“Em’s Experimental Endeavors” is a series of articles that involve trainer Emily Lanzo trying out beauty and health products and providing you with honest feedback.
The sun is shining. The weather is getting warmer. You cannot wait to break out the spring and summer wardrobe to show off how much your hard work at the gym has paid off…until your jaw drops when you see just how pale your skin looks after being bundled up all winter long! Don’t despair–there’s hope! (And it doesn’t involve dangerous UV rays.)
This week’s product that I tested for you is sunless self tanner. Specifically, I tried St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse. It’s available at Sephora and is at-the-ready to give you that sun-kissed, summer glow!
St.Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse comes in both a 4 fl. oz. bottle and an 8 fl. oz. bottle. (I purchased the 8 fl. oz. bottle and the tan applicator mitt.)
How to use this product:
- Exfoliate your entire body and dry your skin completely.
- Apply your go-to daily moisturizer to the usual dry skin areas: elbows, knees, ankles, and feet. (If you have fair hair, you may want to apply a little moisturizer by your hair line and eyebrows, as well, just to be on the safe side.)
- Thoroughly shake the bottle, and pump mousse onto your tan applicator mitt. (I only did one pump at a time in order to have more control over my application process. Plus, a little bit of this mousse goes a long way!)
- Starting from your feet and working your way up, sweep the mousse over your entire body. Make sure to continuously shake the bottle in between pumps. (I applied three pumps to each leg and to both the front and back of my body. I applied two pumps for each arm.)
- If you wish to apply the mousse to your face, pump the mousse onto your application mitt or makeup sponge, and carefully sweep it across your face. (I only used one pump for my face.)
- Allow the mousse to dry completely on your skin before putting on any clothing. (This only takes about 60 seconds!)
- Rinse off the applicator mitt with warm water (let it air-dry), but be careful to not splash yourself while washing it. You need to make a point to not get wet or sweaty for at least four hours after application.
- After at least four hours, you can shower off and say hello to your gorgeous, natural-looking tan!
(If you want, you can check out this instructional video that further illustrates how to apply the product.)
Emily’s Review:
Overall, I would give this product 4.5 out of 5 stars.
- Pros: Product is easy to apply. Product dries very quickly. Product does not have the typical pungent self tanner smell. Product comes out dark so you can see where you applied the product for an even, streak-free tan.
- Cons: Product is rather expensive at $40 a bottle for the 8 fl. oz. option. Since this is a mousse and not a spray, you may need a buddy to help apply the product to your back.
I would recommend this product to a friend. The ease of the St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse, the pleasant smell, and the beautiful, quick, even tan I received from using it was well worth the price.
Have you tried a different sunless self tanner product that you would like to recommend to our readers–or tell them to stay away from? Leave your comments below!
Trainer Tip by Emily Lanzo, certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor at Lucille Roberts 42nd St.
