Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan by Marissa Carter

When I first heard about Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan* over 10 months ago now, I had no idea how successful it was going to become! This tan is widely recognised all over the world at this stage, and rightly so! Here is how I got on using Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan.

Preparation-
(The Day before applying Cocoa Brown Tan)

In order to prep your skin for this tan (or any tan for that matter) it is always best of exfoliate your skin prior to applying the tan. I exfoliate my entire body using Pulp Friction by Soap&Glory (my current body scrub) while in the shower the day before, focusing on my knees and elbows so I don't get a build up of tan on these areas. I also shave the day before applying the tan to try and ensure I get as smooth an application as I possible. After the shower I moisturise using a body lotion (avoid using the Palmers Cocoa Butter body lotion at this time as it takes a good 24-36 hours to fully sink into your skin). I do love Palmers Cocoa Butter body moisturiser, but not for the day before applying tan!

(The Day of application)

At this stage, your skin should be all ready to apply your tan. Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan develops in as little as 1 hour and the colour is visible when you apply it so you can see where you have/haven't put the tan. After you have applied the tan to your skin (using a mitt is best-check out their tan mitts here) you can leave the tan on for 1 hour for a natural, light colour, 2 hours for a warmer toned colour or 3 hours for a deep rich 'cocoa brown' colour! (Just to note, no matter how long you leave it on after the 3 hours, it won't develop further).

Personally I feel that 2-2 1/2 hours is right for me for a night out. But if I wanted just a light natural glow, then I would leave it on for about 1-1 1/2 hours. After this you hop into the shower and have a quick shower and wash off the excess. I like to grab some shower gel and gently rub my skin and wash off the excess. I really do recommend having this shower as the colour is not the same if you don't wash off the excess (I think it can be a little too dark if you don't wash it off). (TOP TIP- Don't wash your hair at the same time as you wash off the excess tan because when you rinse your hair the increased flow in water will remove the majority of the tan. Keep the flow of water pretty light!)

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan does contain an ingredient that gives your skin moisture and makes the application of the tan on a mitt very easy. It literally glides on your skin. You don't need to apply moisturiser to your skin until day 3 of wearing the tan. It is recommended that you use an oil free moisturiser if you plan on applying more of this tan, on day 3 for example. But when you want to remove the tan, do use a body scrub and a body oil to help remove the tan.

Personally for me, I wouldn't leave my tan on for more than 2 days. I would rather remove the tan and apply a fresh layer on a clean base. For this reason, I use this tan slightly different to most. I prefer to remove the tan (or any tan for that matter) a day or two after applying it. This can be time consuming, as I find Cocoa Brown quite stubborn to remove. It does take a few steps I find to remove the tan. I have tried using different body scrubs, but for me it takes a good day or two before any remaining tan is gone. But if you enjoy wearing long-lasting fake tan and don't see it as a chore to remove the tan and you'd moisturise to help keep the tan looking it's best, then this product is for you! Cocoa Brown have also brought out a new body scrub to help remove old stubborn tan and prepare skin for a new layer of tan, so I plan on checking it out to see if it helps me! You can buy it here.

Along with a speedy, easy application process I'm sure you will notice how good this product smells. Cocoa Brown does not smell biscuity/nutty as with some instant tans. It smells so good! (The smell is 'Tahitian Gardenia' if you were wondering!) I also love the colour range of this tan.

Left- No tan. Centre- after 2 hours. Right- after 3 hours.

As you can see on the left here is my arm without any tan on, the middle picture is after showering it off after 2 hours and the right, after 3 hours. I find my skin has a radiant healthy glow when I wear Cocoa Brown. Cocoa Brown is also very affordable (RRP €7.99) and it can ideally be used as part of your daily routine. Cocoa Brown tan also drys pretty quickly after applying (1-3mins) so you can get dressed while you are waiting for the shower.

Here is a picture of my tan fading evenly, on day 2 just before I showered and washed it off. Another bonus!

Cocoa Brown Tan is available from Feel Unique (free worldwide delivery), pharmacies across Ireland, Boots (Ireland & UK), Superdrug (UK), Tesco (Ireland), Primark (UK) and Penneys (Ireland) and retails at approx. €7.99 which is very affordable and well worth trying out!

Let me know if you try Cocoa Brown's 1 Hour Tan and if you have any tanning tips, share them in the comments below!

Sarah

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