Xen-Tan Transform Luxe Gradual Tanner Review

So I thought I'd share with you my first ever experience with Xen-Tan Gradual Tanner in Light/Medium. Now I am a fake tan virgin, I do however use a gradual tanner all year round which is Dove's purse-friendly Summer Glow. Whilst the scent of Dove's Summer Glow isn't the best, just the usual biscuity mushroom smell that you get with all the others, it does give a lovely, even and subtle glow. Back to my experience with Xen-Tan...

I was really excited to try Xen-Tan, before purchasing I had read many glowing reviews from people that were dedicated to this brand for excellent salon quality results. I probably wouldn't have purchased it at it's full retail of £39.95 but as it was in the ASOS sale for £18.50 I thought this was a reasonable price as the gift set included an exfoliator and tanning mitt.

 The products came in very luxurious and informative gold and cream boxes enclosed in a transparent re-usable cosmetic bag. The gradual tanner and exfoliator themselves were very generous sized 236ml bottles with the gradual tanner having a screw top and the exfoliator having a nice and easy flip top.

So that evening I showered, shaved and exfoliated in preparation for applying the gradual tanner. Just touching on the exfoliator, it was a very refreshing and non-abrasive scrub...some scrubs can leave my skin feeling dry and taught but this didn't. Straight after my shower I slathered on E45 cream...I do this every night regardless of applying my usual gradual tanner or not. Now onto my experience with the tanner itself...

Firstly, the scent is delicious! Its got a fresh vanilla scent to it which only slightly changed to that biscuity fake tan smell around 3 hours later and even then it wasn't as over-powering as some other brands I have tried. The lotion itself made my skin feel moisturised and was easy to apply. Now the set came with a tanner mitt...as this is labelled as a daily gradual tan I threw caution to the wind and applied it with my hands...big mistake! Although the rest of my body tanned evenly and streak free the colour was anything but a subtle light/medium. I love the colour, it was a deep olive, I have an olive tone to my skin anyway so the tanner only enhanced this. Although I had washed my hands thoroughly after applying to my body and rubbed a small amount to the backs of my hands using my wrists and the back of the opposite hand to rub in I ended up with a disaster on my hands that I don't usually get!

As you can see from this photo the colour difference is so dramatic! I love the colour it's very natural but I know now why it came with a tanning mitt and will definitely be using it on my next application! My disappointment of this not being as easy to use as my usual drug-store brand gradual tanner has been overshadowed by the luxurious colour and feel of Xen-Tan.

I may be converted....

Jodie
xoxo