My First Skinny Tan

So this isn’t a sponsored post or anything like that, I genuinely love and have used Skinny Tan for 3 years now and it’s the only one that I can confidently tell you all to give a go. I wrote this post back in 2016 when I first used Skinny Tan, but thought it was time for an update. Being one of my most successful blog posts ever (?!), it makes sense to re-share it with you all…

Skinny Tan fake tan – a 2019 update

The factors I look for in a good fake tan are:

Streak free (or in other words: fool-proof!)
Quick / easy to apply (I’m a busy working mum of two under 4 years old so I don’t have much “me time”)
Natural colour (not interested in orange!)
Not gonna break the bank (again, I refer you to the working-mum comment)

Skinny Tan ticks all of the aforementioned boxes. I use the original Skinny Tan Mousse (affiliate link) and I love it! I’ve used the tan and tone oil too, which I sometimes use just to top up my mousse tan.

I’ve watched the videos and i know the best way to apply is in long strokes, but to be honest, I’m usually tanning whilst the kids are in the bath, throwing toys at me, so I pop mine on in strokes and then rub it in as best I can. It always works for me and I honestly get so many compliments on my tan and no one ever presumes it’s fake!

skinny tan 2019 update hollygoeslightly bikini — Here’s me enjoying the recent sunny weather with my Skinny tan tan.

Skin protection

As you can see, I’m freckly and have a lot of moles. So I’m not into sunbathing (not that I have time to anyways!). It’s incredibly important for me to look after my skin and protect it from UV rays. But, I’m not going to lie, I do think I look better and healthier with a bit of a tan. So that’s why I use Skinny Tan and it gives me the confidence to wear skirts, dresses and shorts.

So there we have it, my 2019 update on why I love and still use Skinny Tan 3 years on.

Here’s what I wrote all those years ago…

Original 2016 post:

So this isn’t a sponsored post or anything like that, I genuinely had a need (well, want) for a fake tan that I could use at home. I’m a bridesmaid in a couple of weeks and way too pasty to bear my body in the gorgeous silk dress I’ll be wearing.

I don’t really like the fake-tan-look and certainly don’t like to look anything resembling a tangerine and on the few occasions in my life where I’ve tried self-tanning products, I’ve ended up patchy, blotchy and streaky. I’ve also ended up smelling a bit biscuity and leaving tell-tale orange marks on the bed sheets. None of this I have time for now I’ve got a bubba and lets be honest, a streaky tan is never a great look is it?

Skinny Tan

So I sent a few tweets and asked a few people for recommendations on which self-tan I should buy and Skinny Tan was mentioned a few times. I then happened to see an ad on Facebook (it’s like it knows!) for the Skinny Tan products, with a special buy one get one free deal and my decision was made. When I noticed it was a product that had received investment on Dragons Den, well I thought, if it’s good enough for a dragon, it’s good enough for me.

So off I went and a few clicks later, my Skinny Tan was on its way to me. I went for the Skinny Tan Mousse as it seemed the ideal choice for me. I liked it because it seemed easy to apply, promised a natural tan and lasted for up to 14 days. Perfect. I couldn’t be bothered with reapplying or topping up daily! I also bought the Luxury Tanning Mitt, which is velvet…luxurious for sure.

So a few days later it showed-up, with a leaflet of “General Tanning Advice” and off I went to the bathroom with my mousse and mitt. Mousse and Mitt…I like that for a tanning business name 🙂

Now I’d say I’m no expert, but even I thought it was easy to put on and I’d say it took me about 10 minutes to apply to my whole body (though I did get hubby to help with my back to ensure even coverage). Ok sounds weird, but I left a “bikini line” so I could actually see how tanned I actually was. And you’ll see below (sorry in advance for the unsolicited shot of my Bridget Jones beige pants)…it actually looks like I’ve been sunbathing on the beach for a couple of weeks.

Back to putting the Skinny Tan on. You need a “pump” or two per limb I’d say but it does have good coverage so goes quite a long way. It’s a definite dirty-brown colour when it goes on, which is a little terrifying at first, but as you buff it into the skin, becomes a pleasant tanned colour (and you at least know where you’ve applied to). You’re told to be a bit careful around dry patches of skin and elbows and knees. I made the rooky error of not moisturising my elbows beforehand and I’d say they’re a little unnaturally dark compared to the rest of my arms (oops!). You’ve also got to really make sure you don’t miss any bits, as although not streaky, you obviously don’t want a nice white patch on the back of your calf where you’ve forgotten to buff. Also, as my legs are insanely white and I’m talking milk-bottle-white, I did an extra layer on my legs. Just another pump of the mousse and I think for me, this made a real difference and made my tan look a lot more even.

I used the residue from the mitt for my face and hands, but again, rooky error and forgot to do my fingers. Ha! So I currently have white fingers and gorgeously tanned hands (again, oops!). I’ll definitely know for next time.

Then I’d say it felt like it it dried pretty instantly and was touch-dry within minutes. So I wrapped myself up in my dressing gown and settled in to watch Eurovision for the evening. Oooh I’m wild!

The next morning I woke up to perfectly white sheets (win) and showered to reveal some seriously impressive tanning results. I was quite shocked to be honest. It definitely was more than just a glimmer of colour, it looked like a real, proper, natural tan. In fact, I didn’t need to wear foundation on my face and instead just opted for a bit of bronzer and mascara and I was good to go (oh the benefits of having a tan).

It’s only been a day, so I’m intrigued to see how the tan fairs throughout the week and when I need to top up, but keep an eye on my Twitter (@HollyNicol) and Instagram (@_hollygoeslightly) as I’ll be keeping you posted. But as far as today goes, I felt extremely happy bearing my tanned ankles, shoulders and arms and received compliments from friends asking how my holiday was. Oh silly friends, this tan is straight out of a bottle!

So all in all, I’ll be chalking my first experience of Skinny Tan up as a success. Happy days. Highly recommended.

If like me, you’re in preparation for a summer holiday, then check out my posts on how to look after your skin while on holiday and how to pack for a holiday. You might find them useful.