Xen Tan Review
In the past I’ve always believed in DIY tanning. After one too many dodgy spray tans I decided that my own handy work was best when it came to a nice, NATURAL tan. Then much like the start of a cheesy true life story in a trashy women’s own magazine Xen Tan came into my life!!
I’d never heard of Xen Tan before and with out a trip to Infinity Beauty salon I still would be none the wiser. I got talking to one of the beauticians while she done my pedicure and she raved about a new tan that rivalled St Tropez. After I’d composed myself from the initial shock I laughed at the idea that there was anything to rival St Tropez, but she was sure of it and even challenged me to try it. This was a few months ago and each time I’ve done my tan the thought to try Xen Tan had crossed my mind but then immediately followed by that dread of try out a new tan. The flashbacks of me standing half naked in a freezing cold shower cubical while a Lara Croft lookalike sprayed me from head to toe, all the time insisting I didn’t inhale (which I would fail miserably at and end up with a lung full of tan and brown nostrils!) NO I couldn’t do it I’d just do my own St Tropez that night and be done with it, but as I was thinking this my hand had reached for my phone and dialled Infinity Beauty for a 3pm appointment. So as I walked to the salon I was nervous, excited and a little intrigued to see if Xen Tan actually worked.
As soon as I arrived my mind was put at easy by the lovely figure flattering lighting in the tanning room (not the harsh florescent type lights but the soft warm…..okay dull lighting!) So as the beautician asked me to step onto some sticky feet pads to stop my soles turning the colour of mahogany I instantly had a good feeling about Xen-Tan. Within 10 minutes I had two coats of an olive completion which for typically pale English girl is an achievement in itself! The treatment cost £20 which is a bargan considering the salon was warm and welcoming and the beautician even cleaned my nails and hands to stop the dreaded tan stains.
I was even more surprised that I looked normal and didn’t smell of bourbon biscuits! As I walked the 10 minutes back to the flat I didn’t get one side glance at passers by and didn’t feel the colour of a traffic cone. The tan was slightly sticky but apart from that I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.
Here are some celebrities who share the love of Xen Tan:
One tip is to have dark sheets as the tan did rub onto the bed cover but was easily washed out. I was glad that I went to sleep looking nice and tanned as appose to looking like I had spent a few days in the wilderness at and SAS training camp with mud smeared face and patchy arms.
Xen Tan washed off lovely and left an event cover all over with out looking dark and obvious. As much as admitting it pains me it has topped St Tropez and my favourite tan proven by the fact that I’m booked in again tomorrow to have a top up! So happy tanning and let me know if you have had similar results with Xen Tan x
Top 5 – Fake Tan (and Worst)
Summer is coming and this means dresses, skirts and bare legs!! Eeek! No longer can I hide my pale pins under leggings and jeans. I now have to buff, fake tan and moisturise on a daily basis. Not to mention checking for tan lines and trying to dodge the rain. It’s a stressful job but worth the pain. Over the past few summers I’ve trialled my fair share of fake tans, the good the bad and the ugly! I’ve learnt the tricks to banishing orange tinges and what works best for my skin tone. I researched the celebrity favourites (which generally came with celebrity price tags!) and the budget fake tans that banished me to my bedroom until I had scrubbed enough to be a normal colour again! Tanning is a hit and miss process that is never a sure thing! Yes you may have test ran your fake tan 4 times before your night out but guarantee it will go wrong the night before the big night! Its ‘Murphy’s Law’ at its best and the same goes for your hair and Smokey eyes you thought you had perfected too. Moral of the story is you can only control and prepare so far, the rest is down to luck! But you can give yourself the best chance of buying a good fake tan that will do the job!
So here are my favourite 5 brands of fake tan :
1. St Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Lotion 120ml - £20.43
3. Fake Bake Airbrush - £20.42
4. No 7 Quick Dry Tinted Moisturiser - £12.00
5. Johnson’s Holiday Skin - £5.10
With the best comes the worst and these are the ones I wouldn’t touch unless you have the misfortune of going to a fancy dress party as an Umpa Lumpa…(it happens!)
1. Garnier Ambre Solaire - £11.73
2. Tanning Wipes = Don't go there! they never work- trust me!
So hopefully that makes tanning a little easier to manage and if all else fails go to a salon and get a spray tan. You can rest assured your in safe hands and can blame someone else if it goes wrong! Good Luck!