Cabana Tan Gradual Self Tanner Review!

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Who is ready for Spring and Summer? We all know I am! Remember when I did a post about a review of self tanners? Well, I am back with another one! I am not saying everyone should be tan, but for me, personally, I like to have a bit of color on me. It makes me feel better about myself for some reason. Because of that, I have tried a lot of self-tanners, since I try to avoid using tanning beds (scary!) I really recommend checking out my first post, and looking at "what to look out for" concerning skin cancer. Now, let's get to the newest self-tanner obsession!


Meet my newest love, Cabana Tan Sunless Tanning Lotion. This product is made by Million Dollar Tan. I did receive this for free, for my thoughts and consideration ( I am not being paid to say anythign!) First, let me just promise you my full honesty. Second, I waited over a month to review it, just to be absolutely sure that this was a product I wanted to be on my blog. Clearly, it is. Here is a discription of the product from the website:

Apply it like a lotion and in just 6 hours, your skin will have a gorgeous, healthy glow. GUARANTEED!
This is the sunless tanning lotion you've been wishing for. It's an amazingly bronzed color that's easy to put on and lasts a week. This product is a MUST TRY. It's so easy and gives you such great color, you'll love it. Million Dollar Tan products are water based, non-pore clogging, never tested on animals, organically made and free of any parabens or any other gross additives. 

Let's break down its claims, which also include no streaking, smell, or mess. 

1) Did I have a glow after six hours? Yes, I really did. Here is a before and after from my application. The first picture was the night I applied it, while the second was 2 days later (2 applications total). More than 6 hours before the second picture was taken, but I assure you, I woke up with color! 






















Is it just me, or is it a little awkward to only see my legs and nothing else? hah.

I am really happy with the color I got when using this. To me, it isn't overwhelming, or orange-y. In person, I think it looks even better. It states on the bottle that it is a gradual self tanner, which means it may take a few applications to get the color you want. Personally, I would of been happy with one application, but I did two applications before taking the picture, just for good measure and review purposes!

2) Did it streak? No, it really did not. If you read the description, it does say it is a lotion, and it really applies like one. I didn't have any streaking with this product, because it was so easy to rub in. In the past, I have used products with more of a gel consistency, which are nice, but they seem to absorb faster, and that is when you run into problems with streaking. 

3) Was it messy? No, not to me at least. Since it does apply like a lotion, it really isn't a problem! I am sure you could make it messy, purposely, but who wants to do that? Transfer wise, I did not notice it rubbing off onto clothes, bedsheets, etc. The color of the actual lotion in the bottle is an off-white shade.

4) Did it smell? This, to me is hilarious, Only because I never read that claim, until today, when I looked on the website. It is funny to me because from the get-go, when I first applied it, I was like "Okay, well if I review this, how do I describe the smell, because it doesn't really smell like anything". I promise. My thoughts were all over the place, wondering how I would tell you it was basically scentless, and that even though I suck at describing smells, this one was a doozy to pinpoint a smell! It's not fruity, beachy, foul, gross, or overwhelming. Guys, just trust me on this, somehow it is nearly scentless. I didn't even wake up with a weird "tanner" smell that you sometimes get with products. For some, no scent might be a negative, since this does apply and moisturize like a lotion. However, I think it is nice without  scent! 

5) Lasting time? Eh, I would say 5-8 days. I don't normally exfoliate every night when I shower, so I am sure that affects the lasting power, but I think that is pretty dang good. I also got into the habit with applying this every few days, once I figured out how long it last with one application. I did this to mamaintain color, moisturize my skin, and also darken the color I would get.  

6) Pore clogging? No. Not that I have noticed. I also used this on my face, as it says it won't clog pores on the website. I never had any issue with breaking out because of this. It isn't oily, or sticky on your skin, which is great, because who wants to put something like that on your face? Not me. It absorbs well and just does its job. I did see that they have developed a tanner specifically for your face, which is something I would love to try, just to see if it is any different than applying the lotion meant for your whole body! If anyone has tried that one, let me know!

Do I truly recommend this? Yes. I promise it is one of the best self-tanners I have used, and is actually more affordable than a few other tanners I have recommended before (not from the drugstore). The particular one I am reviewing retails for $20. Do I have any cons? No, not really. I only wish I would of chose the one in the "Extreme" version, just to see how dark it could get me! I know it seems weird to not really have any cons, but I think I just got really lucky with this product, and maybe you'll love it too! If you get a chance, and you love self-tanning, or just want to venture out and try something different, I do recommend this. Please let me know if you have tried it, and what your thoughts are!

-Extra tip for self tanning: If you have a self tanner that is gel based, dries too fast, or seems to dark for you, try mixing it with lotion! Not only does it give you more time to rub it in, but it also allows your tan to develop gradually, because it won't be as pigmented when dissolved in another lotion. This helps you control the level of tan you get! Love doing this with some of my self-tanners!

Hopefully this was helpful and not too long! Thanks for reading,
XO, Kelsey