Natural Self Tanning With Eco by Sonya

If there’s one thing that scares me the most in beauty, it’s applying fake tan. I usually turn super pale in colder season, and while I don’t have any problem with it, I sometimes like to look more alive by giving myself a light bronze shade. You can imagine that it doesn’t always turn right… Most self-tanners end up looking too orange or too dark, or too unnatural. And don’t even get me started on streaks, those are pure evil!

The last natural self-tan lotion that I’ve tried was by Organic Pharmacy. It was nice because it did not have that awful specific smell that so many self-tanners have. Also, it gave a pretty light and even color to my pale skin. However, it’s the kind of product that you need to apply every darn morning to achieve a more consistent effect. So being lazy as I am, I decided to look for something more long-lasting, though still light and gentle for the skin. That’s when I spotted these two products from Eco By Sonya:

Winter Skin Gradual Tanning Moisturizer* 200ml / $36 – £27.95
So the first and probably most important step when choosing a self-tanner is, of course, picking the right shade. Believe me when I say that there aren’t that many self-tan products formulated for pale skin. That’s why I chose Winter Skin Moisturizer, which promised to suit fair/medium skin tones by giving a gradual tan instead of going full force dark tan after the first application.

The Winter Skin has a lovely lotion consistency, which absorbs fast into the skin. I expected it not to have the scent that many self-tanners have, but unfortunately – it does. You should exfoliate your skin 24-48 hours prior application to achieve more even results. Especially, if it’s winter and/or your skin tends to get dry. I’ve tried it both ways, and it went on much smoother and way less streaky after exfoliation.

It takes about 2 hours for the tan to start showing up. It’s not as light as I’ve expected, so if your skin is pale, you might not need an additional application. Also, there are a few streaks and build-ups here and there. Mostly, in the areas where I was too lazy to rub it in more carefully, like inner elbows. It is a nice self-tanner, which gives medium honey color, washes off evenly, and is pretty long-lasting. However, it’s a better match for light/medium skin tones, not for those with very fair skin.

Face Tan Water* 100ml / $32 – £24.10
Many companies formulate the self-tan products for face and body. However, I wanted a separate product made specifically for the face. In my experience, these types of self-tanners are usually lighter in consistency and contain more hydrating ingredients. The Face Tan Water lured me into choosing it with its promises to achieve a flawless natural tan by also giving brighter, even complexion without clogged pores.

The consistency of the Face Tan Water is liquid. I was a bit worried because I had no idea of how much product I actually needed to use. The instructions don’t specify this, except that you need to use it as a toner and apply with fingers or a cotton pad. I chose fingers but made sure I rubbed it really good into my skin, especially in places where the streaks are most likely to occur (like the hairline). I did not detect that awful fake tan smell with this tanner, so bonus points for that.

The results started to occur after 2-3 hours. My face skin went from fair to lightly tanned without any streaks whatsoever. Also, the tan looks very natural. This is also a gradual face tan so you can apply it as many times as you need to achieve your perfect color, but I am satisfied with just one application.

Overall, I think both of these are nice products for natural self-tanning, but my favorite is Face Tan Water. Honestly, I don’t think I will repurchase the Winter Skin body self-tanner. Not because it’s a bad product, but in my opinion, it’s just a better match for light/medium skin and not for pale skin tones. You can find a full range of Eco by Sonya self-tan products at Love Lula with free worldwide delivery.

What’s your go-to self-tanner? Have you tried Eco by Sonya?