Tan Trials '10: Tan Organic At Home

So last week I told you all about my in-salon Tan Organic spray tan. I was well impressed with the colour (even Himself commented that it was far more natural than several other spray tans which were out and about at a recent do) but how did the DIY version stack up?

Well, the application process was a obviously bit more involved than my salon experience, not having a therapist on hand 'n' all, but it wasn't overly arduous. The Tan Organic retail product is a brown tinted, very watery liquid which you apply to the skin using a tanning mitt (comparable to Acadamie Bronz' Express, which I really like).

Being able to see exactly where you're applying a self tan is always a good thing in my book, and there's an immediate colour payoff to boot - great if you only ever think to stick on tan just before heading out of an evening. I didn't think this took as long to dry as the professionally applied Tan Organic, possibly because it was buffed onto skin rather than sitting on top of it.

When the tan developed,  I was in for a bit of a shock. It was dark. Really, really dark - even for me, and I am a bit of a bronzer and tan fiend. As a result, my feet, ankles and wrists were disaster zones, and there was little I could do with them other than cover them up. I also found that this tan wore off quite patchily - much more so than the pro spray version on me - and it was an absolute beeyotch to scrub off.

I really wanted to love this product. It's Irish. It's natural. It's organic. It's DIYable, so in theory there's the sheckles saving to be had when you stack up the cost of a bottle versus the cost of the equivalent number of professional sprays. On balance, though, I think I'd be inclined to stick with the salon treatment for my Tan Organic fix in future, and just save it for very special occasions to keep the cost down.