Express Tan Comparison: St Tropez VS Tanologist

 

I bought both of these myself.

I don't know about you, but I love applying some tan as a pick me up - I just feel better when I'm tanned, healthier even? And I need all the help I can get in that department at the moment! I'm generally a weekly tanner - #tanthursday is a thing in my life! That said, there are times when trying a new tan, I find that it doesn't last as long as my usual one and I'll need a top up - this is where express tans come into play. I'll say upfront that, in general,  I'm not the biggest fan of express tans because I just don't believe that they will give a deep tan in 1 hour, but they are useful if you have a last minute occasion (in 2022!!), and you have forgotten to tan. I can't fathom how people can get dressed and go out wearing them, because no mater what people say, they smell like biscuits as they develop! The only exception is the St Tropez Purity Gel, which smells like a fruit cocktail, but that isn't marketed as an express tan. Today, I'm comparing Tanologist 1 Hr Express Tan Mousse in Extra Dark with St Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Gel. Will either of them win me over?

Tanologist 1 Hr Express Tan Mousse in Extra Dark: This is available in a variety of shades, but I always go for a dark colour because if I go to the effort of tanning, I want it to be dark, plus it's rare that tans are orange these days. Mousse formulas can be drying, but I'm happy to say that this one isn't, which means that it fades evenly, but also is easy to get an even application.  It is tinted, which is brilliant for ensuring that you don't have any white patches, and the scent is lightly fruity. However, this does change, the longer it's on - the biscuit scent develops as the tan does, which is why I wouldn't recommend getting dressed and going out when you apply this. The directions state that it can be left on for 1-4 hours, depending on how dark you want your tan to be. I have tried washing it off after one hour and it basically looked as though I was due to tan (as in, how I look the last day before my usual tanning routine) - a waste of time and energy in my opinion. Two hours was pretty much the same. After 4 hours, it gave my skin a light golden glow - definitely not the dark that I was expecting, but it was a nice colour. Since then, I have been leaving it on overnight, and I love the colour it gives the following morning - dark golden, but not dirty looking. It basically looks like I've been on holiday somewhere sunny for a week (which is the closest I'll probably get to it this year!). So, as an express tan, it gets a thumbs down from me, but as a regular tan, it's one of the best I've tried and at a brilliant price point. It lasts for around a week and is easy to remove any remnants before tanning again.

St Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Gel: I've used St Tropez for around 20 years now, so I'm pretty loyal. Prior to that, I used either drugstore brands or The Body Shop and some made me look like an oompa loompa, some were really smelly and others made it very difficult to get an even tan. When St Tropez came along, they made other brands up their game as they made it easy to achieve a streak-free, golden tan. The green undertone meant that the tan looked more olive than orange! I bought this tan on a whim, instead of the Purity Gel, just to see if would work as well. they are two entirely different products. This one is tinted and has a bitter scent. It feels quite sticky when applied, so again, I wouldn't recommend getting dressed and going out after applying it (I can't fathom how people do that - I used to see the Love Island girls do it and all I could think of was the horrible scent as their tan developed, not to mention the stains, but each to their own!). After one hour of wearing this, there is just the faintest hint of colour - not worth the effort at all. It claims to give a deep, dark tan after 3 hours, but that's just not the case, in my opinion. They say that it continues to develop, even after showering, but I really haven't found that. The claim that it lasts for 10 days is just ridiculous! I have left it on overnight and just got a faint hint of tan, which disappears in around 2/3 days. I love St Tropez, in general, but this is an utter fail for me!

In general, I think that express tans are a gimmick and think that an instant tan would be a much better idea if you need a tan for a last minute occasion. You do have to be careful about transfer, but if you wear dark coloured clothing, you should be fine, and it's a better solution, if you really do want to look tanned!

I'll repurchase the Tanologist one and use as a regular tan because the colour and wear time are excellent. 

What are your thoughts on express tans? I'd love to hear!

Thanks for reading!

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All products are bought by me, unless otherwise stated. Anything marked with a * has been kindly gifted, without obligation. I don't do sponsored posts. Opinion is always my own. Affiliate links may be used.