of your body for any unwanted build up whilst in the process of application.

6. Avoid nails and hair (eyebrows, beard, side burns, hair lines. ladies tie your hair back!). Especially if you are of the fair variety, as some fake tans can turn a blonde into a red head. Leave a good 15 minutes to dry naturally. Don't get cold though, so turn up the central heating before hand. Fake.T. can stain clothing.

7. Finally leave a good 2 hours or more whilst the F.T oxidises on your skin, some F.T may take longer to show its true colour. Then have another shower.

The application of a suitable fake tan is by far a better substitute to tanning on a sun bed or by basking in the natural suns rays. Reasons are; the less chance of developing skin cancer, or any other cancer and aging of the skin... If you want to stay as young and beautiful for as long as possible do not tan in the sun on a regular occasion!

Happy oranging :rotfl:

Wooster001

I just popped into Superdrug in High Holborn for Johnson Holiday Skin - you get both the 50ml face and 250ml body for £4.99 but they only had the one for normal to fair skin in the offer packs.

lily_the_pink

On the whole I think a cheap tan is precisely that - a cheap tan. However, as some of the other OPs have pointed out there are times when it is necessary (in small doses).


I always use the Lancome ones - and the only Money saving element I do is to use the body one as a face one (and just not use much or dilute with a bit of normal moisuriser). They have 2 colours of tan - dark and light - I go with light as I suspect the dark might have that orange look that is never a good idea. Don't go for the spray one unless you like having a ridged effect on legs, arms and face - I dont care what anyone says about it easier to apply. For the amount I use, it will last at least 2 summers possibly longer.

Whenever I have tried cheaper ones I end up throwing the bottle away either through streaking, horrid colour or smell or due to bottle leakage. Then having to buy the lancome one anyway.

poppie,s_dream

jodyapple wrote:

I've got through a few bottles of holiday skin but I have developed a rash a couple of times as a result of using it - the face moisturiser is good but doesn't contain an SPF. So many salons in the Manchester area have the St Tropez spray tan treatments that if you search around enough you never really have to pay more than £15 a go for a professional tan.

I've used Fake Bake which is good too - £15 off eBay, but I’m not bendy enough to get in all the nooks and crannies so end up with streaks unless a professional does it.

If you live in the Manchester area - Try the Y club in town for good deals and also Grasse in Stockport doeas a £15 deal on the last Thursday of every month. x

is the grasse you mention the one on school lane heaton chapel?

thanks

moneypennyless

cheekymole wrote:

Tesco have the Johnson Holiday Skin on a BOGOF and also a Dove one on BOGOF
They both work out at about £2.50 ish each

BOGOF valid until 28-03

I bought this in tesco this morn on the BOGOF offer, and when I read my till receipt, it was down as £3.98 (or £3.96 cant remember!) and not the £4.98 (or£4.96) thats marked on the shelf, so even more of a bargain at less than £2 each. I always get the dark one, and works fab! :rotfl: