With Summer seeming to be well and truly here, I've become quite conscious of how deathly pale my skin is looking. Over winter I tend to go a bit grey (not in a John Major's 'Spitting Image' puppet way, just a bit dreary looking!)
I don't tan very well - it takes months for me to develop ... Read review
L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gel gives you a 100% natural looking Golden Self Tan, ... more
with an instant sun-kissed shimmer. L'oreal Sublime Bronze has a new and improved tinted formula that gives your skin an instant shimmering sun-kissed look, and a...
Postage & Packaging: £3.99 Availability: Same Day Dispatch, 1st Class Postage...
L'oreal Sublime Self-tan Gel Tinted&Shimmering L'Oreal's first self-tanning gel to to give ... more
you a sublime tan in an instant. The tinted formula immediately gives you a sun-kissed, shimmering tan. Enriched with pearl, it instantly illuminates your skin.
Postage & Packaging:Check Site. Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Self-Tanning GelDeep Body Streak-Free Instant bronze glow with Vitamin E for ... more
smoother skinAn innovation from the L'Oreal Laboratories, Sublime Bronze contains Vitamin E and gentle AHAs*. Instantly, this tinted gel gives your skin a radiant healthy glow - in less than an hour, a streak-free, natural-looking tan.Action Instant color, plus an even, 100% natural-looking sunless tan. Leaves skin sun-kissed bronze and soft.
Postage & Packaging:Check Site. Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Self-Tanning GelMedium-Deep Body Streak-Free Instant bronze glow with Vitamin E ... more
for smoother skinAn innovation from the L'Oreal Laboratories, Sublime Bronze contains Vitamin E and gentle AHAs*. Instantly, this tinted gel gives your skin a radiant healthy glow - in less than an hour, a streak-free, natural-looking tan.Action Instant color, plus an even, 100% natural-looking sunless tan. Leaves skin sun-kissed bronze and soft.
Postage & Packaging:£2.16 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Works well, Smells ok Disadvantages: Packaging looks cheap, takes a while to dry
...The product in question was L'oreal Plenitude Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gel. This is a new addition to the L'oreal tanning range and claims to have the added benefit of smoothing the skin leaving it 'velvety soft' (which would be very weird when you consider the feel of velvet - if you skin suddenly starts feeling like that, I suggest you consult a doctor!)
Normally this product retails at £9.99 for 150ml, which may seem quite steep, ... ...application so it does last. At the moment its on offer at Boots for £6.66 -those of you with a superstitious nature wait until it returns to its none demonic price before you purchase it!
The product comes in a clear plastic tube with orange trim. Orange? Obviously someone in the marketing department had a good chuckle about that - it doesnt exactly fill you with confidence when you apply it!
With Summer seeming to be well and truly here, I've become quite conscious of how deathly pale my skin is looking. Over winter I tend to go a bit grey (not in a John Major's 'Spitting Image' puppet way, just a bit dreary looking!)
I don't tan very well - it takes months for me to develop a nice colour but with the amount of bronzed goddesses flaunting it in skimpy Summer clothes I feel very pale and uninteresting!
The obvious answer would seem to be fake tan, but I've avoided it ever since I developed a minor obsession with applying it a few years ago that left me looking like the love child of Dale Winton and the bloke off Bargain Hunt! Victoria Beckham may be about to flaunt an immaculate fake tan, but personally, I can't apply it without looking like I've been Tangoed!
I did try those fast tan sun beds and I have to confess they worked brilliantly, but the damage sunbeds do is well documented and in the end being a Dale Winton mini-me has to be preferable to having horrible dried up leathery skin or worse.
I've read a lot about how the new generation of fake tanning products are much easier to use and provide far more impressive results, so against my better judgement, I decided to have another go at faking it...
The first problem is the range of products now available. Row upon row of creams, lotions and sprays adorn the shelves in Boots. I didn't want to spend too much because I was sure I would be using it once then resigning it to the bathroom shelf in disgrace, so I ruled out the more expensive 'celebrity endorsed' brands like St Tropez straight away. But that still left a massive array of products ranging from Boots own brand products to well knows sun care companies and cosmetics giants. Creating a nation of bronzed gods and godesses is big business it seems.
One product that caught my eye was a self-tan in gel form. This looked like it might be easier to apply than traditional lotions and it had a third off the price so I was convinced!
The product in question was L'oreal Plenitude Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gel. This is a new addition to the L'oreal tanning range and claims to have the added benefit of smoothing the skin leaving it 'velvety soft' (which would be very weird when you consider the feel of velvet - if you skin suddenly starts feeling like that, I suggest you consult a doctor!)
