L'Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze Serum

Hello Cherries! ^.^

 

Ever thought of trying self tanning? I do! Today I am going to tell you about my personal experience with my very first self tanner ever! The L'Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze Serum!
 
This serum is originally made for the face and décolleté, but it can also be used over the whole body! The product has an amount of 100ml and comes in a glass bottle with a plastic pump. High quality packaging! L'Oréal Paris promises a natural brown color that lasts up to 2 weeks. This is a long time compared to most self-tanners! You can also build the color up to 3 days. It says that you have to officially lubricate this serum for 3 days in a row, but this is not true. You can also be happy with the color you get after 1 or 2 days. The 3rd day is simply the maximum that your body can color (max. tan color).
 
General information about self-tanners
Self-tanning is a product that usually contains the substance dihydroxyacetone (DHA), this substance ensures that the self tanner will attach itself to your natural proteins from the outer layer of the skin. Also called the horny layer. This gives you the familiar brown complexion that the self-tanning promise. It's not that you will get really browner. Most self-tanners are made to last for 3 to 5 days, but there are also longer lasting self-tanners!
 
There are often rumors about self-tanners being harmful to the body. I would like to point out to everyone that this is not true! Self-tanners don't increase the risk of skin cancer and don't accelerate skin aging as opposed to the tanning bed and of course sunbathing. Another well-known rumor is that self-tanners protect you from the sun. This is also not true! You still can burn as well. There are indeed self-tanners with SPF, but most self-tanners don't have it.
 
There are 3 ways to apply self-tanners:     
  • With your own hands     
  • With a tanning mit (A special glove that is made to apply self tanners)     
  • With latex (free) gloves

 

Precautions (This applies to every self tanner!):     

  1. Clean skin - This speaks for itself. Make sure you have showered before you apply the product.    
  2. Scrubbing - Very important! This will take away all your old skin cells and the self-tanner will stay longer. The best is scrub without oil, because oil leaves a greasy layer on the skin and the self-tanner doesn't sit on it properly. If you can't stand a scrub without oil and you have to use a scrub with oil, wait an hour before applying rule 3.     
  3. Moisturize - You can skip this rule if you already have a fine skin of yourself, but people with dry skin must rub extra well with a moisturizing body cream, lotion etc. By moisturizing the skin you will largely prevent stripes and stains.
I have chosen to use latex gloves instead of a tanning mitt, because I think a tanning mitt will absorb too much of this product, since it's a serum and not a mousse or lotion. I also know that my gloves are indeed too big, but the Kruidvat (Dutch drugstore) unfortunately doesn't sell size S latex gloves. So I have to do it with the size M :D
 
How did I apply the product?
I started from the bottom. So from my feet to my head. I applied bit by bit every time. The application of self-tanners is really on your own feel and hoping for the best. Especially with self-tanning serums. So listen carefully to your feelings and take the time to apply the product! It's important that you don't rush with the product, as this can cause dark stains! I have done my face differently. I used a beauty blender and day cream (I will come back to that later on in this review under "tip")
 
Below are several pictures (better to see in laptop / computer mode instead of mobile mode)
The first row of photos are my legs and arm before the use of this self-tanning serum.
The second row of photos are my legs and arm 1 hour after using this self-tanning serum.
The third row of photos are my legs and arm the next morning. So this is the result after 1x anointing !!

Result
WOW!!! O_O
After 1x lubrication I was already pretty tanned! It really surprised me, because I didn't expect this. I thought I had to apply 1 or 2 days, but that was not the case! A beautiful and natural color. The result differs per person! Other people may have to anoint a couple of days more. It depends on how tan you want to be! It also looks smooth and I haven't detected stripes. However, I did discover a few stains, but this isn't the fault of the product! My skin normally doesn't get tan quickly in those places. So it's my own skin. This serum gives the promised finish!

 

Length of time
L'Oréal Paris promises us that the product stays up for 2 weeks and nothing is less true! After 13 days it started to fade away more. This can vary per person, because there are also factors that can determine how long a self-tanner stays on your body. What I can appreciate is the fact that it pulls away nicely and you don't look like a cow.
 

Factors
There are several factors that can cause a self tanner to fade away:     

  • Heavy sweating - Especially if you go to the gym a lot. Sweating by the heat can't do much, but if you sweat heavily in closed shoes or you are going to do a lot of cardio, then it can affect the duration of the self tanner or the self tanner itself.     
  • Shaving - This is the truth. How expensive or good a self-tanner is ... The more you shave, the more it fades away.     
  • Acne products - This is not 100% proven to be true, but some YouTubers have reported in the past that acne products can cause a self-tanner to fade away faster. From my own experience I can say that I haven't noticed anything. I used acne products every day while I had the self tanner on my face and it didn't got any lighter. So I think it's purely a self-tanner itself. It's possible that I see it on my next self tanner for example.

 

Tip!
Do you feel that it won't do any good to apply a self tanner on the face? Then I also advise not to do it. Buy a suitable foundation, bb cream etc. This self tanner is originally made for the face, so I also used it on the face. My face is a bit too dry for a serum. So I used day cream and a beauty blender. I first picked up some cream with the sponge and then applied it over my entire face. Then I pumped a bit of the self-tanning serum on the sponge and divided it over my face. At last I blended everything in and let my face rest. The cream I used is the Secret Key Snail Repairing Cream. I use this cream for 1.5 year now (2018) and it works super. Every day cream is suitable.

Personal opinion and score
8/10


Do it when:     

  • You don't quickly get a tan and you are like a milk bottle.     
  • You want immediate results!     
  • You prefer a self tanner that you can build up in a short time.     
  • You are looking for a self tanner that gives a natural color.     
  • You want a durable product in the cupboard that you can use more often (My self-tanner was not even empty for 1/3 after 1x use!)

 

Don't do it when:

  • You are already tinted of yourself (believe me, you won't get more tan of it, I would rather go for a stronger self-tanner!)
  • You don't want immediate results and want to take a step back! (With a building lotion for example)     
  • You don't want to buy a self-tanner that falls into the pricey category. (This product costs €17.99)

 

Further details     

  • It's invisible on the skin. So unfortunately you can't see where you left off.     
  • It has a pleasant smell. I would describe it as sweet.     
  • It has a handy pump that you can close again. So you can take it everywhere with you.