Australian Spray Tan Reviews

I’m a fan of spray tans. It’s like wearing foundation all over your body. As a plus size girl, I especially love it because I feel so much more confident to show my body in shorter skirts and sleeveless tops and dresses if I have a gorgeous bronze glow! My sister is a beautician and we tan each other from home nearly every week and have used many different products, so I thought I’d write a blog to review some of those products.

 

Some tips for a longer lasting, gorgeous spray tan:

• Exfoliate well before your tan.
• Don't apply deodorant or perfume before you get sprayed, as it will turn green once it comes in contact with the tan solution.
• Keep your showers as short and as cool as you can stand. Wash the major crevices and get out of there!
• Pat dry with a towel after your shower – don’t rub.
• Don’t get burnt! You already have a luscious tan – so lather up the sunscreen when you go into the sun. If you get burnt and start to peel, you will look like you a have a skin pigmentation disease. Not good.
• Moisturize after each shower, especially the parts of your body that don’t produce much oil. Ever seen photos of a desert with dry, cracked earth? That’s how my shins start to look if I don’t moisturize my legs.
• Get an instant tan or gradual tanner for your face and hands – your spray tan will come off these areas first, and there’s nothing worse than the “white glove” look, as it will give you away.
• Every tan looks better after that first shower, so get your tan a day before your big event. It develops better if you leave it overnight before your first shower as well.
• Buy a foundation to match your tan. Using bronzing powder over your pale foundation just doesn't look as good.  

What do I look for in a spray tan product? 

• The colour is the most important. I don't want my friends to call me an Oompa Loompa!
• Longevity. It has to last the week nicely.
• Fragrance. It doesn't matter how good it smells going on. It's the developing smell that's important. 
• Fade. It should fade evenly without me having to soak in a bath for an hour and scrub red raw. 
• Organic preferred, but not essential.

This is why I bloody love 'em! Melanoma-free tanny legs! Yay!

VANI-T

Vani-T was the first spray tan I ever used. This is quite an intense product, and I tend to veer away from this brand now, mainly because it’s a bit more orange than I like. There are a few different varieties available (Velocity, Fusion, Liquid Sun), and I’ve tried them all. The Velocity develops in two hours which is handy if you’re in a hurry. However, there’s an ingredient in it that makes it freezing on the skin as it goes on (which is amazing on hot days and a nightmare in winter). Something that I always loved about Vani-T was how moisturizing it is on the skin. Vani-T claim it to be “potent age fighting, skin firming and cell rejuventating”. It’s not too sticky afterwards, and gives your skin a good drink. It really clings to the skin as well – it can be a real bitch to scrub off after a week. It doesn’t fade nicely unless you use a gradual tanning moisturizer. It smells okay going on, but no matter what brand you try, there’s no denying that “tan” smell as it develops. However, Vani-T has an especially strong smell that reminds me of Weetbix after a few days.

6/10

ECO TAN

 

No other tan has smelt as good going on. My mouth actually watered. It smells like a delicious, creamy hot chocolate (even though it's advertised as honey). It's also organic. However, my skin has also never felt as sticky after a spray tan, due to the aloe-vera content. It just doesn't seem to dry properly, even after hours of waiting. I couldn’t wait to have that first shower, as it felt like there was actual sticky hot chocolate on my skin. Although the fragrance is pleasant at first, the developing scent was the standard tan smell. The colour was lovely – a gorgeous golden brown, not too orange. If you leave the tan on overnight, it will be reasonably long lasting and will fade nicely without needing to be violently scrubbed. However, the instructions say that you can have a shower after four hours and I would have to say that I totally disagree. I recently had a Saturday off. With intentions to hit the town that night, I spray tanned using Eco at 11am and I had a quick, cold shower at 5pm. It all came off in the shower and I didn't look tanned at all! I was pretty annoyed because I'd spent all day feeling sticky, for nothing. However, I have heard that Eco are working on their formula to fix this.

6/10

SUMMER TAN

This one is also organic. I've used Summer Tan a lot. In some ways it's a lot like Vani-T; it goes on the skin with the same kind of intensity and fragrance. It clings to the skin really well, so can be difficult to scrub off after a week. It needs a lot of maintenance in regards to regular moisturizing as it doesn't "fade" evenly. However, it's not quite as orange as Vani-T, which is why I rate it higher. 

7/10

MINX

Minx is one of my favourites. I haven't used it in a while, but the colour was fantastic! It went on nicely, good fragrance, reasonable fade. It's quick drying and hydrating on the skin without an overpowering "tan" smell. Just a good all-rounder.

9/10

ST. TROPEZ

St.Tropez. A little hint - keep the bottle upright as once the safety seal is broken it will leak on its side! The application of this tan is the least pleasant of all the tans - it's a very strong soapy smell that really gets up your nostrils, so make sure you are in a well ventilated room. It's not an organic product. I would probably call this a two-day tan; it doesn't last long because it doesn't cling to your skin like other tans. However, it has great colour. Plus, the developing smell isn't nearly as strong as the other tans I've used. It fades nicely.

7/10

VuTan is another Australian made and owned brand. It's made with certified organic products and has violet and brown based tones, which means it won't make you look orange. I saw this on the shelf at the wholesaler and asked for a sample. While there are two blends and six shades to choose from, the sample I was given was the extra dark, two-hour tan. It smells a little bit like coconut as it's being sprayed. My sister gave me 2-3 light coats and I slept in it overnight. When I woke up in the morning, there were no tan stains on the white sheets (miraculous!). I was SO dark, but after I had a shower, (a long hot one, btw) I was in love! The colour is just gorgeous, and I'm writing this 4 days into my tan and it's still perfect. I haven't even had to respray my hands or face yet (what the!?). I have to say, I am absolutely sold on this brand so far. Great colour, longevity and a mild smell. I'll definitely be buying a bottle because I want to use this brand all through summer! I've had compliments on my skin tone at work all day (which is saying a lot because I wear spray tan quite often). This is a ten for me!

10/10