Kardashian Glamour Tan

I purchased this product from Ulta several months ago, and then I forgot that I had it! LOL! I found it a couple of weeks ago & decided to give it a try.

Kardashian Glamour Tan is a clear self-tanning gel. I typically don't do well with this type of product - the color & fading are poor for me. But I decided to try it because it would be nice to have something like this for travel or for times when I don't want to mess with a colorguide.

Description from Ulta.com:

This moisturizing formula is packed with protective antioxidants and vitamins C, D and E. It's the only self-tanner containing imudulin, a key ingredient that is designed to stimulate vitamin D synthesis, which can aid in lessening the look of lines and wrinkles. Glamour Tan's unique clear formula is non-streaking and non-staining. It instantly absorbs in your skin and within 24 hours of application, you'll notice an even, golden, fabulous tan.

Ingredients:
Water, Methylpropanediol, Dihydroxyacetone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloydimethyl taurate copolymer, Lactic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Tocopheryl Succinate (Vitamin E), Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Urea, Trehalose, Polyquaternium -51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) Glutamylamidoethyl imidazole Fragrance.

Consistency & appearance: This product is a clear, thin, runny gel that can be kind of messy because it tends to run out of the container too quickly. I think a pump bottle would be much better. The label says that the product contains fragrance, but it must be very minimal because I didn't detect any scent.

About my skin type & tanning: I am a Type I/II (I almost always burn, but I can get a very slight tan with a lot of patience.) I'm Casper-the-Friendly-Ghost white, with dark blonde hair and blue/green/gray eyes. My skin is pretty sensitive, so I have to be careful with certain ingredients - especially fragrance. When sunless tanning, my skin is atypical of a Type I/II in that I need at least 7.5-8% DHA to get decent color. Anything less than that usually gives me translucent color that tends to look orangish. I don't do well with drugstore products, and I prefer airbrush tanning solutions (ABS) to any other type of sunless tanner. Products with a dark CG can cause fading issues for me, so I usually counteract that by showering after 4-6 hours. This allows me to absorb the DHA without any staining from the CG.

Skin prep: I showered using Ulta's 3-in-1 Shower Smoothie (in Cocolada) and lightweight nylon exfoliating gloves (there are different types - these are very lightweight & minimally abrasive). After showering, I used Ulta's Shower Smoothie Hand & Body Cream (in Cocolada - and this is more like a thick lotion than a cream - it absorbs completely without any greasiness) to prep the areas that I know tend to "grab" the color - elbows, knees, ankles.

Application: First application was to a 3-4" circular area on my stomach (which typically takes color very well). After 24 hrs. - no color. None. Zip. Nada. So I applied again to the same spot. After another 24 hrs., I could just barely see a color change, but it was negligible. I was pretty discouraged since I spent $20 for the product.

A week or so later, I decided to give the product a try for my hands & feet. I did my usual routine for hands & feet - lotion to the areas that tend to grab color, then the sunless tanning product after the lotion was absorbed. I carefully scrubbed my palms after applying to my feet, then tanned my hands. (I used about a quarter-sized amount for each foot and a nickel-sized amount for both hands.) I used a damp washcloth to wipe my palms & cuticles, as well as any areas that I know tend to grab color. After a couple of hours, I applied lotion all over my hands & feet, and wiped my palms & the areas that tend to grab color with a dry paper towel.

This time the final color wasn't bad. It was light, but I would rather have my hands & feet a little lighter anyway. I can always add bronzer if needed, but I like a light base color. Color doesn't usually last long on my hands & feet - and I'm okay with that as long as what's left can be removed fairly easily when I'm ready to start over. The Kardashian Glamour Tan color seems to last about 3-4 days, which is a day or two longer than usual. I do find that I have to scrub a bit more to remove the remaining "splotches" before re-tanning, but I am able to remove the color so that the new tan is even.

(this is an old picture just to show you how pale I am without any sunless tanner)

This product is available from ulta.com - a 6 oz tube is $19.99.

Repurchase? I haven't decided yet. I will probably have a better idea once I've used the entire tube.

(I know I had some other comments, but somehow part of the post went missing once I posted it on the blog. If I remember, I'll make updates!)