Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Spray

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Spray is probably not the first product I would think of when it comes to self-tan, as generally I tend to lean towards the weekly tanners over gradual (or using a gradual one in a darker shade, less often) but whilst this one had a bit of a shaky start in my beauty life, it’s now a firm favourite. Let me tell you why this is…

So, as I said this Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Spray and I had a bit of a rocky start – I decided to try on my legs first and basically applied in the same way I would other spray moisturisers I had. I found that on first use the colour looked a bit on the patch side on my lower legs and the darker colour stuck to the drier bits. So on first use, I was a bit disappointed – but the determined beauty junkie in me soldiered on and tried a few more times. This time avoiding knees/ankles/heels and making sure I spent a few seconds rubbing in/evening the colour out. This is when I started to get impressed. One day, after around a week of using this (legs only whilst I was testing) I noticed my legs were actually a decent, natural but lightly bronzed shade. Yep, I was impressed – they looked healthy, rather than the usual slightly blue shade I appear to be most of the time. I’ve used this on and off since, perhaps a day on, day off sort of frequency. Sure, things are a little dark around the ankle area…but nothing a bit of a scrub and taking it easy on application wont sort.

The use of this actually meant I felt ok wearing a pair of shorts to the gym – yes, shorts. Actual baring-leg short item of clothing. Goodness knows where the confidence I had when I was at uni and wore the shortest skirts known to man went… I’d like that back (and perhaps the metabolism of my 19/20 year old self please). But until time travel is invented – this is a close second for getting my pins closer to being ready to be exposed in a jiffy. Plus, it’s cheap as chips – bonus.

I think the key to this is consistency – apply 2/3 days in a row (probably more, or stick to proper tanner if you’re not as pale as I am) and make sure you rub it in, and try to avoid the dry bits. Basically, treat it like a regular tanner, just a tad easier. Make sure you wash your hands afterwards too!

Palmer’s is available from Boots  – although the spray * doesn’t appear to be on sale yet, so maybe launching soon.