Garnier Skin Naturals Summer Body Moisturising Lotion Deep

Generally speaking, I'm not bothered if I have a tan or not. However, if go out in the evening and I feel like putting a skirt on, I don't want to scare anyone with my near translucent legs, so a bit of a healthy tan is definitely called for! I have tried various bottles of actual fake tan - ie, not one which is mostly moisturiser, but I have never been successful in applying it and I always end up with streaky marks and my clothes and sheets get covered in stains. I therefore look nowadays for a "gradual tanner" which is usually a body lotion with just a bit of tanning agent in it, which builds up over a few days to give a more natural look - These are usually fool proof.

I did not intentionally go out to buy Garnier Summerbody, I really don't mind which product I use, but this was on offer at half price so I paid £2.44 for a 250ml bottle. It was a toss up between this and Dove summer glow at the same price, but as I stood umming and ahhing, a member of staff recommended this one so I went for it.

Garnier summerbody comes in an attractive pale orange plastic bottle with a white plastic flip up lid. On the front of the bottle you are told that this product gradually builds a natural looking sun-kissed tan, that it has effective twelve hours moisturisation, and that it is dermatologically tested. I went for the "Deep sun kissed look" because I only had two days left before I went out and I figured that it would get darker sooner, but this is also available in a lighter shade for pale to medium skin. The rear of the bottle tells you the ingredients, contact information, that it has a six month shelf life once opened and how to apply the product for a successful tan. Here you also learn how the product works and that you should end up with a tan that works in harmony with your skin tone.

Summerbody contains extracts of apricot, and you can definitely tell this when you flip the lid. You are met immediately with a sweet saccharine smell. I couldn't quite put my finger on what the smell reminded me of, but my husband had one sniff when I wafted past him and immediately came up with "Lucozade tablets", and he's absolutely right! I'm not sure that I want to carry this aroma, and the smell didn't go away until I washed it off in the shower.

The moisturiser squeezes easily from the bottle and it is kind of sucked back so as not to leave the top in a sticky mess. It is pure white in colour, and it has a perfect consistency: not too runny so as you get in a drippy mess with it, but not too creamy so that you can't spread it easily. Whilst applying the moisturiser, it felt soft and velvety, and not at all sticky or tacky. This is certainly not a greasy product either and you are left with an almost powdery feel once soaked in. It did not take very long to dry, (maybe three minutes) and I didn't feel as though I had to walk around wafting my limbs around for an age, unlike a lot of other products that I have tried in the past.

The colour developed within about an hour completely streak free, but I was surprised at how dark it looked after only one application. I didn't bother with a second coat because I have a feeling that I might have turned into a tangerine, and I was happy with the shade already achieved. This product is sold as an all year round daily moisturiser, but I would never want to use this more than twice a week, let alone daily because it really does develop a strong colour and you may well end up looking ridiculous with a Tango tan in the depths of winter! My skin definitely feels very smooth and well moisturised, even a few days after application, but I think that the next time that I use this, I will mix it 50/50 along with my usual moisturiser, which will make the product last longer, and enable me to gradually build to the shade that I want.

I have pretty much finished the bottle now and it has lasted me ages (about 6 months) because of my irregular application of about once a week but sometimes less. I'm not sure that I would buy this product again, purely because I'm not keen on the smell, but it definitely works as it says that it will - maybe a little bit too well, and it makes your skin feel lovely in the process.

Also posted on Dooyoo under my username emmachilcot