Aussie Bronze - Body Bronzer

Getting a tan in the UK is almost impossible. When it’s not raining it’s overcast, and of course when the sun shines, it’s midweek and we’re all inside working at our desks! At The Amazing Blog we wistfully long for that healthy looking tan, however with the erratic weather here, it’s highly unlikely we’ll get one. So, our search for summer sunless tanning products began. We recently met and got chatting to instant tanning brand Aussie Bronze at the NOPE exhibition, and couldn’t wait to try their Body Bronzer.

Aussie Bronze as the name suggests, hails from Australia. Sacha Roberts the founder, has developed a high-quality, toxin and DHA free instant organic fake tan. She couldn’t find any good safe chemical-free instant tanning products for her daughter’s young skin. Thus, the journey began and she set about creating her own instant tan. Aussie Bronze will guarantee you a natural glow and adapts to any skin tone. All made with water, sunflower oil, avocado oil, almond oil, vitamin E, Shea butter, titanium oxide, and other organic ingredients. We particularly liked the way it applies with the ease of a tinted moisturiser and is gentle enough for both face and body. This is definitely one of the better instant tans that we’ve used and will keep using! What better way to get a quick tan and avoiding all the drama and downtime waiting for one to develop.

We love that it is an ‘instant tan’, it’s just perfect for quickly applying to legs or face just when the sun comes out - this bank holiday weekend?. The product is vegan, and also cruelty, paraben, sulphate, petrochemical and PEGs free, keeping our skin healthy from the inside out. Aussie Bronze is 100% Australian and made with only natural ingredients.  All you have to do is shake the bottle, apply the product smoothing it over your body. Best of all is that it washes off at the end of the day.  Get your Aussie Bronze here 125ml for just £34.95.

Zuii Organic – Certified Organic Flora Gradual Tan Body Lotion and Self Tanning Foam

In the summer, at The Amazing Blog we not only like to sport a healthy tan that looks like we’ve just returned from some exotic clime, but we also don’t want to spend hours roasting in the sun risking getting skin cancer! We’re big fans of self tan products particularly if they are certified organic. Enter the 2019 Beauty Shortlist award winning Australian brand Zuii Organic’s  with their Certified Organic Flora Gradual Tan Body Lotion and Self Tanning Foam (in both Dark and Medium). Both products offer a great way to get a sunless tan, plus their organic ingredients give you a fabulous golden and glowing skin.

The Australian brand was founded in the 90s by beautician Rose Bessey, who wanted to create “organic products that have you looking incredible, while your skin benefits from wearing them”. This mission led her to create products that are all vegan and cruelty-free and have certified organic ingredients. The company’s tagline ‘wear flowers on your face’ stems from Zuii Organic using real flowers like roses, sunflowers, and jasmine in its products, which have lots of skin benefits and of course smell delicious.

The first product we tried was the Gradual Tan Body Lotion. Infused with organic bamboo juice, raw cacao, shea butter, and sunflower oil; the lotion hydrates and softens the skin so much so that you can use it alone as a body moisturiser. However, be advised that it does not contain sunscreen if you go out during the day. These nourishing ingredients leave your skin glowy while the product creates a gradual tan on your skin. We were very impressed with the colour that it gave, as it was extremely natural looking and is customisable by you. After using the product 1-2 times per day (morning and evening in our case) the gradual colour begins to emerge on your skin, and what we liked was that you can build the product up, until you achieve your desired tan. Have no fear, this lotion will not leave your bed sheets an ugly colour the next day and has a light citrus scent. Also it was long lasting and faded evenly.

