Rimmel Sun Shimmer Sexy Legs Bronze Instant Tan

I bought this product because a friend had mentioned that she liked to use it before going out. It sounded like it would suit me because I am often too scatter brained to remember to do my fake tan the night before I have something on. Another reason that she had suggested I give it a go was because it was pretty cheap (around £4.99 for a reasonable sized bottle ) and it was instant so it was good if you forgot or just wanted to top up your tan before ...
...purchased a bottle from boots because it was relatively easy to get hold of. I have to say I don't really know why she recommended it to me but she isn't the best at fake tan so I think she just expects bad results due to the way in which she applies it..

I was slightly worried when the colour of the liquid that came out the bottle was close to black, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. This probably wasn't my best idea.
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I bought this product because a friend had mentioned that she liked to use it before going out. It sounded like it would suit me because I am often too scatter brained to remember to do my fake tan the night before I have something on. Another reason that she had suggested I give it a go was because it was pretty cheap (around £4.99 for a reasonable sized bottle ) and it was instant so it was good if you forgot or just wanted to top up your tan before going out.

I followed her advice and purchased a bottle from boots because it was relatively easy to get hold of. I have to say I don't really know why she recommended it to me but she isn't the best at fake tan so I think she just expects bad results due to the way in which she applies it..

I was slightly worried when the colour of the liquid that came out the bottle was close to black, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. This probably wasn't my best idea.

I began to rub the gel onto my legs like I do with any other instant bronzing product I use (just so you know I wasn't just using a really bad technique!) and the results were pretty horrifying. The gel did not spread at all and it left patches of different intensities all up my legs. I ran straight to the bathroom and began to wash it off my legs.

I have to say I was quite relieved when I saw my legs were returning to their normal colour and was pleased that the chances were the night out wasn't ruined on account of me being to scary looking to leave the house.

However my hands were a whole different story. I began rubbing gently to try to stop the self tan seeping into my pores and effectively staining my hands. This however seemed a pointless attempt as the gel on my hands didn't seem to want to shift itself. I began to scrub furiously (partly due to the panic that has began to sweep across me) and the repercussion of this was even worse. My hands began to look as though I had been using them to squeeze blackcurrants. I am not joking they began to turn purple.

Im sorry but I know that fake tan can be hard to get off sometimes but there is no way that it should start to turn a shade of purple! I was seriously panicking by this point and I had no idea what to do. My hands were becoming raw due to the fact that I was scrubbing at them so hard and in the end I didn't even bother going out because they looked so awful.

I have spoken to other people who have had the same experience as me, but then again other people I have spoken to seem to be able to use the product fine. So maybe it just has something to do with the state of your skin.. But to me it seems a very strange effect to receive from a fake tan with is supposed to be brown.

Anyways I had to use the gel again one night because I was in a panic and had nothing else to use. Luckily I had a pair of self tanning gloves and I asked my friend to do it for me. I must say that this time it did look better and I did manage to actually enjoy my night.

However another large problem is that you really can't use the tan when it is raining outside. As soon as it comes in to contact with any type of water you are left with hideous splodges over you and it really isn't an attractive look! I know that the product obviously has to wash off and therefore there is really no way that they could prevent this from happening. It is for that reason that in my experience it is really just worth using proper fake tan rather than the instant wash off stuff.

Another thing is that it leaves such a mess on your clothes. Because it rubs off so easily it means that anything that the tan comes into contact with will be turned a brown colour. Although it does wash off easily it doesn't look great if you are out and you have visible patches of brown on your clothes. You really have to have a shower after going out or after use, otherwise your sheets will end up in a complete mess and although it washes out, it's such a hassle!

Personally I wouldn't recommend this product. Although it is cheap and the results are okay looking, there are far too many hassles that come with it. The fact that it goes everywhere and is hard to apply makes it not much of a worthwhile purchase. Some may disagree and find that they do like using this product but in my opinion it is just worth sticking to the permanent stuff or looking a little bit paler than others! 

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