Darksyde Ultra Bronze Self Tanning Lotion, 8.5 ounces

Note: this is not one of those I-got-this-for-free-and-am-writing-a-glowing-review reviews. I am really sick of those, by the way.I self-tan after nearly every shower. I live in California and have to look the part, you know? But after two years with Fake Bake, I decided it was time to try to find something a little more low maintenance (Fake Bake is great, but the mitt is 100% necessary and the extra accessory to deal with is frustrating).I went on Amazon, quickly scanned reviews, and ordered this. Then, while waiting for its arrival, I read the reviews and was frustrated to find that nearly all were written by sponsored users, and are therefore untrustworthy (I don't care if you say the review is "honest", I just cannot give the benefit of the doubt to a trend more associated with scams than hot tips). Nevertheless, I decided to give it a shot.This WAY exceeded my low expectations. It blends really easily (almost no streaks!), smells relatively good, isn't sticky at all, DOESN'T RUB OFF MUCH ON SHEETS / CLOTHING (a little is to be expected from all skin dyes, but some are noticeably awful *cough*fakebake*cough*), and gives a pretty realistic tan, assuming you're not ghost white to start. Totally worth the adventure away from Fake Bake in my book.HOWEVER, if you use your hands to apply this, you better have a stack of sandpaper nearby because this will instantly dye your palms brown. I haven't tried using plastic gloves, but I am a little disappointed that a mitt is once more necessary. At least in dire circumstances my hands are a possibility, unlike Fake Bake.Will probably buy again

Pro's: Can see it going on, nice colorCon's: Too dark, somewhat uneven, comes off too easilyI have used this self tanner about 3 times now and am not super impressed. I am extremely pale, Scotch Irish, strawberry blonde hair and about the only self tanner that has worked for me has been Jergens natural glow daily moisturizer...and maybe a few similar products. I applied this with the Proelegante tanning mitt (an amazing mitt) and applied it on just my legs the first couple of times, and then my entire body. It is a very dark color and will stain your hands badly so I do not recommend using hands for application. However, the color is nice because you can see where it is going on. It did rub off slightly on my clothes, but not nearly as badly as I expected. It keeps getting on my toilet seat though, probably from residual cleaner? I loved how it looked in the morning after I applied it, but after I showered and the bronzer came off it was not nearly as even. I wouldn't say it's terrible, the streaking wasn't as bad as some self tanners, but it was very obvious around my ankles and wrists. I also had it come off in weird areas even after I showered.After working out in leggings it had rubbed off COMPLETELY where the seams were, leaving white streaks down my legs. I would be uncomfortable using this in the morning and then wearing nice clothes and going about my normal day. You have to treat it more like a spray tan. It is also coming off spotty on my legs, probably in dryer spots since I live in a drying climate. This product is also just way too dark for someone as pale as I am. If you already have a bit of color it may work better. I think a lot of the reviews are biased because of free product on this item. I am going to try using Jergens for a few days and this on top to see if it gives me a more even color, but I probably will not buy again. It has potential but the formula needs a bit of work.

I have very fair skin. I have blue eyes and blond hair (no this isn't a personal ad), and I freckle when in the sun. I can tan gradually in the sun, but it takes days/weeks to achieve any noticeable color. I am more prone to burn than tan so I have become a big "self-tanner" over the past 2 years. This product is good for many reasons! It is easy to apply, color shows in about 4-6 hours, it lasts anywhere from 2-5 days, and it doesn't smell bad. I apply this at night after I shower with a self-tanning mit to avoid the olive-brown staining on my hands. I let this dry before dressing (about 5-10 minutes) and then I go to sleep. In the morning I shower again (not required, no color-guide to rinse off) and I get ready. I have also applied this in the morning after my shower and allowed the color to develop before heading out for the day. I like that I don't have to put this on, wait a few hours, and then shower it off. This is more like a lotion and as long as you wait for it to dry, it will not transfer to your clothes or bedding which I love! The color is olive-toned and although I am very fair, I buy this in the "dark" color and it looks great! I do not apply this to my face because I have sensitive skin.

I just received this product, and have only used it once, but so far I'm happy with it! I like that it has a greenish undertone in the gel, so it doesn't seem orange. It's a little hard to work with, however you can keep rubbing it in until it's all dissolved. At first I thought it wasn't doing anything, as I rubbed it in I could no longer see the tint, but as it dried it started to darken. I have no streakiness, and after letting it dry completely, there was no transfer onto my sheets. However, I'd still use caution if I had white or very light colored sheets, just in case. I didn't really put any on my feet or hands, but kind of blended it in before it dried, and I have no harsh lines around my ankles or wrists. I didn't use it on my face, and don't think I will because I have redness in my face as it is, and don't really want it darker. The smell at first is very pleasant. It smells like a sweet almond sort of scent while applying it. However after it dries it does have that tanning, strange rubbery/burnt sort of smell. It's bearable though. Obviously this isn't going to take you from pasty white, to dark brown, but it's just the right amount of bronze for spring time dresses and shorts!