L'Oreal One-Day Bronzer

Up next in my bronzer review queue is the new L'Oreal Sublime Bronze One Day Tinted Gel Bronzer. I bought mine at Walgreen's (they were having a special for L'Oreal products, buy one get one 50% off) - $10.99 for 6.7 fl. oz. in a pump bottle.

As you can see, the color is a dark caramel and there is a subtle gold that really just disappears once the product is applied. The first thing I noticed is the smell! I immediately thought "old lady perfume". I read some reviews that said it had a lovely fragrance. I have to wonder the age of those reviewers, LOL. In my opinion, it's too heavily scented, and the fragrance is too floral & perfume-y. I would be afraid to use this product on my face and neck (which are very sensitive - especially to fragrances).

The first time I applied the product, I used my bare hands to put about a dime-sized amount on my hands like lotion. I immediately used a wet washcloth to remove the bronzer from my palms - or I should say I tried to remove it. That small amount, in just a minute, stained my palms & fingers. So whatever you do - don't apply this product with your bare hands!

The second time I used the product, I wore vinyl gloves to apply to my arms & legs - and the brush you see pictured above to apply to my hands. This worked much better - no staining!

I used three generous pumps of product for each leg & foot. The consistency is such that it is easy to spread, but I wanted to make sure that I didn't try to spread the product too thinly because that often results in streaks. That amount was perfect for me. I used two generous pumps per arm - and about a half pump per hand.

The product absorbed/dried quickly and didn't leave my skin feeling tacky. I didn't have any issues with rub-off or sweating. The temperature was about 80 here today, but it was windy and not humid at all. I would not trust this product on days where I might sweat or possibly get caught in the rain. It is not water-resistant at all. If you plan to wash your hands, you'd better have a little container of this in your purse so you can reapply or you will have white hands. I shudder to think what would happen if you got caught in a sudden downpour.

The smell was a bit overwhelming. However, it did seem to dissipate a bit more quickly this time. I would say that after about an hour, I could no longer smell the product. I don't know if I just got used to it, or if it actually went away. But I asked Gus if he could smell it (this was 6-7 hrs. after applying), and he said he couldn't.

I didn't think the color looked orange at all. (If it looks orange to you, just consider the differences in cameras, lighting, and monitors.) It looked fine inside - and it looked fine outside in bright sunlight. However, it does give your skin a bit of a reddish tint. That's fine for some because their natural tan looks that way. But I look better in a more golden brown color.

I was going to list the ingredients, but I'm too lazy to type them out, and I couldn't copy/paste them from the L'Oreal website. If you go to the link I listed in the beginning (click on the product name), it will take you to L'Oreal's website and you can see the ingredient list there.

To summarize:
PROS
nice consistency
easy to apply
absorbs/dries quickly
decent color payoff
reasonable price

CONS
fragrance
zero water-resistance

REPURCHASE?
No - but if it offered some water-resistance I would consider repurchasing.