The quest to get tan: Karora Self Tanning Products

 

A few months ago I was chatting with my friend from the Philippines, lamenting over my pale skin and how much of a hit my self-esteem took every time I looked at my Casper-esque legs.  It’s borderline embarrassing how much better I feel about myself when I’m tan.  I just can’t pull off the Nicole Kidman look, no matter how  much my office job and busy mom lifestyle forces me to.  My friend commented on how much she and her sisters would pine for pale skin back in the Philippines.  To the point where they would actually bleach their skin in order to lighten it up a few shades.  And there I was, on the opposite side of the globe, wishing for their beach bronze glow.  Why is it that cultures/advertising/fashion always influence women to want the opposite of who they are?  Why do I (as a naturally pale woman) find tanned skin to be beautiful and my golden-skinned friend finds fair skin to be preferable?

It turns out, it’s pretty expensive to not love the skin you’re in.  I’ve tried TanTowel Self-Tan Towelettes before and while the color was great and it lasted a good while, the application took just about five minutes too long for me.  Which, in mommy time, is like three hours.  With five extra minutes to spare, I can now reload the dishwasher, fold a load of laundry, and answer three emails.  Approximately. So dedicating five more minutes to self tanning just isn’t going to happen.  Maybe when Cora goes to college.

I also tried Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer, but I’m far too impatient to wait for the color to develop.  And it smells a wee bit funny in my humble opinion.  However, if you’ve got the patience and you don’t want to spend half a month’s paycheck on your faux bronze, it’s a great option.  What I do still highly recommend from my previous skincare routine is Clinique Self Sun Face Tinted Lotion if you have sensitive skin like mine.  I’ve found that slapping lotion on my face, even if it will make me tan enough to cover up a breakout, generally causes my pores to go in to freak out mode.  Clinique’s formula is gentle enough that my skin doesn’t explode, and it gives me a gentle glow.

So with all these trials and tribulations, I still hadn’t found my ideal self tanner.  Enter Karora Self Tanning Products.  First off, I’ll let the photos speak for themselves:

{Photos: Brandy Perez}

 

Granted, these are my head shots from last year and this year, so I’m about 20 lbs lighter, my hair is “bronde” now, and I bought higher quality (READ: more expensive) makeup a few weeks ago as well.  But the photo on the left is closer to my natural skin tone.  The right photo is after using Karora products for about a week.  My trial package came with their self tanning mousse, an application mitt, and three different types of face lotion with gradual tan, instant tan, and CC cream options.  As I tried them all, I found that each carried a lovely scent, but only occasionally faded to that icky self-tanner smell everyone loves to hate.

The mousse was my absolute favorite, and the mitt really seals the deal.  I realized my biggest issue of lack of time with other self tanning projects was because I had to wash my hands furiously after every application, and pray I didn’t wake up with orange palms as if I dipped them in Cheetos powder for an hour. The beauty of the mitt is you can apply the mousse directly on it, then apply to your body without fear of missing a spot, and finally remove your hand without so much as a trace of Cheetos powder, er, tanning lotion on it.  If you already have a self tanning regimen you love, you can find a similar Applicator Mitt from St. Tropez here. (affiliate link)

Karora is an Irish brand, and until recently they’ve only been available at select boutiques around the country.  Just a few months ago they began stocking the shelves of Ulta (aka that place where I burn my entire paycheck) with their product line, so they’re now available to fabulous women everywhere.  Trying a bazillion different tanning solutions (including the tanning bed – NOT recommended) means that I refuse to give anyone credit that doesn’t meet with my standards of easy application, good scent, and lasting results.  If you’re holding your bronzers to the same standard, I highly recommend giving Karora a try.  Find the whole line online at Ulta here.

 

XO,

A

 

P.S. I was given a complimentary sample of Karora products in order to facilitate this review.  Don’t worry though, all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links which means I may compensated if you click. Thanks for supporting Haute in Texas!