“It gives a mousse-like medium bronze tone but with the skin-loving benefits of a hydrating body butter”
As a person who turns practically translucent in the winter and remains eerily pale even when summer arrives, I’ve always been envious of those who effortlessly bronze and glow as soon as the sun shines. Unfortunately, my skin doesn’t tan anymore – it just freckles.
So, when I planned a tropical holiday this year, I knew I needed something to give me a bit of healthy colour. The issue is, fake tan and I have a complex relationship. I’ve tried several that left me streaky, orange or smelling like biscuits. I also despise tans that feel sticky to sleep in and transfer onto sheets. However, I’d heard glowing reviews about Bali Body’s Gradual Tanning Butter, a moisturiser-tanning hybrid promising hydrated, buttery-soft skin with a buildable golden glow.
It seemed like a dream for someone like me – a fake tan avoider with zero patience for high-maintenance beauty routines. I packed a tub in my suitcase and kept my fingers crossed. After using it religiously every evening on holiday (and still going strong now that I’m back), I can’t see myself replacing it with another tan. And now that it’s on sale on Boots for £17.99 instead of £26.99, I’m stocking right up!
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So, why is it so good? If you love the idea of a gradual tan but still want to see some colour without waiting days, Bali Body’s Gradual Tanning Butter has your name all over it. It gives you a slow-build bronze but with the bonus of a bit more oomph – think the instant tint you’d get from a medium mousse, but way more moisturising. The texture is rich and buttery, sinks in like a dream and leaves your skin with a subtle glow straight away, so you’re not left wondering if it’s actually doing anything.
Ingredient-wise, it’s a proper skin treat. There’s shea butter, cocoa butter and aloe vera in the mix to keep things soft and smooth, and vitamin E gives it that extra bit of TLC. The colour deepens over the next day or two, but you still get that satisfying just-applied warmth, which makes it perfect for topping up your tan or faking a little holiday skin midweek. No streaks, no smell, and definitely no waiting around in a towel – just healthy-looking colour and skin that feels like velvet.
While the medium bronze shade is perfect for me, I can appreciate some people love a darker bronze. So if you were to ask me whether there’s a tan out there that develops a bit darker but still doesn’t transfer onto sheets or feel sticky, I’d direct you to Tan-Luxe’s Hydra-Mousse Hydrating Self Tan Mousse. It’s a bit of a splurge at £36, but it’s probably the only mousse I don’t dread using.
If you want to read about the best clear fake tans according to our fashion and beauty team, you can see our before and afters here.
