As summer nears we all aspire to be carefree, sunkissed and cocktail-in-hand, but in the doom and gloom of blighty obtaining optimal seasonal beauty isn’t always an option. Tanning options for the fair to medium skinned come in variety of options; you can book a flight to get the real deal, hit the sunbeds (not worth the risk) or get your bronze fix in a bottle.
An advocate of fake tan, this writer has seen her fair share of orange disasters, from streaky lines to mismatched white feet and hands. Trying methods from spray to mousse, professional to DIY, it’s all been experienced, making the latest tan from Cocoa Brown intriguing to review.
Bright pink packaging makes Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan stand out on the shelf. Synonymous with summer holidays past and to come, the vibrant hue depicts a matching attitude.
The name also catches the eye, making bold claims to develop in a hurry for the last minute wearer who hasn’t prepared enough time to get ready (e.g. me).
Looking further into the detail, the tan promises to develop in an hour and can have the first layer showered within 1-3 hours. As a somewhat regular tanner who gets fed up waiting the usual required 8 hours before showered, this was welcome news. The bother of waiting too long, of course, means precisely planning when to tan, as no one wants to head to work patchy and unwashed having been denied shower at risk of losing their holiday glow.
Application
We tried the medium shade, a safe middle option for those not wanting to overdo it. The mousse comes out fairly easily, with matching mit available to help the application process. We did find it took a few shakes to get decent amounts out at times, but this was little bother.
The mit comes double sided, which is a godsend for those used to accidentally getting tan on the top, which proceeds to seep through and cover your hands with splotches.
As you apply, you notice to colour taking shape pretty much straight away, albeit in a subtle, gradual way. After the first coat it seemed to have a small effect, taking me from a magnolia to a pale tan hue. This slightly darkened over the hour to a natural colour, but after several hours later it still seemed to be developing, ending up a mid-dark shade. After a shower this subdued a fair bit, which was topped up with a second layer for evening out the coverage.
End Results
A week later and the tan is still present, impressively it seems not to have smudged too much, leaving a generally even finish which doesn’t need sorting out.
Putting the tan on was easy and quick, it didn’t leave stains around the bathroom and was simple to clean up (bonus). For the average price of £7.99 this product is certainly recommended for value for money and is a super quick option to tan in a hurry if you have a sporadic night out planned or holiday on the way.
Be sure to match your desired colour to your natural tone as you will go a fair few shades darker and make sure skin is moisturised in advance of application.
Cocoa Brown can be purchased at drugstore including Superdrug.
