REVIEW: L'oreal Sublime Bronze One Day Tinted Gel

05/11/2010

Wow, it's been a little while since I wrote an actual entry here. With the move and everything, I really wasn't buying anything new, but I'm all settled now and have been trying a lot of new products, so the entries should be picking up again now. YAY!

I saw this product in a magazine recently, and decided it was something I MUST try. Now that it's getting warmer outside, I'm ready for a nice summer glow.. but I always just say NO to the tanning beds. I mean, yeah, it looks nice to have those bronzed arms, but holy cow, hello cancer box!

But, sunless tanners are nothing but a mess for me. For one, I ALWAYS end up with orange palms. Always. If I get smart and use plastic gloves, I end up with streaking. When I use the sprays, I end up with horrifically uneven tans. And, OMG, don't get me started on that sensation when the tan starts fading in patches, making me look like I'm suffering from some ancient skin disease!

So, this one really appealed to me. It's a Tinted Gel, not a sunless tanner, which means that it washes off in the shower each and every day. Okay, it's not the ideal product for some people, that's for sure. I can imagine it being a huge pain to do the full body each and every single morning, but I don't do that. Most days I'm using it for my typical work and bum around town getup, which means it pretty much just goes on my arms, shoulders, neck, and face, which isn't too bad. The perk here, for me, is that it's pretty hard to mess up. If it's uneven, I can apply more, since it's instant. If it looks stupid, no more endless exfoliation to rub off my dead skin cells over time. It simply washes off with soap and water! No biggie!

Now, when I say it does wash off with soap and water, I do mean that it does actually take a good scrub with soap. I tested it by stepping in the shower in and out, quickly, a few hours after applying, and it didn't rub off. So, I wouldn't be terrified of wearing this in the rain. On the same token, though, you're going to need to scrub a little to get it off your palms.

I've read a lot of reviews complaining about the color, but it hasn't really been problematic for me. You can layer it on to get it as dark as you want, and on my fair skin two layers was really almost TOO dark. It's not orange, but it's not exactly tan either. It's more a reddish tan than an orange tan, but I'm not talking beet red here or anything. Sample a bit before using. It's instant so you'll know right away if it works for you.

I'm excited because my favorite company, LUSH, actually has a variation on this as well.


The LUSH one smells like bananas, supposedly, and since I'm obsessed with all things LUSH, I totally placed an order for the smallest bottle, and will do a follow-up on that when it comes in the mail, YAY!


So, pros and cons now.


PROS:
- Inexpensive (ranges from $9 to $11 depending where you find it)
- Availability (carried at Walmart, Target, Ulta, etc)
- Fool Proof!
- Instant
- Doesn't stink
- Can be used on face or body


CONS:
- Lasts only one day (which is both a pro and a con, honestly)
- Might actually get costly if you apply it on the whole body every day
- Not exactly a "natural tan" color (but rub it in well and it's not that bad)
- You MUST let it dry before you put your clothes on.. or it CAN stain


So, there you have it! My review tomorrow will probably be a mascara, since I've been collecting those lately... and of course, when LUSH comes any day now, I'll have a beautiful little LUSH haul!


Thanks, as always, for reading!