The second product we tried was the Certified Organic FloraSelf Tanning Foam which they very kindly sent us both their Dark and Medium versions, but it also comes in four shades: Light, Medium, Dark and Ultra Dark. Having had basal carcinomas, I’m a regular all year around self-tanner, so my choice was the Dark version. I was impressed with the ease of application and performance.. I am extremely fussy about my tanning products and this truly gave me just the darker sun-kissed colour that I like! Unlike the lotion, this foam has a colour guide, so as you apply you have an instant tan that when dry will last for a week or more. The unique foam texture is lightweight and dries quickly. However, make sure you apply this product on evenly with a mitt to avoid streaks. The formula has bamboo juice, raw cacao, and grape skin, and doesn’t leave you feeling sticky. With its smooth application and rich colour, we can see why it is a winner achieving awards from Pure Beauty Global Awards Finalist too. It is perfect for achieving an optimal tan, with minimal effort. Exfoliate your skin before applying the lotion or foam. You can purchase the Gradual Tan Body Lotion (250ml) here for £31.50 and Self Tanning Foam (200ml) here for £36. Certainly one of my #amazingfinds for this summer and I can’t wait to try more from Zuii Organics

Friday Favourites: Tanning Products to Protect or Enhance

As winter draws closer, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain a healthy and radiant glow. The cold temperatures strip our skin of natural oils, and the shorter evenings limit our time spent in the sunshine (that’s if we’re lucky enough to get any!) However, there is no need to fret, as The Amazing Blog team has unearthed four new tanning related products: One to protect, one to give a sunless glow, another to enhance your existing tan and finally one to remove it all! All useful products but with very different missions. We particularly like to give ourselves a colour boost at this time of year, despite what the weather outside might suggest. The added bonus (and perhaps the most crucial factor) is that by using these products you gain a radiant glow without exposing the skin to harmful UV rays.

Firstly, it’s easy to forget that our skin is exposed to harmful UVA and UVB rays on a daily basis. We came across HEVL’s SPF50 Face Creme a unique product that fights against both UVA and UVB rays, as well as the lesser-known danger of High Energy Visible Light. The beady eyed amongst you, will recognise that the brand name is a direct abbreviation of High Energy Visible Light (HEVL), and with this, comes a product that has been formulated by experts in the field of sun protection. For those of you who are unsure of what HEVL is, then you’re not alone. HEVL rays are produced in much the same way as UV rays, meaning they are damaging to the skin whether it is sunny or not. The most profound finding of our research, however, is that HEVL rays can cause a similar amount of damage as both UVA and UVB rays combined. I’m sure you can understand why we were eager to try HEVL’s SPF50 Face Creme.

This face cream has a multitude of benefits. It is SPF50, free from MI, SLS, parabens and perfumes, and suitable for even the most sensitive of skin; due to the light and non-greasy formula. We were also thrilled to discover that is has a slight skin-coloured tint, perfect for non-makeup wearing days, yet the formula acts as a smooth base for days when we require a little more coverage. The visible effects are apparent, however, the ingredients are the real talking point. The addition of Liposhield (a newly formulated ingredient that actively fights HEVL light) ensures that you can be safe in the knowledge that your skin is protected all day. Additionally, added prebiotics strengthen the skin, and maintain it’s natural barrier, aiding with the avails of dry winter skin. If you too would like to protect your skin this winter, then you can purchase a 50ml tube here for £19.95. 

Having protected our skin, the next step in our tanning routine is to use a self-tanning product. We were pleased to come across Curasano, a brand that promises to be inclusive of all skin types, providing effective products for an all year round bronze. This is something we admire, and having used their Spraytan Express for a multitude of special events, we can clarify that there was not a ‘carrot-look’ leg in sight! Initially based in Belgium, Curasano has been providing valuable cosmetics and health products since 2008, and are recommended by dermatologists across Europe. 

