Reviews

Cosmetics Review: Ambre Solaire vs Fake Bake

Avatar photo

25 January 2016

By Bronwen

In our chilly English climate, it is often quite difficult to get a sun tan, especially since it rains 156/365 days per year in the UK. Therefore, the only way we can get a natural-looking golden glow is to use more artificial means.

We’ve all seen people sporting those ‘fake tan fails’ that make us cringe inside and we’ve all had our own incidences too. Streaky arms, white patchy bits we’ve forgotten to tan and that awful unnatural orange colour that screams out “I don’t know what I’m doing”.

So we’ve decided to compare two of the best fake tan products in the market and decide which one we think is the best.

Ambre Solaire-

The first thing we noticed about this is that it smells absolutely divine. Instead of that awful chemical reaction scent, it smells a bit fruity and very summery.

There are three shades available depending on your skin tone: fair, medium and dark. The best thing about these shades is that you can apply it in layers over a few days to get up to your desired depth of colour.

Ambre Solaire is easy to use too, with a wide nozzle that gives a wide spray of the formula, allowing for an even coverage. It dries almost instantly which means that you can get dressed and go about your day.

Our only complaint is that the spray comes on clear, so it’s impossible to see where you’ve done until it darkens up a few hours later and you realise you’ve missed the back of your arms or something similar.

Fake Bake-

The first thing to say about Fake Bake is that selecting the perfect shade is much more difficult, as the boxes don’t really provide that much indication as to the colour you’ll turn.

However, since the formula is more of a gel, it’s much easier to see where you’ve applied it and how thickly. Your tan will start to develop instantly so you can see exactly what you’ll look like in a few hours.  In terms of the ‘fair’ version, it’s much easier to develop your desired depth of tan as each application only makes you slightly darker. It’s still noticeable, but it’s not as full-on as other products.

There’s no telling which fake tan is the best, as they’ve both got their own advantages. If you want an “I’ve just come back from 2 weeks in Dubai” look, go for the Ambre Solaire. If you want a healthy glow and a more gentle tan, Fake Bake is for you.

Like this article? Please share!