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  • 7 Worst Self-Tanners

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  • 5

    Average

    I tried this awhile back and really have mixed feelings about it. The color was nice, that I really liked. But the smell and application process is REALLY bad. As others have commented, it's very sticky and "wet" feeling. It honestly feels like it never dries! The smell isn't very good either. Way too chemically. Just an average self tanner in my IMHO.
    thrillist | 2 reviews

    This review is:  Helpful  |  Not helpful  |  Inappropriate  |  0 of 0 people said helpful

  • 6

    I'm torn...

    After trying Clarins Instant Self Tanning Gel, I have to say I'm torn about whether I'd use it often going forward. I bought it at Nordstrom's for about $35. It comes in a 4 1/2 ounce tube. Which means it's VERY expensive compared to just about any other self tanner currently out there. If I'm going to pay that much for a self tanning lotion, it better be perfect compared to everything else. ...read moreSo after getting over the sticker shock, I decided to give this a try. Upon opening the tube, I noticed the smell was very unusual. It's kind of citrusy and a little "clinical" smelling. I don't think it will offend most people but I wasn't really a fan of it! After that I started applying this to my legs and noticed it went on really easily. Because it's a gel, it just seemed to glide over my skin and blend in very quickly. I probably only used an ounce or so to cover my entire body, which is great. The tube will last for about 4-5 applications. Anyway, after I put it on I washed my hands and waited for it to dry. And waited. And waited. I'm not sure it ever completely dried before I gave up and went to bed. The whole time my skin felt very sticky and very wet. That's the main problem I have with this self tanner. It's just feels gross on your skin and takes forever to dry. It's a shame too because the color I got after I woke up was awesome! It was a medium shade of bronze that looked very good on my skin. And it lasted about 4-5 days which is pretty good compared to other products I've tried in the past. So overall that's why I'm torn with this product. I like the color a lot. Don't like how long it takes to dry and how much it costs :(
    nicoleeverett | 5 reviews

    This review is:  Helpful  |  Not helpful  |  Inappropriate  |  4 of 4 people said helpful

  • 9 Best Self-Tanners

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  • 7

    Great color but...

    I've used Clarin's Self Tanning Instant Gel on and off for years. Most of the things I have to say about it are positive. But I will point out a few negatives that I wish they would change. First of all, the color it gives off is really, really good. On me, it turns out as kind of a medium, bronze that looks very natural. It's not streaky at all and definitely doesn't give off that orange hue...read more that us self tanners have despised since the beginning of time! It actually reminds me of spending a solid week on a beach in Mexico or here in California. The shade it produces is the thing I like the most about this Clarins self tanner. Another major positive in my opinion is the fact that the tan I get tends to last about 5 days. Which for me is a long time compared to most of the other self tanning lotions I've used. After about day 3, it starts to wear off a bit, but comes off pretty evenly. By day 5 it's usually time for me to reapply. The good news, as I just mentioned, is it doesn't fade off all blotchy or scaly. It kind of fades like a natural tan. So those are the things I like about this product. On to the negatives. The first issue I have is how long this self tanner takes to dry. It's a gel, so I was expecting it to dry in a very short amount of time. I've used self tanning gels in the past that literally dry within 5-10 minutes. Not so with Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel! This one literally took over an hour to dry! And during that hour, my skin felt extremely wet and sticky; two things I hate when using self tanners. Even after it dried, my skin still felt sticky and kind of gross. The other thing I dislike about this product is the smell. It's not the worst I've smelt, but I'm just not a fan of it. It's actually quite hard to describe, but it's a mixture of citrus and chemicals. I've actually never smelled anything like it in my life. Personally, that's something I think they could change pretty easily. If they changed that, and made it dry quicker upon application, I would probably have given this product 10 stars! It's also expensive at about $35 a tube, but that's about what I expect to pay for the better self tanners. If you compare this to other, high-end self tanners like Fake Bake Flawless, Clinique Self Sun or even St. Tropez's line, I'd have to put this one just below them. I just really think a lot of self tanners are turned off by the drying issue and the smell. So once again, I'd love to see this put in a form that dries within 30 minutes and doesn't have that "industrial" cleaner smell to it. Although maybe it doesn't bother some people as much as me as it's smelled like that for many years!
    LAGirl91 | 5 reviews

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  • 9

    LOVE IT

    I read a few reviews on this tanner prior to purchasing from Sephora. I have to say, this is one of the best tanners I have tried that is still within a reasonable price range. I was a bit skeptical of the fact it is colorless and thought I would probably end up with a few streaks (has been known to happen with colorless tanners) but surprisingly I woke up in the morning with a very natural tan! T...read morehe smell was ok, not going to hype it up..sunless tanners smell nothing you can do about it..but after showering in the morning the smell was gone, it is less offensive then most, but don't expect it to smell like cinnamon buns or anything. This is a great product that I am glad I tried and will continue to buy. If I could change anything about this tanner...I wish the bottle was bigger. So, do it! Buy it! You won't be disappointed!!
    candyisdandy | 5 reviews

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  • 9

    for that non-orange glow

    i have very fair skin and clarins is the only self-tanner i have found that does not leave me orange. nor does it leave me smelling like i spend serious time dipping myself in vats of noxious chemicals. my mother and i have used this for years.
    bansheegirl | 35 reviews

    This review is:  Helpful  |  Not helpful  |  Inappropriate  |  1 of 2 people said helpful

  • 7 Worst Self-Tanners

    Exclusively from the editors at Total Beauty

    Get the Buying Guide to see these top-rated products!

    Get it now »
  • 10

    Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel

    Clarins Self Tanning Gel can be used for face and body based from its packaging directions. I intentionally used it solely for my body to distinguish the results from the other self-tanner. I applied it all over my body, from neck to feet after shower (exfoliant) and moisturizer. It is colorless which feels like a lotion when applied. It has a lingering caramel scent- I can still smell it the morn...read moreing after. I did not experience rashes after three consecutive uses. It produced a natural glowing tan which I absolutely love
    FabulousKath | 4 reviews

    This review is:  Helpful  |  Not helpful  |  Inappropriate  |  8 of 8 people said helpful

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