Ultra Dark Self Tan Lotion

....or so says the snarky Planet Beauty chick (who probly just wanted to upsell me the more expensive stuff). I don't find the color too orange-y at all. For the money, this stuff is a real bargain if you're planning on keeping your tan through the summer. You're not going to look like you achieved this a la the real thing (the actual sun) but you'll get a healthy looking glow and I'm impressed with how my skin feels after using it.

I am super pasty white right now so I decided to be impatient and go with the Ultra Dark. I've used tanners before so I wasn't afraid... I pretty much knew what I was getting into here. If you've never used a self tanner before you might want to start with a lighter color.

This stuff is no joke- it'll tan you, alright. Ultra Dark is pretty darn dark after a single applicaiton. I went for round three today to keep my results up and so far I'm happy with the color.

After slathering this cherry scented stuff on I had a sneaking suspicion it could be a problematic product. I not only smelled cherries, but streakiness in my future.. and I saw some disgusting looking chunkies from trying to rub too much on at once. So don't get all eager-beaver like I did and try to apply gobs and gobs of it. You'll end up running to the linen closet (sorry mom) for a towel to get the excess off.

After buffing pretty much my entire body down with a clean towel I felt more comfortable that my tan would look less tiger striped and more Snooki, (you gotta accept that you're gonna look a tiny bit orange and not 100% natural). And don't be freaked out that it goes on kinda pinky-gross redish, that goes away after a little bit and actually helps you see where you put the product.

Day 2, after developing fully, I wake up to my boyfriend saying "UGhhh, all I can smell is YOUR TAN!" I looked down at my stinky self, realizing I had a wonderfully bronzed glow, despite smelling like a day old chicken dinner.

So YEP, the stuff stinks just as bad as any other tanning lotion I've ever used. I had high hopes that it wouldn't after watching a few YouTube vids on it, but alas, it wreaks. At least it smells good going on!

To even out my second application (I had a few subtle streaks) I misted myself with Neutrogena's Micromist spray. Totally worked! Here's a shot of what my tan looked like after the first application (just imagine a piece of plain white paper for the "before" color lol).

**Update... the heavy odor that the product first put off has worn off, even after a few more applications... So maybe it was just my body's response to the ingredients. I'm happy to report I no longer smell!! LOL!*