Face Tanner Luxe.

XEN TAN - 

FACE TANNER LUXE

Self-tanners are the safest way to achieve tanned looking skin, the area I always forget to tan whilst self tanning at home is my face! I tend to shy away from tanning my face for a couple of reasons, I find that self body tanners have a formula too heavy for my skin which causes break outs, that body tanners leave an uneven finish on my skin and cling to dry patches.
Xen Tan have created two Face-Tanners in addition to their huge range of body tanners and tanning accessories - Face Tanner and Face Tanner Luxe. Each Face Tanner compliments products from the Xen Tan range and gives you the option of having a light or deep finish. 

Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe is packaged inside a small plastic tube with a squeeze-dispense formula. It has classic Xen-Tan branding and is the perfect size for at-home use and travelling.

Face Tanner Luxe is the deepest colour option the two face tanners on offer, it has a lightweight gel formula which appears slightly green on application but gradually rubs into a golden finish, providing an easy to follow colour guide showing you where you've already applied the formula. I apply it with my fingers or a mitt to my face then wash my hands thoroughly. The tan gradually changes and increases in colour over three to five hours - I tend to apply it at night as although at first it has a delicious vanilla caramel scent this descents into the dreaded DHA tanning scent.
Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe is my choice of face tanner thanks to its speciality formula that makes it safe for use on the face. It feels very smooth on my skin upon application and doesn't cling to dry patches, nor does it increase the oiliness of my skin or cause any breakouts.
The finish is a wonderful olive-toned golden tan which lasts for around four or five days, it doesn't last as long as most of Xen-Tan products because I wash my face at least twice a day every day. Even so, the tan gradually fades and doesn't leave any patchiness or residue on my skin as it fades away. If you want to prolong your sunkissed skin simply apply another thin layer for a couple of hours every four or five days.

Another use I have found for the Xen Tan Face Tanners is to top up the tan on my hands, where I wash my hands at least and more than five times a day I find my hands fade a lot quicker than the rest of the tan on my body. To top them up with a natural looking golden finish to compliment the rest of my tan I apply a small amount of the Face Tanner in a similar fashion as I would to hand cream before I sleep.

The Best Fake Tans.

Everyone knows summer in England isn't exactly the best summer ever, but this year has been on record the worst summer ever, with the rain, thunderstorms and flood warning I think its fair to say everyone needs cheering up. Now, I don't know about all of you, but the one thing that really cheers me up (other then shopping) is a tan. During times like this when the sunny days are few and far between I turn to false tan to cheer me up and get me set for when Mr Sunshine does make an appearance.

For some people fake tan is a serious phobia, the idea of leaving the house streaky, orange handed and totally patchy even makes me shiver, however all that is now a with these new up to date products which are aimed at even the most disaster prone self tanner. Therefore here's my list of the best fake tans on the market (there in no particular order).

• Xen-Tan Dark Lotion, £23

A favourite of A-List celebrities, beauty editors alike and myself, this Dark Lotion gives you a rich, natural olive tan that looks great for up to 10 days. Easy to apply, it goes on evenly, smells delicious and instantly creates a gorgeous streak-free finish you'll love. Packed with rich moisturisers and premium ingredients, Dark Lotion glides onto skin and leaves it feeling nourished and silky smooth. Enriched with coconut and walnut oils, it helps you achieve a stunningly natural olive tan that's exceptionally long wearing.

• Lancaster Gradual Hydrating Bronze Lotion, £17

If dark, messy self-tanning products are the stuff of your beauty nightmares, this Gradual Hydrating Bronze Lotion from Lancaster could be the product for you. Easy to apply, this milky lotion is perfect for every day application, since it glides on smoothly and dries quickly for an even bronzed colour, also has an added SPF 6.

• Fake Bake 60 Minutes Self Tan Liquid, £24.95

Fake Bake has long been one of the top go-to brands for the best self-tanning products, and now they've formulated their fastest ever developing tanning lotion that provides you with a natural sun-kissed glow in just 60 minutes. The pioneering time-saving liquid boasts a fast-drying DHA and erythrulose complex making it perfect for last minute body prepping.

• St Tropez Self Tan Dark Bronzing Mousse, £33

The original, and many would argue still the best, St Tropez has maintained a loyal following. But if you're a fan of a really deep tan, you're going to love this new offering for summer: Self Tan Dark Bronzing Mousse. The new darker formula contains allo-melanin, which is designed to mimic the skin’s natural melanin, ensuring the most natural, deep tan for a gorgeous jet set look.

• Clinique Self Sun Body Tinted Lotion, £17

With an oil-free gel formula, Clinique's Self Sun Body Tinted Lotion has a light texture that goes onto skin seamlessly for an instant bronzed look that develops into a rich tan. Technologically-advanced polymers help hold the product onto the skin’s surface to maximise the life of the colour, while mica and caramel particles give you that just back from holiday shimmer.