Normally this product retails at £9.99 for 150ml, which may seem quite steep, but you only use a really small amount for each application so it does last. At the moment its on offer at Boots for £6.66 -those of you with a superstitious nature wait until it returns to its none demonic price before you purchase it!
The product comes in a clear plastic tube with orange trim. Orange? Obviously someone in the marketing department had a good chuckle about that - it doesnt exactly fill you with confidence when you apply it!
The thing I dont like about self-tanning products is the horrible chemically smell you get with them but this one isnt too bad. In the tube it smells quite fruity, not the sort of smell I'd be keen to wear as a fragrance but not unpleasant. When it starts to develop it does smell a little bit chemically, but thats to be expected and it isn't overpowering.
The best way to describe the product itself is like a cross between unset tangerine jelly and radioactive honey (not that Ive had many dealings with radioactive honey, Im just guessing thats what it would look like.)
You apply the product like a moisturising gel, but being more careful to cover all your body. Because it doesnt dry immediately, you can at least see when youve already applied and where needs attention. It does smooth on very easily and doesnt feel greasy although it is a little bit sticky. Don't apply it if you need to get dressed in a hurry, although it doesnt specify how long to leave it to dry, I can tell you from experience that it will mark if it isn't dry when you get dressed. Although it will wash out of clothes, it can leave you with an interesting pattern on your bum where your knicker elastic went!! (Very classy indeed!)
It does take effect very rapidly - the bottle claims within an hour you will be a golden goddess but I noticed the colour changing almost immediately. Within an hour the colour was obvious although it took a few hours for the full depth to be revealed.
So heres the bit you've kept reading for. Did I turn day-glo orange and have to face the world looking like I'd been bathing in Tango? Sorry to disappoint you, but no, I didnt! The colour was golden not orange and it did look really natural. It took a second application to get the depth of colour I was after but thats a good thing because it means you can control the level of bronzing. If you are happy with just a glow then thats fine, if you are looking for a resemblance to Donatella Versace (although why you would Im not sure) you just keep applying indefinitely.
You need to top up your tan every couple of days to prevent patchiness but other than that it's a really quick and easy way to get a healthy tan. Virtually hassle free and it even leaves your skin moisturised so you can save time having to do both!
It is available from most supermarkets and drugstores and has been given a massive marketing campaign (although I would say its impossible to go ' perfect golden' like the girl in the ad - unless you too had been the subject of a great deal of airbrushing!)
All in all, this is a great product, far quicker and easier to use and less messy than traditional fake tans and a little goes a long way - someone send a bottle to the 'Orange Celebrities Club' - they would be forever grateful!
Advantages: subtle, even, healthy glow Disadvantages: don't think the bottle will last very long
...tangerine! Eventually I decided on L'Oreal Sublime Bronze self-tanning gel, as I thought of L'Oreal as being quite a trustworthy brand. Also, the Sublime Bronze range had 1/3 off at Boots, so I paid £7.32 for a 150ml bottle instead of £10.99. Another thing that attracted me to this product was the fact that it is suitable for use on face as well as body. Previous tanning lotions I have tried didn't work very well on the face, and it saves having ... ...me the results I was after. I definately trust the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze range, but next time I might try a lotion intstead of the gel, as I think I might prefer this. Even so, I would be happy to continue using the gel as it does the job fine. ...
ajaybie 04.04.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Gel
Advantages: Nice shimmer, easy to apply, no nasty smell Disadvantages: Tricky over heels and feet, bottle doesn't seem to last very long
I'd only ever used St Tropez before and was wary about using a cheaper brand. At £10.99 it isn't the cheapest you could possibly buy but I do think it's really good value for money, especially if you buy in Boots and get advantage card points. The tube didn't last as long as I expected, I've used it on my legs only twice, and all over once and I think it'll probably run out after another all over application. Maybe I'm just a bit addicted to it!
... ...find I needed to exfoliate and moisturise excessively before application for it to come out evenly. Just a bit of moisturiser before was all I needed, even on my knees. Much less faffing around than using St Tropez! The tint to the gel is a nice colour, a warm copper-y bronze and makes seeing where you have applied very easy. It doesn't, however, really give you an indication of what the final colour will be. I especially liked the shimmer to the ...
kittykatty31 15.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Gel
Advantages: Easy to apply, silky skin, natural gradual tan Disadvantages: Needs 2+ applications, takes ages to dry!
...PRICE AND PACKAGING
L'Oreal Sublime Bronze usually costs £10.99, but it was on offer in Boots with 1/3 off. I don't think that this is a bad price - not stupidly expensive like St Tropez, but it is enough to give me confidence in the product.
