{Review} The Tan Lab and Some Tanning Top Tips

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz...I don't know the rest of the words so I'm just going to get on with this shizz!
It's beginning to look a lot like Spring here in Joburg and with that comes the release of the pale and pasty limbs! I myself am a proud Ghost Walker (super pale person) so I generally prefer the winter months when I can just hide my skin, but alas, I can't migrate during Spring and Summer so I need to learn to adapt. In May this year I found myself taking up an offer from The Tan Lab team to get a certain amount off a purchase (their Going for Gold special). So I bought the golden goodness and promptly left it in my cupboard. Spring sprung up on me like a thief in the night and I thought "hey, let's try not scare the towns folk" and so the testing began.

But before I get into my thoughts on this product, I thought I would take you through my tanning prep.

Exfoliation is key when self tanning, it's almost as important as the actual self tanner itself. If you don't remove the dead skin cells, you're tan could develop to be patchy and you're tan will also fade ridiculously fast, so it becomes redundant really.

Below are three of my favourite ways of ridding my body of dead cells.

The first option is to use coffee or used coffee grounds. Coffee is a brilliant exfoliant that also aids in reducing the appearance of cellulite as the caffeine aids in tightening the skin. I made a homemade coffee scrub here, if you're interested in making your own.
The second option is a sugar scrub. My mom brought this scrub back for me from one of her trips, its absolutely amazing! Its a sugar based scrub with olive and coconut oil, infused with lavender and rose, luxury in a tub.
The third option actually came with my purchase from The Tan Lab, they're exfoliation gloves. You place these on your hands and you can exfoliate your body and wash all at once, convenience is key!

It's also super important to make sure that a couple days before (if you don't do it on the daily) is that you moisturise your skin. It'll aid in the application and improve the overall appearance of your tan.

Now onto the product.

First things first, the smell. I remember back in High School I used to self tan religiously, but the one thing I couldn't stand was that "self tan" scent. It stuck to you like white on rice and if you dared scrub your skin, your tan would ultimately suffer. The Tan Labs formulation is so pleasant smelling, almost like a summer holiday scent, like you should have a cocktail and some sand between your toes.


The colour of the product was a little intimidating for me. I purchased the tanner for Fair skin, but after the first pump I had to triple check the bottle to make 100% sure that I hadn't bought a darker shade. None the less I applied to cream to my skin, pleased to say that it spread evenly and smoothly onto my skin. It absorbed almost immediately and didn't leave my skin feeling oily.

Here's a little before and after of my arm

You can see there is a distinct colour difference, what I love most is not a hint of orange. The colour is subtle and natural. Obviously if you are going for a more intense colour, get in touch with the Tan Lab team, they are super friendly and more than happy to help. I tanned on Saturday and 4 days later my tan is still going strong, I would highly recommend The Tan Lab's products.

As if this product wasn't awesome enough, you can purchase them online and receive quick and efficient delivery!

Have you ever tried Tan Lab? What are your thoughts? I'd love to know!

Until next time...