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Beauty•Skin Care

My Updated Self-Tanning Routine & Products I Love!

January 10, 2019

A lot of you have asked me, “how do you maintain a consistent tan year-round?” Earlier last year, I wrote a blog post about the sunless tanners I tried and loved. Shortly after though, I discovered a new self-tanning range, which has completely changed my self-tanning game for the better. Ladies and gents, if you haven’t tried Australia’s cult-favorite tanning range Bondi Sands yet, you HAVE to. It seriously gives me the best tan ever and it’s all I use now! FYI – This post is not sponsored, BUT I was initially gifted a couple Bondi Sands tanning mousses to try. I totally fell in love with them, and quickly became a loyal customer. The undertone in these tanning mousses is more of a green rather than orange color. This creates that perfect brown tan, as opposed to the dreaded oompa loompa “tan.” I basically have their entire range at home now. Needless to say, I’m obsessed!

I mention this all the time: As much as I love laying out by the pool, no tan is worth skin cancer. I do tan naturally outdoors every now and then with sunscreen on, but I try not to stay out for more than an hour at a time. Luckily, I have olive skin and tan easily. I never burn – even when it’s 120 degrees out! From my experience, self-tanning is most effective when you have a base tan to work with. This is especially the case if you want a really deep, dark tan. Long story short, I use self-tanners at home to maintain my real tan and to keep it looking rich all year round. They’re great to have in the winter especially, when it may be too cold to lay out for a natural tan.

Below are the products I currently swear by, for a flawless tan!

Bondi Sands 1-Hour Express Tanning Mousse

Recommended for: BEGINNERS, THOSE WHO DESIRE A NATURAL TAN with even fade

The first product from Bondi Sands I ever tried was the 1-Hour Express Tanning Mousse. I love the idea of applying self-tanner and only having to leave it on for an hour before rinsing off in the shower. This express tan continues to develop for 24 hours, post-rinse. For a deeper tan, I like to leave this on for at least 3 hours. Good news? It’s not uncomfortable on because it’s not sticky at all, and to my surprise, smells pretty good. This tanning mousse gives me a very natural tan. The down side is that I don’t get that super dark tan that I prefer. On the flip side, it fades much more evenly because it’s closer to my actual skin tone. This tanner is highly recommended for those who are new to self-tanning and could use some practice applying product evenly on the body. If you mess up, the splotches won’t be as obvious. I’d say that with proper maintenance, I can keep this tan looking good for a solid 2 weeks before needing to apply a new tan.

Bondi Sands Ultra Dark Tanning Mousse

Recommended for: EXPERIENCED SELF-TANNERS, THOSE WHO DESIRE A DEEP TAN

Shortly after trying the 1-Hour Express Tan, I was gifted Bondi Sands’ Ultra Dark Tanning Mousse. Boy does this one make me DARK! It makes me look like I’ve literally spent an entire month at the Bahamas. I would recommend this to those who have experience with self-tanning. It dries relatively quickly, so if you don’t blend it in properly right away, you may end up with very obvious splotches. Similar to the 1-Hour Express Tanning Mousse, this mousse smells pleasant. However, it’s a bit stickier and I find it a little uncomfortable to sleep in. But, for this one to unleash its full potential, it’s highly recommended that you leave it on for ~8 hours. Immediately after application, I already see the bronzer at work. When I get up in the morning, I am ultra dark – just like what the product promises. After rinsing off, the tan is not as dramatic but still much darker than the tan I’d get with the 1-Hour Express Tanning Mousse. As much as I love the perfectly brown tan that I get from this Ultra Dark mousse, I don’t like that it usually only lasts for about a week tops. Even with proper care, I notice the color flaking off in a not-so-attractive manner, especially around the hands & wrists. With that said, if you’re going on an extended vacation, I’d recommend sticking with the 1-Hour Express Tan for a natural glow that is easy to maintain.

