Apr
2019
Tropical tan: St. Tropez Purity Bronzing Water Gel and Facial Spray
It’s no lie, I love self tanners.
For a girl who doesn’t tan very well naturally, I rely a great deal on self tanners. I’ve used so many brands and formulas through the years that I have narrowed down my favourites, both in terms of brands and the kind of self tanner I like to use.
Of course though, I’m always up for something new.
Last October at the #LDBeauty event in Whistler one of the items I was gifted was the St. Tropez Purity Facial Bronzing Water, which is a facial spray that gives you a nice glow after a few hours. I’ll go more into this later in this post but when I saw that there was a Bronzing Water Gel, I was instantly intrigued.
The first thing that you’ll notice about the Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Gel (C$54) is the scent. Self tanner has that stigma around it that it smells bad, and for the most part since it’s 2019 and brands have advanced their formulas and the scent, once the tan settles, most do still give you that BO smell. This one actually has a tropical scent to it (same with the spray, which is such a treat whenever I spray it), meaning that you’re not going to stink after you apply this.
As for the formula, it’s a transparent gel-to-water formula that glides on the skin (meaning a little goes a long way) and develops into a natural, golden tan in just three hours. It also contains natural skincare actives and hyaluronic acid to plump, regenerate, and protect the skin. St. Tropez says that there is no need for a rinse off after its developed and the non-sticky gel gives you 72-hour hydration, meaning that your tan will last longer.
I gave this a try with their mitt (they still recommend using the glove to apply this) and loved how it glided on my skin. I actually tried this out right after my trip from Vegas earlier this week and since I had a spray tan prior to the trip, I thought this would do the trick to make my tan last longer (and even out any patches). It’s not as dark as a spray tan (I usually go for the deepest-colour mousse I can find since I’m so pale – hey, go hard or go home), but I did like how it developed to a nice glow and it’s definitely made me look tan for much longer. Also, since it’s more of a glow rather than a drastic looking tan, that means that it’s virtually streak free.
Although there is no self tan smell to it, I will say that I actually hit up a spin class before rinsing it off and mixed with sweat, I could definitely start smelling it. If you’re planning on sweating before rinsing, I would recommend to hit the shower first (unless you don’t care, like I didn’t haha).
For the face, I highly recommend the St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mist (C$39). This stuff is truly incredible on so many levels. I usually use this spray after applying my self tanner or after my skincare routine before bed. Just spray it on your face for a natural-looking glow in just four to eight hours.
This mist also has that tropical scent to it and is infused with 100 per cent naturally derived and vegan-friendly tanning agents that refresh and revive your skin. Instead of your usual facial spray, use this instead for a nice treat. St. Tropez also mentions that it can be used over top of makeup as well (although I have not tried it this way).
If you’re worried that it will make your face look darker than the rest of your body, don’t be. This gives you a very subtle glow and if you are a regular user of self tanners you’ll know that the first area for it to wear off is usually the face since we use so many skincare products. This spray makes it easy for that glow to last and takes two seconds to apply. Even if you don’t pair this with a St. Tropez product, I would still recommend picking this up since I think it’s a very innovative product and if you are a self-tan user, then you’ll get good wear out of this (I’m already halfway through the bottle).
St. Tropez also offers a few other products as part of the Purity line, such as a bronzing mousse (which is usually more my jam). If you’re wondering what the difference is between the Purity line and the regular one, this one features that tropical scent and the products are clear and lightweight. I also believe that they are designed to give you a natural-looking glow as opposed to a drastic-looking tan.
I have been a huge fan of St. Tropez products for years (I still love their original bronzing mousse), but definitely have to give them credit for coming out with the Purity line. Anyone who can make self tanner actually smell good deserves a gold star in my book
What’s your favourite self tanner?
Please note, products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
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