Hey Guys!
I've been using Sun Labs for a couple years now and can honestly say it is one of the best self tanners I have used. I even trusted Sun Labs for my wedding as I knew it would give an even, natural looking tan. I have used their mousse, spray, and lotion, but will be talking about their lotion for the purpose of this review.
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| NC25 |
For reference, my natural skintone is an NC25, but probably closer to an NC20 at the moment as my skin hasn't seen sun in quite a while. I actually prefer self-tanning over laying out in the sun for several reasons: 1) Health benefits - avoid skin cancer, premature aging (i.e, wrinkles), 2) No freckling - I can handle a few freckles here and there, like the ones I get on the bridge of my nose and cheeks, but if I get too much sun, my arms, face, etc gets extremely freckly and I don't particularly care for that, 3) Golden Colour - naturally I tan very red, and I wish I could tan more olive so I enjoy the colouring I get more from self tanning. The first picture I took yesterday, absolutely NO self tanning, as I wanted to show how self tanning can alter your skintone. The second picture is how EXTREME you can build your self tan. In this photo I am NC40 for reference. I wanted to show the darkest I have ever been with self tanning. I typically get this dark with two applications of Sun Labs Very Dark, back to back application days. I don't use the tanning lotion on my face, but instead opt for the mousse or spray variety. On the packaging, it does say you can use this on your face, but I just have an aversion to self tanning lotion on my face as I find it would be too thick. I don't buy self tanner strictly made for faces either, as I don't have overly sensitive skin and have never had problems with using either the mousse or the spray applied directly to my face. I like using a mousse/spray as it is lighter and easy to blend into my skin. I don't have to "rub" my face so much to get an even tan. The third picture I am NC30 for reference. I opted for a less dramatic tan, more of a glow as I wanted my skin to pop against my white wedding dress.
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| NC40 |
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| NC30 |
About the Product
"Gisese'e has searched the entire world for this wondrous blend of natural ingredients to create the richest looking tan in the most luxurious way without the sun. These totally natural ingredients serve to moisturize, hydrate and protect the body without clogging pores or irritating sensitive skin."
Ingredients: Water, Dihydroxyacetone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Clyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydroxy-Ethylcellulose, Tetra-Sodium Edta, Sodium Metabisulfite, BHT, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyglycerin, Fragrance, Yellow6, Red40, Blue1.
As for the product itself, I like the lotion versus a mousse/spray because I find my tan lasts longer. Lotion takes a bit more work to apply, but the results are worth it. For my wedding day, I applied one coat of Sun Labs Self Tanning Lotion at night, woke up and washed the colour guide off, then moisturized. I had a beautiful, natural looking tan. Two VERY important steps when using self tanner are exfoliation prior and moisturizing after. If you are interested in the steps I take to achieve the perfect self tan, click here. When using the lotion, I like to wear latex gloves so that the product does not get on my hands. Hands are probably one of the hardest things to self tan because if you have ANY dry areas, or apply too much, it will look fake. I save my hands for last, apply moisturizer to them and then add a little moisturizer to the self tanning lotion to thin it out, then proceed to wipe it on the tops of my hands. Then I take a makeup removing towelette and wipe the palms of my hands so that I don't have very obvious "self tanner" hands. The lotion itself is a very dark brown, but don't be scared. The product provides a colour guide so that you can see where you have and haven't applied your self tanner. Make sure you allow adequate time for your tan to develop. I like to apply this at night before I go to bed and wear some old PJS so that it doesn't stain my sheets. When I wake up, I wash off the colour guide, moisturize and I am left with the perfect self-tan. I like Sun Labs because they are cruelty free and paraben free. Self tanner IS NOT a sunscreen, so make sure you still use an SPF when outside.
The product retails for $29.99 on www.Folica.com. I like to get Sun Labs from Folica because they are Canadian friendly and don't charge outrageous boarder fees like ordering off of the Sun Labs website. Also, if you wanted to order this from Amazon, they don't ship to Canada (I find most self tanning products won't ship to Canada if ordered from Amazon). As for Ebay, I wouldn't recommend ordering off of them, even if you find a good deal because they could be old/expired. If you are interested in ordering Sun Labs and are a Canadian resident, Folica is one of your best bets and you are assured authentic, quality Sun Labs products.
Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration by www.Folica.com. As always, these are my honest opinions.