In the winter, I’m usually fighting a losing battle with the dry skin on my face, which also becomes incredibly pale from the lack of sunlight. I’ve self-tanned before, but was nervous about applying body tanner to my face because I wasn’t sure if it would stick to my dry patches, or turn out streaky and discolored. When I saw that there was a moisturizing serum on the market that would help to heal my dry patches while giving me a natural glow, I knew I had to give it a try.
The St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Vitamins Face Serum is specifically formulated to naturally tan your face, working with all skin types to provide hydration and color over six hours after application. I noticed immediately that the product does have a relatively strong, fruity smell--but honestly, I liked it. The serum itself was a little tacky, and it came out clear so it felt like just another step in my evening routine. Two pumps was more than enough to get good coverage on my face, and it felt nice and cooling upon application.
St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Vitamins Face Serum ($30)
After tanning the rest of my body first and going through my full skincare routine on my face, I applied the serum right before bed and then nodded off to sleep, crossing my fingers that I didn’t wake up looking like a traffic cone. In the morning, my skin had a natural bronze glow from where I had applied the serum--much more natural than if I had applied a mousse straight to my face. It honestly looked like I had been out in the sun the day before, and it blended perfectly into the rest of my self-tan. A word of advice: don’t forget to do your neck!
The cloyingly sweet smell aside, I was surprised by how much I actually liked this serum, and the natural tan it gave me boosted my winter blues while also evening out my skin tone. While the bottle is small, two pumps is more than enough to cover the entire face so the serum, which goes for $30, will last you a long time. I may not be able to catch a real tan and enjoy the sunshine, but at least I know I can recreate the same effect with a serum.