Bondi Sands Self-Tan Eraser

Recommended for: EVERYONE WHO SELF-TANS

Prior to discovering Bondi Sands’ self-tan eraser, removing old tan & starting fresh was a huge nightmare. All self-tanners stick to the skin for seemingly forever, and not evenly! I’d scrub endlessly with my exfoliating mitt and still find that my tan was not even half-way gone. I had to spare myself the time, trouble, and pain from all that scrubbing by getting this holy grail product. I was a little skeptical at first, but Bondi Sands didn’t disappoint with this one! This tan remover is a necessity if you self-tan regularly. The application is so easy. Simply apply the mousse over your body and leave it on for 5 minutes, then gently scrub everything off in the shower and voila! It’s as if the mousse melted the old tan away. For more stubborn areas like the wrists, knees, and elbows, you can either reapply or just leave the product on longer. I usually leave it on for 10 minutes before washing off to make sure everything’s removed the first time around.

Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk

Recommended for: PROLONGING REAL & FAUX TANS

As far as maintaining your tan goes, it’s crucial to moisturize regularly. I really love Bondi Sands’ Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk, which is a gradual tanning moisturizer that can be used everyday, morning and night. It is an absolute must for maintaining a full-body deep tan if you don’t want to start flaking as soon as day 3! I apply this all over my body every night for a flawless tan that builds beautifully over the course of a week or two. Even though it can be used morning and night, I only do so at night to prevent my skin from getting oversaturated (aka that gross orange hue). In the mornings, I like to use HEMPZ Herbal Body Moisturizer. It’s a tan-safe, regular moisturizer with no DHA in it. This means that it won’t boost a tan, but will prevent the skin from flaking prematurely. As a result, your tan will stick around longer! 🙂 Bondi Sands also has a gradual tanning milk dedicated for the face if you have sensitive skin.

Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Dry Oil

Recommended for: EVERYONE DESIRING AN INSTANT NATURAL TAN

For a quick tan on-the-go, try Bondi Sands’ Liquid Gold Dry Oil. It delivers an instant glow, dries quickly, and you can get dressed without worrying about product transferring onto your clothes. The results from this aren’t nearly as dramatic as what you’d get from the tanning mousse. So, I’d say that the Liquid Gold is best used as an existing tan enhancer. I don’t use this one as religiously as I do the other Bondi Sands products, but it’s good to have on hand in case I want that extra boost before going out to a special event or a photoshoot!

As of this month, Bondi Sands has become available in select Walgreens stores in the US, which is amazing! I remember needing to stock up on my gradual tanning milks last year because they’d sell out so quickly on their website. Now, I’m just a five minute drive from replenishing my stock haha 😉

What are some of your favorite self-tanning products?

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Comments

  1. OMG I’ve been waiting for you to share this for so long! Your tan is always so perfect I never would have guessed that you self-tan. Definitely need to check out Bondi Sands now that they’re readily available for purchase in the US! Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply

    • Aw thanks for stopping by Eileen! I totally self-tan! I used to only tan outdoors because it’s so easy to get super dark quite quickly in the desert, but the UV index is a lot higher out here so I have to protect my skin. Self-tanning allows me to get a deep tan quickly without exposing my body to harmful UV rays. These days if I lay out, it’s usually around 3-4 pm when the sun isn’t as strong, for about 20-30 minutes with my dogs! Just enough to get our Vitamin D in 😉 Omg tell me about it – I am beyond stoked that Bondi Sands decided to have their products stocked at Walgreens LOL long gone are the days I’d panic about being low on a certain product and having to reorder and wait days to receive it!