Curasano’s Spraytan Express is designed to activate the skin’s natural melanin from the inside, leaving you with an even and golden-brown glow. Self-tan lovers may be aware of the biscuit like smell that is often part and parcel of achieving a long-lasting colour; however Curasano defies this unpleasant side effect with the use of natural ingredients. These include ginseng, aloe vera and vitamin E, all of which are moisturising, yet gentle enough for those who have sensitive skin. We were surprised to find that it only comes in one shade, however, with a range of skin tones in the office, we can confirm that nobody was subject to a tangoed embarrassment. The spray is also suitable for the face, and even for those who suffer from psoriasis or acne. To achieve a party worthy glow, we used the Curasano Spraytan Sentz glove, a soft microfibre glove that helped us to cover our bodies evenly (even those hard to reach areas), and a fail-safe application tool for even the novices amongst us. To achieve an envious glow, apply an even layer over the desired areas, and you should be streak free and radiant for no less than 5 to 7 days. You need only use a small amount, and thus there are up to 60 treatments for the face, neck and décolleté, or up to 10 for the full body. 

To purchase a 200ml bottle of the Spraytan Express for £58.25, click here, and click here to purchase the corresponding Spraytan Sentz Glove for £7.41 .

If at home tanning is still a scary prospect, then we may have the product for you. Solglo’s Tanning Mist is designed to add a bit of colour to natural skin, or can be used to extend your existing (professional or DIY) tan by between 5 and 7 days. The brainchild of United Beauty, an international group with an extensive portfolio of cosmetic and retail products, Solglo is award-winning in sunless spray-tanning products. United Beauty is a British manufactured brand, aiming to provide the ideal tanning solution for tanning professionals. 

We tried their Solglo Tanning Mist in Sun Kissed (which is the lightest), a spray tan in a can that helps to keep your tan looking fresh. The ingredients are effective at keeping the skin moisturised, with both vitamin E and aloe vera which help to ensure that your tan doesn’t flake. We were also pleased to find that the mist is non-greasy, leaving your skin feeling soft, without the sticky feeling of other leading brands. The mist is available in two shades, Sun Kissed (a lighter shade) and Sun Drenched (the darker shade), and both are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. We were also encouraged to find that the brand is nut free. The added bonus for us was the coconut smell, taking away the stereotypically chemical smell of tanning products. Using this product left us feeling as though we’d been transported to a tropical island, a welcome daydream while cooped up in a central London office. To encourage your own exotic transportation, spray evenly across the skin, and enjoy the long-lasting colour. You’ll find that it dries quickly, and thankfully doesn’t transfer onto clothes or bedsheets. To purchase Solglo’s Tanning Mist for £15.58 see here.

Finally, although this blog post suggests we’re all tanning experts…that is very far from the truth. We have witnessed many a ‘do I look orange’ moment in the office, and were therefore thankful to find CrazyAngel’s Strip Tease Tan Eraser. Crazy Angel is a brand that aims to offer personalised self-tanning, straying away from a ‘one colour fits all’ philosophy. The design of the packaging and branding is also unisex, fitting the company’s ethos of focusing on complementing skin tones rather than adhering to stereotypes. This is an outlook that we were impressed by, and one that compelled us to try their Strip Tease Tan Eraser. 

After previously trying Crazy Angel’s Midnight Delight Self-Tan Mousse (see here), we were eager to see how the Strip Tease Tan Eraser faired. We were suitably impressed (and relieved), to find a product that can solve our tanning woes without the use of harsh chemicals. The product is free from the use of alcohol, parabens and mineral oil and the formula itself has a delicate mousse texture, which aims to remove remnants of self-tan in just 5 minutes. Despite being a mousse, we were thankful that it didn’t leave our skin feeling tight; instead it had a silky smooth texture which left our skin feeling nourished (and ready for a new layer of tanning product). We recommend using this product to prep for any self-tan application, as it not only creates an excellent base, but also helps to ensure your bronzed glow lasts as long as possible. The Strip Tease Tan Eraser also has a pleasantly sweet and fruity scent, which draws away from the usually potent chemical smell of similar products. To purchase your own Strip Tease Tan Eraser for £14.99, click here. 

Self-tanning is often seen as a laborious and risky beauty ritual. Today we hope to have provided you with a few new tanning products to help make your routines a little less complicated and streak-free. All perfect for the forthcoming party season!