Guest Review: Tan Organic!

Hi everyone! Let me introduce you to a super special person to me, my best friend Alex! Today he is reviewing a fake tanning product for me; Tan Organic. He has written a bloody good (and hilarious) review which you can read below.

xx
Alex and I over the years!

Alex’s Review
When Katie asked me to review Tan Organic I was so excited! The packaging talks about how it is entirely organic and has anti-ageing properties. What more could you want?! I love to pamper myself and I just couldn’t wait to try it out. I usually use whatever fake tan is on offer (usually in lotion form as it is easier to use) so I was a bit apprehensive about Tan Organic. Katie forwarded me a video explaining how to apply the tan and it seemed easy enough. Basically just apply small amounts in circular motions until the tan seems to have blended in. Easier said than done…!

The Night Before…
Firstly I exfoliated and shaved then made sure my body was completely dry, then moisturised key areas; hands, elbows, feet and knees. I used my two favourite products, St. Ives and Jergens Coco Butter moisturiser, which has the most amazing smell! It is literally like heaven.
So once this was all done I then applied the tan. It’s a lot more watery than I am used to using so the first time I applied it to the mitt it ran straight off and all over the floor (so beware!) although once I applied it to my skin it was a bit easier to use. I used the circular motions as I was told to do so but one thing I found whilst using the tan was the sheer amount of time it took to just blend in, it seems to stay on top of my skin for a long time, making me feel uneasy, worrying about tan lines etc. Every time I would work the area, it just seemed to move the tan around making me have to work it in more! I did this for a very long time indeed. I don’t think I used an excessive about of tan as well. I applied the tan twice on the mitt for my entire arm and top of my chest. When you’re doing this, you’d get build of tan so again you would just have to keep rubbing it in. I did this over my entire body.

3
(Above: the liquid tan and image showing chest after rubbing the tan in for ten minutes – still patchy and not sinking into skin properly).

In the video (here) it explains that when it comes to your hands and feet to rub the mitt on it as you have been doing on the rest of your body. Now, when I usually tan with lotion I just put some moisturising cream on my hands and blend in some tan from my forearms and shins to my hands and feet because it has a tendency to take the tan more than the rest of you. But I followed the instructions anyway.

After I had done my entire body I had to rub the mitt over myself again because yet again more darker patches had appeared. This was extremely annoying as it really shouldn’t take over 30 minutes to tan. I can do it in less than 10 usually.

Once I was all done, I put some baggy shorts and waited for the stuff to dry, it says it should take 10 minutes to dry, but to be blunt that is completely wrong, I was still sticky when I went to bed an two hours after I started the process! I looked a lovely colour after application and the bottle says how after a few hours that is the colour you will be. So putting two and two together I thought I was going to be a glorious colour if it just went a bit darker. So with this in mind I went to bed (still extremely sticky and uncomfortable). The tan didn’t rub off onto my bed sheets but it did rub off onto the waistband of my shorts which was a bit annoying.

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(note: watch strap line almost vanished in the after shot).

The Morning After…
alex 1

So when I usually wake up after tanning I am a bit darker than I would want to be but that just washes off and I am a nice colour underneath. But when I work up (completely dry thank god) I was not only a dark tanned colour (good) but I was covered in dark patches!!!!!!!!!! (bad). My nose for one had a massive dark patch on it and then my normal skin colour on the bridge of my nose. My feet were BLACK my hands were white and black. I was absolutely horrified to be completely honest. The photos just don’t do it justice.
After I washed about 4 times most had come off and I was a nice colour on my arms and face, although I had to even my face out with a lot of make up. My feet were still black, and still are almost two weeks after. I spent the rest of the day trying to even my hands out. I tried everything, I even debated whether to use bleach. I know that is extreme but my wrist’s were so bad and I had work that afternoon. I went onto some forums with titles like ‘HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! FAKE TANNING DISASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ and knew I was in the right place.
I found one post that said that baby wipes are the answer to everything and that would get it off. And do you know what? It actually worked… I had three left so by the time I finished (it takes a bit of elbow grease) they were dry as a bone but it worked. I couldn’t do my feet as they were just a lost cause. I also noticed it had enhanced the appearance of my blackheads. How awful!

5

Conclusion…
I can completely see that maybe if I hadn’t used the mitt on my hands and feet (it does tell you to do that in my defence) then I would of been a lovely colour, but when you’re applying the tan it doesn’t seem to go very far. I don’t tan to be really dark, I am an extremely pale person (I resemble a piglet), I didn’t inherit my mothers Cypriot genes or my fathers German beautiful pale skin (I wish I could pull off a Nicola Roberts!) so I just want to have a bit of colour and too be honest, the hassle of this when I can just slap on some fake tan lotion is just stupid. I don’t like to be negative about things because a lot of thought has gone into it and it’s won awards and some people like it but it’s just not for me!

