Isle Of Paradise Self Tanning

Nothing as intriguing and scary to this fair skinned girl as fake tanning. When Isle of Paradise showed up on my insta-feed, I thought it was about time to take my (gradient) tanning routine to the next step. The colourful millennial-minded brand was founded by celebrity tanning expert Jules Von Hep, who has a decade of experience in the field. Its aesthetic has a bit of a Colourpop vibe and its also vegan, organic and cruelty-free.

Isle Of Paradise uses colour correcting actives to achieve the following benefits:

Correct uneven skin tones
Reduce redness
Brightens sallow complexions
Counteract acne associated redness
Evens discolouration such as hyper-pigmentation
Less make up required

Each of their products are divided into 3 types, according to the skin tone. The peach tans are supposed to be amazing for paler skin tones, so that is what I chose for both products.

Isle of Paradise Light Self Tanning Drops

The self tanning drops work in the same way as the one from Clarins I ike. You simply add 3-12 drops to your daily moisturizer and start rubbing it in, You can use this for the face and body, but I only use It for my face. The main benefit of the drops is that you are in complete control of the intensity of your tan. Because I’m really fair, I mostly use about 3-4 drops and repeat this process every day untit I get the desired tan. The result is a natural, sun-kissed giow with no streaks, welrd smells or orange tones. The thing is that when you cleanse in the evening, some parts might rub off while others might stay in place, so it’s best to not use too much and maintain a good exfoliation routine .

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Dihydroxyacetone, Alcohol Denat. (SD Alcohol 40-B), Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Xanthan Gum, Erythrulose, Propylene Glycol, Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Aloe Barbadensis Extract*, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil*, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil*, Methoxyphenyl t-Butylphenyl Propanediol, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Triethylene Glycol*Organic

Isle of Paradise Light Self Tanning Water

I’m new to ‘instant’ fake tanning, so I was very intrigued to try the self tanning water. I had a wedding to attend to and was looking for a quick and natural looking tan. Unfortunately my package *probably* got too hot during transport, which caused strands in the product and I didn’t have enough time to return it. I contacted IOP on Instagram and they assured me the product was perfectly safe to use. Phew.

The Tanning Water comes in a spray bottle, which was handy in some places and difficult in others. For instance, in order to get to every spot on my back I often had to tilt the bottle slightly upside down, which caused the spray to block. Also the strands would make it difficult to use after a while, so I’m trying to figure out how I can sift them out of the bottle.

The way it works is that you have to exfoliate 24 hours prior to use. Also, don’t forget to moisturize any dry patches beforehand. Then you have to spray yourself from top to bottom until your skin is saturated with the water. If you have someone to help you out, that’s even better. Then, you take a decent tanning mit and rub it in, finishing with your hands and feet. I’m very happy with the tanning mit from Sienna X. Soft on the outside and protected on the inside so the tan won’t penetrate the mit and stain your fingers.

I read and watched some reviews from people with fair skin to decide what colour to go for and some recommended to go for the Medium one. However, after using the Light one a couple of times, I’m very happy with my choice. No streaks or orange tones whatsoever. I’ve also received quite a lot of nice comments about how natural the tan looks, so that’s always a good sign. Besides the small areas I couldn’t reach, I only had one little issue: my dry elbows turned out darker than the rest of my body, even though I moisturized them beforehand. Next time, I’ll try to do that for several days straight to see if that helps.

Another thing I must add is that you absolutely can’t get yourself wet during the setting period, which is about 4-6 hours. This was quite the task when it’s about + 35 degrees outside. If possible, don’t wear any clothes during that time. It’s quite an intensive process if you ask me, but totally worth it when you get to see the result.

The tan lasted me about a week – week and a half. I’ve used the self tanning water twice now (including some touch-ups, cuz I’m a newbie after all) and the bottle is now half-empty. I can’t say anything about how it compares to other similar products, but I’d say this is a great product to start self tanning.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Propylene Glycol, Dihydroxyacetone, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Erythrulose, Glycereth-26, Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Extract*, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil*, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil*, Panthenol, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Tris (Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Methoxyphenyl t-Butylphenyl Propanediol, Ascorbic Acid, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Metabisulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Triethylene Glycol, CI 16035 (FD&C Red No.40), CI 19140 (FD&C Yellow No.5)