REVIEW - Beyond Bronze by Fake Bake 'Instant Wash Off Tan'

After finding myself in that awkward 'I want to wear a skirt but my legs are practically see through.' situation time and time again recently, I thought it was time I bought an instant fake tan. Instant self tanners are coloured creams, mousses or sprays which you apply like a developing self tanner, except you can see the results straight away, step out of the door party ready within ten minutes and wash it all away easily in one go. Sounds good, right?!

[[ Beyond Bronze by Fake Bake 'Instant Wash off Tan' ]]

I settled on Beyond Bronze by Fake Bake instant wash off tan in 'Matte Medium', there is also a shimmer option but why make a fake tan look that obvious?! Plus, I've come to learn that 'shimmer' in terms of fake tan usually directly translates to 'glitter' - not a good look! The product itself is a coloured gel, housed inside a hot pink squeeze tube which comes with a foil seal.

As soon as you squeeze out a little Beyond Bronze by Fake Bake 'Instant Wash Off Tan' on to your palm, the first thing that will hit you is the smell. It is truly the worst tanning smell I've ever come across. Not in the usual 'curry and biscuits' way, either, but rather...industrial strength cleaner with a slosh of battery acid. It worries me slightly that the third ingredient in this tanner's list after water and glycerin is actually - you guessed it - 'fragrance'! I guess nothing is disguising the true scent of this bad boy. Don't panic too much, though, the fragrance fades to something resembling baby powder after around ten minutes.

[[ Before and after Beyond Bronze by Fake Bake 'Instant Wash off Tan' ]]

Even covered in a generous amount of Nivea body lotion and working at the speed of light, I still found it difficult to apply this Beyond Bronze tanner to an even, streak free finish. It starts to dry as soon as it touches your skin, meaning dark patches and streaks are practically unavoidable. It also takes about an hour before your skin stops feeling sticky to the touch - which isn't exactly pleasant since you can't just slap it on and forget you're wearing it! The colour itself is a little too David Dickinson for me, there is a definite orange tone which I'd feel ridiculous with unless I was going to a dark, dark, pitch black club. However, if you master the art of application, get over the smell, sticky skin and orange glow you'll be impressed to discover that this stuff really is transfer proof (well, it's got to have at least one good point, right!)

I bought my Beyond Bronze by Fake Bake 'Instant Wash Off Tan' from Fragrance Direct, priced at £6.99 for 125ml.

Have you tried this or anything else in the Fake Bake range? What is your favourite instant fake tan?