Going for Gold with St. Moriz

Cheesy title non? Well golden brown is what we are aiming for here (now I have The Stranglers in my head) rather than Oompa Loompa. Or, as I affectionately refer to my sister when she’s been hitting the faux tan, Lady Ronseal. In anticipation of my cousins wedding and having to unveil my deathly pallor upon the world I have finally conquered my fear and tried fake tan. After some extensive Googling and some excellent tips from my Twitter pals I settled on St. Mori Instant Self Tanning Mousse. It’s dirt cheap (£2.99 for 200ml at my local Semi-Chem but you can get it online for similar) yet it is allegedly a more natural looking dupe for St Tropez. 

Armed with my Primark tanning mitt (£2, did a good job and survived the washing machine!) and some vinyl gloves (I’m allergic to latex) I began the preparations. Tanning is a right faff! I exfoliated every inch of me then slathered on the body lotion before steeling myself for my transformation from Casper the friendly the ghost to Essex girl wannabe. 

The mousse is incredibly dark which frightened the hell out of me. It is totally scentless whilst you apply it although after 4 hours I started to smell like a packet of digestive biscuits. The smell lingered for two showers but thankfully wasn’t two strong. The formula spread very easily with the mitt and the tint means you can see exactly where you’ve missed. It dried within a couple of minutes and I was dressed in 30. 

And yes I’m aware of what that picture looks like.... ew. 

Now St. Moriz state on their Facebook page that they recommend applying it before bed and leaving it on overnight but I wasn’t that brave. After 4.5 hours of wincing at the guide colour I jumped in the shower. Don’t be afraid of the guide colour. For a while there I looked like I’d been rolling in mud but it does wash off. I was impressed! I’d gone exactly the same brown colour I used to go back in the days when I actually went outside in the sun rather than hiding in the shade clutching my factor 50. 

I had not one streak! And 7 days later no patchiness. It faded pretty quickly and I’m now almost back to my original colour but I suspect it would last longer if I’d left it on longer before showering. I’ve been religious about moisturising daily and exfoliating to help stop it becoming patchy which has worked although it’s a bit high maintenance. 

Overall I really liked it. For the first time in years colleagues told me I was looking ‘healthy’ and hubby reckoned I looked ‘well fit’. It’s too much hassle for me to maintain but for special occasions or weeks when I need that little boost I’d happily use the St. Moriz again. I’ve picked up a bottle to give to Lady Ronseal too! It’s a definite repurchase! X

*Bought by me*