With Christmas party season finally here, I like to pop on a bit of fake tan to feel extra glamorous and bronzed.
I'll be honest, I can be totally lazy with fake tan, and usually just go for the cheapest option even if it ends up making me look a little streaky. After another night of aimlessly scrolling through TikTok, I noticed one tan from high street retailer M&S was doing the rounds online.
The Autograph Self Tan Tinted Lotion priced at £8.50 was proving very popular among beauty lovers, and for its bargain price, I thought I'd give it a try. Autograph also has an 'Overnight Glow Mask' priced at £12.50 which you can use for your face, but I couldn't find that at the M&S Church Street store.
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On the M&S website, the full product description reads: "Give yourself a healthy glow whatever the weather with this self tan tinted lotion that delivers an authentic and flawlessly bronzed look. Carefully formulated for easy application and quick drying, this self tan ensures a streak-free finish and even coverage."
I decided to go for the medium to dark shade as it was the only one I could find, but for a more subtle glow, the Light to Medium Tinted Lotion would've also been great. I applied the tan before I went to bed and let it dry before I went to sleep – here's what I found.
The tan
The first thing I noticed about this tan was how expensive it looked in the bottle. For the price point, it looked pretty luxurious in its subtle yet effective packaging.
I applied the tan to a mitt and it had quite a thick consistency which worried me a little at first. As soon as I applied it to my skin, it rubbed in like butter and spread really evenly.
Sometimes, I find that fake tan can get a little bitty and get stuck to certain parts of my skin, but this glided on really nicely, and actually made my skin feel nice and soft. There was one thing though, that made this tan stand out so much more than any other tan that I've used.
It dried really quickly. Like seriously quickly, within a few minutes I was able to whack on my pyjamas and not worry about it smudging, or waking up with streaks everywhere.
In terms of the scent, at first the tan smelt quite perfumed which I was pretty chuffed about. However, when it had dried, it did have that classic 'biscuit' scent, which was a bit of a shame, but not the end of the world!
The verdict
I woke up with a gorgeous golden glow that I was super happy with. Although there were a few streaks around my hand area, I do think that was partly my fault because I applied some of the lotion to my face with my fingers.
As a whole, the tan was streak free and super glowy. For me, the best part was how quickly it dried, because there's nothing more annoying than soggy tan when you're trying to go about your day.
For the price, I'd definitely recommend this tan if you're after a more natural lotion. It made my skin feel lovely and soft and finished off my Christmas party look nicely!
Shoppers can purchase the Autograph £8.50 tan here.
Elsewhere, LOOKFANTASTIC is selling this popular Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam for £12.24 here.
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