The packaging is clear, so that you can see the dark orange gel inside, with an orange flip cap. It has orange, gold and white colours on the front. It looks quite nice, although how excited can a girl get ... ...however is that it is slippery when you hold it with product on your hands. The upside is that you can see how much you have used!
CLAIMS...
'Sublime Bronze is a non-greasy self-tanning gel with a smoothing effect, which is easy to apply and dries rapidly. From only one hour it give the skin a golden glow, with an instant velvety touch.'
Well, let's just see about that shall we…
PRE-APPLICATION
Before using any fake tan, you should cleanse, ...
emmie2409 24.05.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Gel
Advantages: Absorbs well, Difficult to get wrong!! use on face also. Disadvantages: smell during development
I really suggest than even amature fake tanners try this product out to add a bit of a glow to winter worn skin.
I'm a typically perfectionist Virgo and as such rather tentative when it comes to tanning products. I can't stand the idea of having just one dodgy patch and i'm so particular that I can't just tan my legs I always HAVE to do my WHOLE body and face because I don't like the idea of having a mismatched look when i'm naked (even if it's ... ...is a slightly tinted honey coloured gel. The tint does not show up on your skin when you put it on, but the sheen on your skin when applied makes it possible to see where you're putting it. MY PERSONAL APPLICATION METHOD. -TRIED AND TESTED!
Firstly I should say that you don't have to be this cautious. The product is very simple to use and develops a light colour the first time you use it but just in case you want to be extra sure, this is how I ...
pollybeanuk 18.02.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Gel
Advantages: Quick to dry & absorb, natural colour, relatively easy to apply Disadvantages: smell could be improved, can be a bit patchy
I've naturally pale skin and always feel self conscious of this over the summer months, particularly when it comes to getting my legs out when they've been hidden away over the winter months. Not wanting to go for sun beds after all the health warnings associated with these, I opted for a tan in a bottle.
Wary of looking like the orange celebs we seem to see all the time, I was careful with the shade selected and went for the lightest possible selection. ... ...these really difficult to apply, slow to absorb and streaky so this gel based product instantly appealed to me. The price was pretty good too, at £6.50.
After preparing my skin as directed (exfoliated and moisturised!) I applied the gel, little by little. I was surprised by how quickly this absorbed but a bit concerned that the product didn't appear to show on the skin. I was unsureif this would give an even tan as I was relying on memory as to ...
katherineh123 21.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Gel
How intensive is the ta...
How even is the tanning?
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Advantages: Very very even, gives a lovely colour and easy application! Disadvantages: Takes some time for it to be absorbed.
I have been using this tan for several years now and I recommend it to anyone!
Application:
Firstly I start by putting body butter on my feet and ankles, knees and elbows so they don't go bright orange.
I don't like using rubber gloves with this tanninggel as I find it makes it more difficult for it to be thoroughly absorbed into the skin. What I do is I start at the bottom and work my way up, regularly washing my hands. I do one leg, wash my hands. Do the other leg, wash my hands. Then the body, and then the arms. After washing the hands at the end so I don't look like I have white gloves on I put a little of the product on some tissue and smooth it over the tops of my hands.
Results:
A natural even colour which is easy to intensify with just one more application. It does have the fake tan smell afterwards but its not as strong as ...
Advantages: colour, so natural! Disadvantages: absorption time..
This is a fantastic product! The colour is incredibly natural for summer time.
I wouldn't reccommend it to people with pale skin though, it's quite an obvious tan, even if it is natural colour.
The price is a bit over my budget, but for approx. £10 it is good value!
I used it for years, until I got fed up with waiting for it to dry...
In my experience, I had to stand around for an hour until it dried, but the colour was worth it!
You can see a slight result within approx. 3 hours and full result by the next day.
It has something which allows the selftan to adjust it's colour depending on your skin tone, which is why it is so natural!
I've had SO many compliments when I've worn it and no one believes it's fake :D ...
Advantages: Natural matte colour. Disadvantages: Can be dark so use sparingly.
I have never been one for fake tan as I'm always put off by the smell and the potential for it to all go so very wrong. The maintenence also bores me and the fact that you never really capture the same natural colour the sun gives you.
However this year I decided to take the plunge. I'm hardly pale but thought I might as well see what all the fuss was about. The much loved Johnsons tinted moisturiser does nothing for me so I decided to go all out and buy some Loreal.
Loreal are not really a brand I buy into, merely because of their policies on the models they hire and the whole animal testing who ha. But I'd heard so many amazing stories about this tanner I put my morals aside and took the plunge (that said I got a bottle free so not so hard to do!)
The first thing I noticed is that it really is a proper gel, it's like half set ...
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