Gradual tanners are my favourite type of fake tan – it’s pretty foolproof, you don’t have to moisturise separately, and any mistakes tend to get blurred out after a couple of applications. I’ve tried out another 4 gradual tanners since my last gradual tanner review: St Tropez Gradual Tan Tinted Body Lotion, Jergens Natural Glow, Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze and Miss M by Minx Bronzing Bliss. All of them give pretty much the same natural colour.
St Tropez Gradual Tan Tinted Body Lotion
St Tropez Gradual Tan Tinted Body Lotion is a thick, sticky cream that requires a bit of effort to spread and rub in, especially if you use a tanning mitt. I think it’s on purpose, to help the tanner spread evenly when you apply it with your hands, and it does indeed give a nicely even, natural-looking tan. It’s tinted, but it’s not very noticeable unless you have pale skin. There’s no strong DHA scent detectable under the standard St Tropez odour-neutralising floral fragrance. It’s on the pricier end at $33.99 for 200 mL.
Aqua (Water), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glycerin, Dihydroxyacetone, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)silylethyl Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Metabisulfite, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol, Linalool, Caprylyl Glycol, Decylene Glycol, Isoceteth-10, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Anise Alcohol, Coumarin, CI 14700 (Red 4), CI 19140 (Yellow 5), CI 42090 (Blue 1).
Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturiser
I tried Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturiser in Medium to Dark. It also comes in Fair to Medium, which gives a lighter tan. It’s an untinted cream with a slightly floral vanilla fragrance that applies smoothly. As the tan develops, there’s a slight DHA scent if you sniff deeply and purposely look for it, but otherwise it mostly avoids the distinctive fake tan scent. In terms of firming and cellulite-hiding, I didn’t notice much difference apart from the deeper tan, which makes everything look a bit better. It’s a budget-friendly $14.99 for 221 mL, so even without the firming effect I think it’s a great value buy.
Water, Glycerin, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dihydroxyacetone, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Ceteareth-20, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Steareth-2, Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Fragrance, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodiumacryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, BHT, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Polysorbate 60, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Polyimide-1, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Caramel, Erythrulose.