• Lancome Flash Bronzer Face Gel, £23

Sometimes fake tan products can be a little harsh on the face, so the clever people at Lancome have formulated a state-of-the-art product especially for the skin in that area. This amazing self-tanner is not only fresh, but with its skin-caring gel texture applies easily, evenly and dries quickly. Develops for a deep and even natural-looking tan in just one hour; for a radiant, healthy glow in a flash!

• Garnier Ambre Solaire No Streaks Bronzer Self-Tanning Mousse, £9.33

A favourite with many magazines recently, this light, air-whipped mousse delivers an instant bronze sheen to the body without any of those pesky self-tanning streaks. The formula is tinted so you apply the right amount to every area of your skin, for a flawless result. You won't miss a spot or over apply! The colour develops over a few hours and doesn't have that telltale fake tan smell either. Overall this has no self tan smell, is easy to apply, quick drying and provides a very natural-looking tan.

• Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel, £17.50

One for even the most devout fake tan phobes, Clarins' Self Tanning Instant Gel is easy-peasy to use and gives an even, natural-looking colour. The non-oily formula is quickly absorbed by the skin meaning you can dress immediately. The colour develops in just one hour, and the gel is full of plant extract, larrea divaricata, which slows the rate at which skin cells are shed, meaning you stay bronzed for longer.

• Trilogy Self Tanning Instant Bronzing Gel, £14

Even though your tan isn't natural, the product can be, thanks to Trilogy's Self Tanning Instant Bronzing Gel with 100% natural ingredients. Fuss-free, quick-drying and easy to apply, the gel creates an instant golden shimmer to skin in need of a holiday, which develops over two to three hours for that must-have glow.

• Rimmel Sunshimmer Instant Tan Water Resistant, £6.99

A great fake tan doesn't have to break the bank. Rimmel's matte tan budget buy, which comes in a choice of two shades; light and medium, this provides a gorgeous natural looking bronzed look whilst keeping skin nourished and moisturised. This is an instant natural sun-kissed look for the face and body which is streak free, fade proof colour can withstand sudden rain, splashes and even spilled drinks. This is fantastic for an immediate flawless tan look or to enhance an existing tan, which dries instantly and wont come off on your clothes.

Whats your favourite fake tan for summer and have you have had a fake tan disaster, if so leave a comment underneath would love to hear about them!

Tantastic.

Xen-Tan Dark Lotion

I love having an all year round tan, however due to me being extremely pale...that would never happen naturally. Even when I go away I never get a tan, I just burn then go back to being my usual pale self. This is what started me using false tan in the beginning, however back then I used a gradual tan, it gave me a natural tan however due to me being quite young, it wasn't that expensive. It wasn't until recently I discovered Xen-Tan.

I originally bought the Xen-Tan Deep Bronze Luxe, however even though it was amazing, it was really difficult to apply, this I believe was due to there being no guide colour, therefore I couldn't see where I'd already applied it. I also found it dried incredibly fast and was really hard to rub in, therefore you had to work fast. This ultimately lead to me wanting to try the lotion version. I've been using it for a few weeks and it is so much easier to apply, and it also has a guide colour. The colour using both products is pretty much the same, they leave me looking naturally brown without one little streak, meaning it looks blissfully even. Packed with rick moisturisers and premium ingredients, this glides onto the skin and leaves it feeling both nourished and silky smooth. Enriched with coconut and walnut oils, it aims to achieve a stunningly natural olive tan, which lasts an exceptionally longtime. In my opinion it lasts around 5 to 7 days; I strip it off Wednesday night and apply a fresh new coat on Thursday, however it does begin to fade on Monday, and due to this I have a bottle of Garnier Skin Naturals Summer Body Moisturising Lotion in dark to just mix in with my moisturiser after a shower...I apply this all over to help me keep looking beautifully brown. However I do have quite a hot shower every morning, and therefore the heat from the shower may be the cause of why it fades so fast.

The one thing which did catch my eye when this arrived was the new and improved, fabulous packaging. I think it makes it look so much more high end and elegant then just a slandered false tan. The pump is also very handy, it means I can get my false tan even...two pumps for each leg, one pump for the top of my arm etc. It also allows me to ration it, so I don't go over the top with using a lot when I really done need to, this was another problem with the other Xen-Tan product I used, it came in a tube so it was really messy and hard to judge how much I would need, often using way too much.

Overall Xen-Tan is definitely my favourite brand of false tan out of them all...its incredible and I love the idea that you only have to apply it once a week instead of every day or every other day, and yet you stay brown for the whole week...pretty much. When I bought this a few weeks ago it was only £18 from FeelUnique.com, however now it appears its gone up to £22, which I guess isn't bad, but its still a really big jump in price. On the other hand, I will definitely be buying it again, it's really good and I really like the colour and how easily it applies so overall its my new Holy Grail false tan.

Whats you're favourite false tan brand on the market?

Whats your biggest false tan mistake?