First impressions & Tanning 101 with Cocoa Brown.

The past few months I have fallen back in love with having olive toned skin and feeling like I've been on holiday even when I haven't left the house. 

I was never really big on tanning growing up and only did so for nights out and even then I was forcing myself to fit in. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with being as pale as I am, I love that, but sometimes I just want that holiday feeling with a new outfit. 

If you've read some of my previous posts and favourite products then you'll know I've become a complete Cocoa Brown (CB) addict since December of last year. It's the only tanning product I feel works best with my skin and my everyday routine. 

Why am I such a big Cocoa Brown lover? 

I'm not a 'tan every day' kind of girl. I don't think anyone would ever really put that effort in.

For myself I use the 1 Hour tan weekly, I apply it on a Sunday night ready for the week and leave for 2-3 hours. The good thing with the 1 hour tan is you can choose how dark you want to be and it lasts throughout the week fading evenly, so by the weekend I'm as pale as a sheet but that's when the cycle begins again.

When I found out CB brought out a darker version of the 1 hour tan, I had to try it. So I finally hunted a bottle of the dark tan in penny's/primark and here I am, about to try, test and see how it works for me. 

Prep

Shower- It is recommended you have your daily shower prior to application, so wash with your body wash products. Do not shave before tanning, shave the night before so you don't end up with tan spots and clogged pores on your legs. 

Exfoliate- Make sure to scrub your body the night before. I use 'Tough Stuff' by CB also as it's sweet, pink and not too harsh on my skin. It's available from penny's/primark and is 6 euro.

Moisturise- Before applying any tan, make sure to moisturise. I use an Aloe Vera based moisturiser pre-tanning but any daily moisturiser will do as long as it is extra absorbent and doesn't leave a residue on the skin. I recommend any Garnier products as they are cheap and perfect for pre-tan applications. CB also do a moisturiser called Chocolate Whip, but I use that post tanning which you will see in a while, but this could also be used. 

Tanning

What's needed?- If you're a tanning newbie or expert it doesn't matter, you need the few following things. 

- An old towel: This is to stand on and make sure you don't get tan everywhere. 

- Gloves: you can by CB tanning gloves or just pick up a cheap box of 100 disposable plastic gloves from the pound shop, either will do. This is to stop the tan that will go through the tanning mitt from staining your hands, nobody likes orange palms. 

-Tanning mitt: Never, EVER, try tanning with a proper mitt, tanning mitt's exist for a reason and if you want patch-less skin and an even glow, then pick one up. You can buy numerous different brands in penny's/primark and they are about 2-3 euro. 

Never tan without!

- Tanning wear: I tend to sit around in a fluffy dressing gown, but you can mix it up any way you like. Dressing gown, tank top and shorts, any loose clothing is perfect while waiting for tan to develop. Do not wear any bra/bikini as this will leave marks not just on your body but also on your clothes, especially white clothing, so try to avoid white at best until after development.  

Post-Tan

-CB shower directions: If you haven't read the bottle there's a reason you shower prior to your tanning application, as after applying you need to shower again but this is when you use no products and just water. So make sure you get that body wash in before hand.

-Moisturise: After I have washed off the tan and my body now has the desired glow, I use CB's Chocolate Whip moisturiser. It helps with sealing the tan, dries quickly and also smells like chocolate. I use this throughout the week also as it helps the tan fade evenly. 

Cocoa Brown Dark 1 Hour Tan- First Impressions

The result

After 1 hour of development

The first difference I noticed about the new dark shade was the new nozzle. It's smaller and easier to control over pumping. When I first applied the tan it was a lot darker then I thought it would be and I was afraid after the hour that I would be seven shades darker then usual. There was no difference with the formula just the colour. 

I left the tan on for just an hour. The colour wasn't too intense after the hour and I am super happy with the result, it saved me two hours of waiting as usually I use the original 1 hour tan and wait for three hours for a similar shade, so if you like being darker and want to save time I highly recommend the darker shade. 

I'm going to continue to use this tan over the next two weeks and will give a full review on how it fades and re-applies. 

Until next time, 

Lots of love

Melody x