Alex & Ben’s Tanning Secrets
So I thought I would pass on to you my tanning secrets, that I have learnt from my partner Ben. We usually get what ever tanning lotion is on offer, but when there is nothing we stick with L’Oreal Sublime Self-Tanner which is around £8. It’s good; it doesn’t get all patchy and I usually put some moisturising cream on before hand so help blend the hard areas. I don’t do this on my face and back (I am having treatment at the moment for back acne so I don’t want to over moisturise it). But I have something to tell you: I was in the 99p shop in Peckham Rye where I live the other day and they sell fake tan for 99p(!!!!) and not just any fake tan… Hawaiian Tropic! I couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s called Island Radiance and it is by far the best tan I have ever used. It’s a nice dark colour not at all orange! So all of you get down the 99p shop!

What Katie says
I met the inventor of Tan Organic as well as Gavin Duffy from Dragon’s Den who shared with me the Tan Organic story and it sounded truly like a miracle worker. Before I gave it to Alex to try I also gave a bottle to my housemate who used it – she too went a lovely golden shade but did have quite noticeable streaks and patchy areas on her arms and legs.
I think the reason it didn’t blend in very well for Alex (or for my housemate) is because the actual product doesn’t include any drying agents such as alcohol, so it does take a lot more work to rub in which of course not every one has time for, however it does contain aloe-vera juice so its really moisturizing.

I think that Tan Organic is perfect for those who are VERY experienced at tanning with a liquid and for those that prefer a darker tan – Alex and I are pretty pale so perhaps it would have been best for a more experienced tanner to trial it. You can buy Tan Organic online here for around 20Euros.

Have you ever used Tan Organic? Do you have any tips to help fake tanning disasters?
Would you like more male guest reviews on my blog?

xxxxx

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14 Comments

  1. August 18, 2011 / 6:53 pm

    Hey Katie! Aww so far it sounds like a disaster. I am very new to self fake tanning from home, and I've been using TANTASTIC fake tanning and almighty i think you would love ythat! been using it for years and nothing beats it!! It dries instanstly, doesnt stain your clothes AND IT last up to 7 days! and it gives you that nice glow! It is very suitable for all colours, so as you were saying you're quite pale, but with tantastic, its very buildable! I hope this helps!!

  2. August 18, 2011 / 8:18 pm

    Great review from the very handsome Alex! I shall be steering well clear of this one and stick to my St Moritz. xo

    http://septembersparkle.blogspot.com/

  3. August 18, 2011 / 8:24 pm

    One thing I find when Tanning men (Tried it on the other half) is the hairier the body (No he's not like a bear or gorilla but does have a slightly hair chest, legs and arms) was the hairs kind of clogged the tan up and made it streaky. Obviously I wasn't about to shave off all his body hair but have been thinking is there a way around it? Its nice to read a review by a guy on a tanning product! Mel xxxx

  4. August 30, 2011 / 8:36 pm

    I don't use tanning lotions what with being brown and all but this review was hilarious… I could literally feel the panic!! x x

  5. December 14, 2011 / 10:31 am

    Katie it hurts me to say this but what a fantastic idea to have the diligent, and according to the women in my office, the very cute,
    Alex review TanOrganic. Well done! A great idea to have a man do the review, so different, possibly a first.

    Alex it hurts me even more to say well done to you for doing such a great, honest and funny review. I don’t know why it appears funnier when a guy has a tanning disaster. I suppose it is that every girl on the planet who has used fake tan has had a tanning disaster or two. Isn’t just fantastic to have a guy tell us he likes to pamper himself. Well done Alex.

    Why does it hurt me to say this because I am, Gavin Duffy, the financial backer of TanOrganic. I am a Dragon on the Irish version of Dragons’ Den. That’s where I first saw and invested in the fantastic TanOrganic. At a Beauty Bloggers event in London along with the inventor and creator of TanOrganic I met Kate. I have since, now and then, followed Kate’s Beauty Blog and it is one of the best and always truthful ,so Alex I fully accept, without reservation, your tanning disaster story.

    But Kate & Alex because this is a credible honest review it is damning for our product. I believe Bloggers like Kate, are becoming more influential than glossy magazines so we take this critical review very seriously.

    For all fake tan users here is a simple fact. When you apply a tan it is on your skins for five, six or seven days. If there are synthetic chemicals in that tan they are absorbed straight into your bloodstream through your skin. It is very unhealthy, probably even worse for you than toasting on a UV sun bed.

    TanOrganic is the only, true, 100% natural, organic tan in the world.
    Alex what you say is so true. When you put it on the mitt it ran all over it. The original 240 ml bottle you used contained a very liquidy TanOrganic solution. Other leading brands are less liquidy because they use synthetics and chemicals to make their tan more pasty. Because it was liquidy we were concerned users would apply too much so it was originally in a lighter shade. Expert would know this as 9%. In the UK 11% is the standard. So your watch strap mark is absolutely true.