      Reply

  3. That tan eraser sounds like just what I need! It’s always such a hassle to remove old tan and start fresh. Will definitely give that a try and see if the process gets easier hahaha

    Reply

    • I usually do 2 layers! Apply an even layer onto the entire body (I do face too), then I let it dry/settle in for about 10 minutes or so before applying the second layer. You have to leave it on for 6-8 hours for it to get that dark though. Sometimes I don’t have that time or don’t want to sleep with it on… lol in that case with 2 layers and rinsing off in 2-3 hours I can get a tan just a bit darker than what I’d get with the 1-hour express. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

  5. I must admit I haven’t tried Bondi Sands products as yet. Appreciate your post providing first-hand information on this though. We all love to look nice and tanned and these certainly look like the products to go with! Thank you for all the detail on your experience and how well it works and lasts.

    Reply

    • They truly have an amazing range of tanning products for everyone. Love being able to get a deep tan quickly without spending hours in the sun getting skin cancer!

      Reply

  6. I’ve always wanted to try this because I get so pasty in the winter, but I’m always afraid I’ll end up orange. I will have to look into these for sure!

    Reply

    • I know what you mean! The undertone in these Bondi Sands tanners are more of a green though so you won’t have to worry about turning orange! If you’re extra pale though I’d recommend going with a lighter shade… they also have light/medium and dark shades in addition to the ultra dark that I use. I always have somewhat of a base tan so the ultra dark works well for me. For my paler friends the light/medium gives a very natural bronze 🙂

      Reply

    • I couldn’t agree more. Self-tanning products are great for winter especially! In the summer it’s pretty easy for me to get a natural tan since it’s so hot and sunny all the time in the desert haha

      Reply

  14. Interesting. I’m not one for self-tanning, really, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a great post for people who are. I just don’t have features that look as good when I’m tanned, plus my skin is super sensitive.

    Reply

    • That’s great that you embrace your natural beauty babe! I’m the opposite – I find that my features look better when I’m tanned haha. But you’re so right – self-tanning isn’t for everyone. The good news is that for those with sensitive skin, these products are really gentle! I have sensitive skin as well especially on the face and really appreciate that they have a tanning lotion specially formulated for the face.

      Reply

  15. This is a great post, I’ll definitely be sharing this with my best friend. She is always looking for good self-tanners, especially during the fall and winter months!

    Reply

  21. I’ve been looking for a good and affordable self-tanning brand/ products and Bondi Sands looks great! Your tan looks fabulous in all your photos so I’m sure it works perfectly. Thanks for sharing this!
    xo Samantha

    Reply

    • I am the same way! But I like to be really dark even in the winter when it’s not as easy to get super tan due to cold weather hahaha so, self-tan to the rescue!!

      Reply

  26. I don’t use any self-tan products, however I will mention these to some of my friends who love to have tan all year round! xx

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    Reply

  27. I haven’t tried Bondi Sands products yet and I have to admit that I have never done a self-tanning before because I am afraid of getting orange spots, but I love the dark tanning moose! I will definitely try it!

    Reply

  28. I haven’t tried this brand before, but I need to. Your tan looks so natural and not too orange. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Yes! It’s not orange at all unless I oversaturate it (use the gradual tanning lotion twice a day instead of just once a day). It’ll be different for everyone so I definitely recommend giving it a try!

      Reply

  30. I’ve been hearing about these products for years, but I’ll admit, I’ve never tried an at-home tanning product for myself (aside from drugstore lotions that don’t do much aside from a subtle glow). These sound fantastic. I’ll have to try them out for myself sometime!

    Reply

    • Ahh I highly recommend Bondi Sands! I’ve tried plenty of drugstore lotions too but I feel like those make me more orange than anything lol. Let me know what you think of these when you get the chance to try! xx

      Reply

  31. Thanks for sharing these products. Perhaps I will forward to some colleagues since I don’t necessarily tan myself (though I’ve been on the paler side lately).

    Reply

  36. I seriously need a good self tanner because this mama while I’m out and about with my son has not had a nice even tan in forever. Thanks so much for sharing these products!

    xo, Laura

    Reply

  37. Never used self-tanner, but I’ve been tempted! I’m always scared of side effects, and I have super sensitive skin :0

    Reply

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