TRIED & TESTED
GEORGIA HUMPHREYS PUTS A TANNING SLEEP MASK TO THE TEST
WE MIGHT not be able to bronze on a beach right now, but there are benefits to getting a golden glow at home. Seeing your skin looking bronzed is an instant mood and confidence booster.
James Read’s Sleep Mask Tan for Body (£30, jamesreadtan.com) promises a sun-kissed colour by morning – and learning supermodel Rosie Huntington-whitley is a fan was enough to persuade me to give it a go.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
THE overnight body treatment is infused with aloe vera, hyaluronic acid and algae extract to ensure skin is hydrated and moisturised – plus, it helps you get a tan which lasts longer and fades away evenly.
It’s a lightweight formula, which is colourless and super-fast drying.
After exfoliating thoroughly, you apply using a tanning mitt. To ensure the product has been applied all over, work in sections, rubbing the clear gel in circular motions. Avoid contact with water for eight hours and when you wake up the next day, you should have a seamless, subtle golden glow.
DOES IT WORK?
IT DRIED so fast, I could put my pyjamas on only a couple of minutes after applying. Even though it’s colourless, you can track where it’s been applied from the sheen the gel leaves behind – and yet it didn’t feel sticky on my skin. And there was no tell-tale biscuit smell.
However, while I like the overall colour, there’s no denying my feet give the game away that I’ve faked it.
On his website, James Read advises: “When tanning hands and feet, use the excess product from the arms and then work it down onto the hands. Repeat this step with the legs onto the feet.”
For my face, I used James Read’s H20 Tan Mist (£20). It doesn’t need to be applied overnight, but I did anyway. I love the results; it didn’t streak at all and it gave me a healthy glow.