    Yes that original version took longer to dry but yet you state it didn’t stain your sheets. This is true because TanOrganic is natural it is more compatible with human skin.

    Since that original bottle was launched we have learned that whilst it was a beautiful looking, non-smelling, healthy tan the bottle and colour needed adjustment. So now TanOrganic only sells in a 100 ml spray application. That means the liquidy, runny problems when applying TanOrganic have been resolved and without adding the dreaded chemicals that others use. The shading is now also darker.

    Here are the facts about TanOrganic. We are bringing a new, healthy tanning, sensation to the world. We have just launched in New Zealand and Australia to rave reviews. When you are doing something that is so new and so different, wow it is a challenge.
    But I am committed with Noelle, no matter how much money it has cost us, to give women (and men like Alex) first, and most importantly, a beautiful tan but secondly to ensure it is healthy and good for you.

    This is rally the only tan a pregnant woman can apply knowing it makes them look and feel good but is also healthy and harmless to baby.

    Finally Noelle is on an overnight flight and Katie I am sure she too will want to comment but I just wanted to say we’d love Alex to be kind enough to try us again and give us the opportunity to prove that TanOrganic is the special one.

  6. December 14, 2011 / 11:32 am

    Katie, re-submitting this comment as I am not sure my first one was received. If it was ignore this one, it is just the same again. Thanks Gavin.

    Katie it hurts me to say this but what a fantastic idea to have the diligent, and according to the women in my office, the very cute, Alex review TanOrganic. Well done! A great idea to have a man do the review, so different, possibly a first.

    Alex it hurts me even more to say well done to you for doing such a great, honest and funny review. I don’t know why it appears funnier when a guy has a tanning disaster. I suppose it is that every girl on the planet who has used fake tan has had a tanning disaster or two. Isn’t it just fantastic to have a guy tell us he likes to pamper himself. Well done Alex.

    Why does it hurt me to say this because I am, Gavin Duffy, the financial backer of TanOrganic. I am a Dragon on the Irish version of Dragons’ Den. That’s where I first saw and invested in the fantastic TanOrganic. At a Beauty Bloggers event in London along with the inventor and creator of TanOrganic I met Kate. I have since, now and then, followed Kate’s Beauty Blog and it is one of the best and always truthful ,so Alex I fully accept, without reservation, your tanning disaster story.

    But Kate & Alex because this is a credible honest review it is damning for our product. I believe Bloggers like Kate, are becoming more influential than glossy magazines so we have to take this critical review very seriously.

    For all fake tan users here is a simple fact. When you apply a tan it is on your skins for five, six or seven days. If there are synthetic chemicals in that tan they are absorbed straight into your skin. It is very unhealthy probably worse for you than toasting on a UV sun bed. TanOrganic is the only, true, 100% natural, organic tan in the world.

    Alex what you say is so true. When you put it on the mitt it ran all over it. The original 240 ml bottle you used contained a very liquidy TanOrganic solution. Other leading brands are less liquidy because they use synthetics and chemicals to make their tan more pasty. Because it was liquidy we were concerned users would apply too much so it was originally in a lighter shade. Expert would know this as 9%. In the UK 11% is the standard. So your watch strap mark is absolutely true.

    Yes that original version took longer to dry but yes remarkably didn’t stain your sheets and if it rubs off on an elastic band as it did on Alex’s boxers or on a girls bra strap because it is 100% natural it just washes out where as a synthetically loaded tan will not be removed so easily.

    Since that original bottle was launched we have learned that whilst it was a beautiful looking, non-smelling, healthy tan the bottle and colour needed adjustment. So now TanOrganic only sells in a 100 ml spray application. That means the liquidy, runny problems when applying TanOrganic have been resolved and with no added chemicals. The shading is now also darker.

    Here are the facts about TanOrganic. We are bringing a new, healthy tanning, sensation to the world. We have just launched in New Zealand and Australia to rave reviews. When you are doing something that is so new and so different, wow it is a challenge. But I am committed with Noelle, no matter how much money it has cost us to give women (and men like Alex) first and most importantly a beautiful tan but secondly to ensure it is healthy and good for you. This is the only tan a pregnant woman can apply knowing it makes them look and feel good but is also healthy and harmless to baby.

    Finally Noelle is on an overnight flight and Katie I am sure she too will want to comment but I just wanted to say we’d love Alex to be kind enough to try us again and give us the opportunity to prove that TanOrganic is the special one.

