Review of the Bali Body Ultra Dark Self-Tan Mousse

A SUNLESS SUN-KISSED, LONG LASTING TAN

Gone are the days of tanning from the sun! I am all about embracing safe tanning and I am proudly a regular self tanner. I have tried dozens and dozens of products and I am always excited to try something new to see how it works for my skin. I have been using the Bali Body tanning and skincare products for a while now and I have recently started integrating the Bali Body Ultra Dark Self-Tan Mousse into my Thursday night tanning routine.

This is one of the darkest tans that I’ve used that still has a natural finish. I look like I’ve just stepped off a week of relaxing on a yacht in Capri. I was pleasantly surprised that it’s quite a natural looking tan, especially for one that can be so dark with just applying one layer. 

The formula 

This self-tan has a green base. It looks great on most skin types and gives a healthy, glowing effect. You might wake up and think the tan looks too green - this is the colour guide so you can see where it’s been applied. After some time and a shower, your tan will develop into the natural bronze I’m talking about!

The formula contains nourishing oils to keep the skin hydrated and prevent any dry patches, cracking or peeling. I didn’t realise that this would be so important, especially with warm weather coming up. It can be so easy to sweat off a self tan sometimes so it’s essential to keep skin nourished to last longer.

The Bali Body Ultra Dark Self-Tan Mousse uses 100% natural DHA. This means you’ll end up with smooth, hydrated and perfectly bronzed skin. DHA is the active ingredient in self-tan. This is what is used to develop over two to eight hours to form a glowing, golden-brown colour. 

How to Apply the Bali Body Ultra Dark Self-Tan Mousse

You know it’s a Thursday night routine! I jump in the shower and exfoliate away all of the dead skin, dry patches or any leftover tan to leave my skin smooth and ready for a fresh layer of tan. I find this step to be so important because you need to start with a good canvas to help with an even and natural looking result. You can always exfoliate any darker areas after your tan has developed too. 

I normally shave my legs the night before or the morning before tanning. I find if I shave too close to when I tan, sometimes any tanning foam can end up gripping to the hair follicle areas. This is just something I’ve learned to do but you might find it happens to you too.

Next, I jump out of the shower and dry off. I turn on my mini heater in the bathroom so I don’t get cold and I moisturise my elbows, knees and ankles. I use an unscented, simple moisturiser for this step. You can completely skip moisturiser too, I have used this tan without it and found it was already nourishing enough on any dry areas. 

After the moisturiser is mostly soaked in, I grab my Bali Body Luxe Tanning Mitt and shake the bottle of Bali Body Ultra Dark Self-Tan Mousse. The guide colour is dark so it’s super easy to see where the tan has been applied already.

I start with two pumps on the mitt and apply to my neck and chest area, then my left arm and right arm, then down the body and I work from top to toes! It’s easier to get an even tan when continuing in the same direction from the area you have started in. I finish off at my ankles and feet because I don’t like to use too much product in that area. After applying to my whole body, I will use whatever is left on the Luxe Tanning Mitt to go over both hands and make sure I have applied between my fingers on each. Nothing worse than a small, forgotten patch! 

I do a quick check over to make sure I haven’t missed anywhere. This tan worked so well for going over areas I had accidentally skipped over (I always forget to do the back of my knees thoroughly!). The formula has a creamy texture to it so I could reapply over where I had already tanned without worrying about streaks or making dark marks. 

My Results

This was my first time trying the Bali Body self-tan and I was so impressed. After applying, I wore it from 10am until around 6pm for 8 hours while I was at home cleaning, running errands. I was left with a deep, natural looking tan. For a medium to dark tan, leave it on for a shorter time. I was so excited, I had to try it out at its darkest! The tan definitely looks a lot darker before washing it off so it can be a bit daunting to think you might have gone too dark but don’t forget, it’s just the guide colour.

I did pair this with the new Bali Body Face Tan Serum and it’s a game changer. I have a review of it here.

I washed off in the shower with soap all over. The self-tan scent was nice and not overpowering at all. I did get some darker areas on my elbows and ankles but because of the formula, it was so easy to dial those areas back. I used a quick and simple brush over with the mitt to adjust the tan in those areas. I love that about a self-tan, it has to be easy to adjust to suit you.

The Dark Mousse left my skin feeling moisturised and I was so happy that it didn’t clump together in any dry areas on my hands. Self tanning hands has always been so hard but I found this self tan was perfect here. 

This routine has to be the easiest way I know to achieve a beautiful sunkissed beachy look with minimal effort. My tan lasted around five days which is regular for me. Remember to always moisturise, especially on areas like the undersides of your arms and any naturally dryer spots you experience. I like to exfoliate off on a Tuesday or Wednesday and start fresh each week.

I noticed the Bali Body website has a deal on if you Pair the Luxe Tanning Mitt with the Ultra Dark Self Tanning Mousse to save 20% off the mitt. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve tried this tan too!

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This was published in partnership with Bali Body. All words, photography and opinions are my own.

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