I tried out the Catwalk HQ tanning lotion this week and as a tan rookie who doesn't love fake tan - I loved it.
I have never been a big fan of false tan. I love a tanned look and I love being in the sun and soaking up the sun's rays but I've hated faking it since forever. I don't look forward to applying tanning lotion so I was pleasantly surprised by Catwalk HQ.
With extremely dry skin all over my body at the moment (cheers for that Storm Emma and freezing weather conditions) I was expecting tan to worsen the condition of my skin. I usually find that false tan only serves to accentuate scaly, dry skin which is a bit off-putting. In the past, I've avoided wearing tan or just been lazy about putting it on. There is always the risk of nasty tan lines around your hands and feet or streaky arms. Now, though, there are fabulous tans around to make the job almost fool-proof.
Catwalk HQ Self Tan Remover €15 and Catwalk HQ Self Tanning Lotion Medium €20
Consistency
Catwalk HQ is one of the nicest tans I have used in a long time. And this is coming from someone who just grabbed that bottle and put it on as best I could with the Catwalk HQ tanning mitt. I love the creamy texture. It is thick and rich and feels hydrating going on to your skin. I did think the tan was exceptionally great on my dry skin, so I wasn't surprised to read that it is in fact geared towards dry skin. It's got Hyaluronic Acid to provide moisture and stop it sticking to dry patches.
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Colour
The colour that comes straight from the bottle is a rich brown - which is handy as a colour guide - and going on, it's a beautiful golden brown. It deepens overnight and when I washed it off in the shower it was genuinely perfect. No streaks, no scaly patches. I feel like it gave my skin a conditioning treatment while I slept in it. There was no dry effect at all, just beautiful fake tanned skin.
Wear-off
The light golden-brown colour wore off well. The tan was perfect for five days. After five days, I started using the fake tan remover in the shower. I probably could have got a week from the tan but I have the fear of scaly tan. I would rather get rid of it early than wait for it to start looking like 'fake tan wearing off'.
The Self Tan Remover is basically a body oil with fruit enzymes which naturally exfoliate dead skin cells away. Before your shower, you apply it to dry skin and work it up into a lather. Leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes and then shower it off. It removes your tan quicker than letting it gradually wear off so you basically skip the whole scaly, grubby, old-tan-mess stage. You could use this as a dry body treatment every so often to really nourish your body and give it an exfoliating boost.
Would I use it again?
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While I hate fake tan and the application process, I really love a tan. I feel better when I'm brown; I feel slimmer and I feel like clothes look better against my warmer skin tone. So while I'm all for embracing the pale (which I do most of the time) this fake tan was a treat. I felt great in it and I was very impressed with the condition of my skin while using it and after. If you use these two products together you will be doing your skin a favour. I will be a regular member of the fake-tan-Thursdays club until the end of this bottle!
