In dull lighting, the self-tan appeared to be setting quite nicely. Then I stepped outside and saw the tan for what it was: splotchy and uneven.
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With so many horror stories about sunless formulas turning skin orange, it's no wonder why I'm so hesitant to experiment with self-tanners. I usually stick with my tried-and-true brand, Coco and Eve, but I got curious when Hailey Bieber name-dropped The Water Hydrating Self-Tanner by Tan-Luxe ($48) in a "get ready with me" video on TikTok.
"My body gets really tan and I keep my face out of the sun. So, to try to give my face that little bit of a glow, I use the [Tan Luxe Water Spray] and I really love it," Bieber shared in the first clip of a two-part routine. "I spray it, I rub it in, I wait for it to dry, and then I put my skincare on top. I go to sleep and wake up with a nice little glow."
It's one thing to try a new self-tanner; it's another to apply the said self-tanner to the face. I was skeptical, but Bieber has proven me wrong before (her glazed donut skin method is genius, not gross). Plus, the product has over 12 thousand "hearts" on Sephora and averages a four out of five-star rating, so I decided to try it. Unfortunately, my experience with the stuff was less than satisfactory.
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The directions for how to apply are less clear: Mist onto dry skin, blend in large circular motions, and wash hands after application. Commenters suggested exfoliating first, then using an applicator mitt for a streak-free finish, but there was no set time for the tanner to settle on the skin, and you didn't have to rinse off after a certain number of hours.
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I'm not the only one who's experienced this side effect. One of the first comments on Sephora calls out the product for causing acne: "Biggest reason I didn't like is it made my face break out so bad with acne after using one time," the reviewer wrote.
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I counted two spritzes of Tan-Luxe's clear spray onto the mitt per body part and massaged the product into my skin in circular motions. I repeated this process twice, hoping for deeper pigmentation, but because The Water is clear, I had no way to gauge whether or not I was using too much or too little.
Unlike mousse formulas that linger on the skin and feel sticky, The Water dried almost instantly and its formula's inclusion of raspberry seed oil proved stellarly hydrating. There was also no transfer on my clothes, nor the blanket I covered my lap with all afternoon.
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Not being able to see exactly where and how much self-tanner I was applying was a disastrous combination. My upper body looks nice, but my legs look messy. My face is also still healing from the breakout. That said, while I won't be straying from my tried-and-true mousse self-tanners anytime soon, many people have had success with The Water from Tan-Luxe. If you're willing to risk it, go for it — but you won't find me using it again any time soon.