Tried and Tested...Palmer's Gradual Tan

I am unequivocally a fan of the gradual tan. No matter how hard I try with the prep (by that I mean extensive exfoliating and moisturising) associated with a regular tan, I am most certainly guaranteed to end up a striped, dirty-looking mess. The moisturiser element of a gradual tan, however, provides a lovely, comfy safety cushion so even when a last minute tanathon calls, you can bronze up without the prep.

Having long heard great things about Palmer's Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Gradual Tanner, £5.09 (Superdrug), I finally got around to trying it last week. Now I can assure you that the week in question was so busy that I neglected exfoliating and moisturising for the 3 days leading up to my tanning sesh. Needless to say, my skin would be putting this tan to the test. The pump bottle is great for application and the tan itself is super-creamy. As with regular moisturisers, the white lotion rubs in clear so it's not the easiest for seeing where you've been.

Scent-wise, if you like cocoa butter you will love this. Sadly the cocoa fragrance didn't linger long enough to mask that typical biscuity tan scent that followed the next day but this was no more pungent than other gradual tans. I was seriously impressed with the colour - after just one application, my skin appeared a deep bronze. Sadly my left arm had a noticeable streak but I don't think I was totally consistent with the amount I was applying by the time I reached this arm. A quick buff with a damp flannel and the colour evened-out. After a couple of days, the colour gently faded away. Overall I'm pretty impressed. Having trialled a few over the years, I would definitely pick Palmer's over other more well-known gradual tans. Sx