  7. December 15, 2011 / 1:16 pm

    Hi Alex/Katie

    Firstly I would like to apologise for the late reply but we have only just seen this review now. I also want to thank you both for taking the time and effort to review my product which I am very very grateful for. I take on board all of your comments, appreciate all of your feedback and will review our online demo video immediately as a result, as I think it may be misleading or confusion. Not to undermine the very negative experience you had with your first TanOrganic application, but from reading the review there are a couple of things I noticed that I think may be the answer to your problems. Firstly I see you have the old bottle packaging and we now have a new spray bottle that eliminates any running of product as we spray onto the mitt in a fine mist. If there are people who have the old orifice reducer bottle it is always best to put the glove over the top of the bottle and turn the bottle upside down a couple of times, this avoids any running. The new packaging does eliminate this problem that we had got from very constructive feedback from our customers. I know Alex says he did not use much product but any negative reviews we have ever had and there have not been many have been on application. With TanOrganic it really is ‘less is more’ and I always say the best result is very light layering. A couple of drops or sprays is plenty and will rub in very quickly. If a little too much is applied the product will circle and take a long time to blend in and I am very sorry that happened in your case.

    Because of the lack of synthetic ingredients and drying ingredients in TanOrganic it does take a little longer to dry. TanOrganic is 84% Aloe Vera juice based so it is very moist and we often recommend using a hair dryer if you need to speed up drying time. In your defence that probably is a tip we need to explain better on our how-to video.

    I would love if yourself or Alex would allow us the opportunity to put things right and offer one of our experienced tan applicators to apply the product for you. I am in London myself once a month so could do it myself if that was an option for you.

    Can you please provide us with your contact details so that we can send you the new TanOrganic bottle and our fabulous new OilArganic Dry body Oil

    Kindest Regards
    Noelle

    Creator of TanOrganic

  8. Anonymous
    March 10, 2012 / 7:30 am

    I used TanOrganic for the first time and am delighted with the colour. I used the spray bottle and mitt, went on evenly over face knees and elbows. I think u just have to put less product on these area's, like any tan. I have problems with other fake tans ( tried them all) I get dry red patches on my chest, arm's and back, but so far no reaction to this. My daughter(7) was with me and asked could she have some and for the first time I taught, why not its not harmful, so put a little on her legs, not on show these days. Overall I'm very happy I found a tan that's dark enough and I won't be looking at dry patches. Love it!

  9. Anonymous
    March 30, 2012 / 1:32 am

    I have used TanOrganic and I think it is the best tan I've used! Yes, it took some application practice to get an even finish, but that was my lack of skill rather than the product. Everyone comments on the colour, and the way it fades naturally. (OK, I tell them I've tried a new tan and ask them!) The application glove is what makes home tanning possible for me, and the Oil Arganic is the secret to the natural fade….you just have to use it every day to get that slow, natural fade.

  10. January 19, 2013 / 4:23 pm

    I've received it today!
    New follower 🙂
    tobebioacaseofbeauty.blogspot.it

  11. Anonymous
    March 27, 2014 / 6:47 pm

    I am completely white after suffering from vitiligo all my life. Every tan I have tried always goes orange, and looking at Alix, TanOrganic seems to go the same. I was so excited when I found out about this product and was eager to try it but I don't think I will risk it now. Really disappointed as i thought i was going to have a normal looking colour skin for once in my life. It doesn't look like that is going to happen in my lifetime.

  12. Kellie
    May 2, 2014 / 4:36 pm

    I am so impressed that both Noelle and Gavin Duffy commented on your negative experience- talk about customer service! Noelle gave me a little starter kit when she passed through Chicago's O'Hare airport a year ago, and I adore it! I wish I had more as I can't buy it in the US, I have about enough left for 1 application and I've been saving it for a special event. I've used countless products for over half my lifetime and this has been by far the most impressive. The unique nature of the oil makes application in the spray bottle as easy as could be. Also, it's the only tanning product ever to not dry out my skin. I love the dry oil spray as well, I feel it's the best way to keep the tan from fading patchy. I can not wait until your product is in the US, Noelle. I would gladly be your biggest advocate and sales woman! I'm going to Ireland this month and I am packing my suitcase with this product.

  13. Anonymous
    January 1, 2016 / 11:33 pm

    My only complaint is the drying time. It does feel like it takes hours. I use fake tan a lot so had no issues with the application. I don't understand why fake tan companies do not give more tips on application. With the product. I'm sure if all the knowledge and feedback was added to the box containing the bottle it would eliminate negative reviews like the one above.

  14. March 30, 2017 / 12:21 am

    I bought a bottle of tan organic on aer lingus flight. I applied with a mitt, avoiding knee, elbows etc. I had an amazing golden glow and my skin looked like satin. I had lots of comments asking if I'd been on holiday. Great natural tan, lasted 10 days even with daily showers. Highly recommend this tanning product.

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