I first encounter Ecotan self tan spray when a work colleague bought it to me for my birthday!! I knowI know I have nice work colleagues!!! Anyway, I wasn't too keen on it at first as I have quite a few prejudices against QVC for some reasons but I still decided to give it a go and believe me I never regretted it!!!

Before applying the product (the same as before applying any self tan lotion!) you have to make sure that you exfoliate your body very well and thoroughly. Make sure that you do not miss any bits because that's where the streaks will come from. It works best if you use a product with big grains. My colleague also bought me the exfoliator that came with Ecotan but it didn't do the job very well as the grain were too fine and didn't get rid of all the dry skin.
After exfoliating, dry yourself and wait a bit for your pores to close before applying the product.
Once you are ready, spray it all over and rub it in thouroughly not forgetting any bits and pay extra attention to the "tricky areas" like the back of your ankles, elbows where the self tan can accumulate and create some nasty orange patches!!!
The spray is very good as you can use it upside down and it still work (i.e for the back of your legs )
The liquid is incolore therefore it can be a bit difficult to see if you miss any bits but the fact that it leaves a shiny film on your body will make the application a bit easier.
Once you finish rubbing it all over, just let it dry and the tan should develop in 4 to 6 hours. The good thing is that it dries quite quickly so you do not have to act like a mommy, trying not to touch anything in case you stain it. I usually applying it in the evening and go to bed and it doesn't stain my sheets. However do not forget to wash your hands after use!!!
Although the spray is for both body and face I use another product on my face because you have to avoid putting any product on your hairline and eyebrows and I find this a very difficult thing to do with a spray.

After a few hours, the tan will start to develop into a golden natural colour. If you desire a deeper colour, then repeat the application the next day but if you are fair like me, one application a week will be enough to look healthy but not "tangoed".
You can also use it after your holidays to maintain your tan. That's what I did last year and my tan ended up lasting 3 months by applying it once to twice a week. It does fade like a natural tan would (not leaving some awful patches!!). I started using my 200ml bottle last year and I still have got about half of the bottle left although I used it very often and also tried it on on some of my friends who ended up buying it.

• After spraying it, I usually dab a kitchen paper towel in the tricky areas like the back of my ankles and my elbow in order to absorb any excess of product that might be there.
• Once I finish applying the product, I wait about 5 minutes for the product to start to dry and I then apply my body lotion in order to smooth out the tan and unifying the application of the product ( it usually makes sure that I haven't miss any bits!!)
• If despite all my good efforts I do end up with some streaks (not often,, believe me!) I put some Clinique Clarifying lotion on a cotton wool and dab the area and it does take the tan off. Be careful though not to remove too much, don't rub but dab!

A bottle of 200ml cost £12 + p & P on the QVC website however I know that you can now buy it directly in Department Stores.