I mean does anyone like self-tanning?! You have to exfoliate, you are going to probably have to wash your sheets, you’ll smell until you rinse it off…the list goes on and on. And while I’ve found a slew of great tanners that do help avoid that- it’s still a beauty chore! I mean don’t get me wrong, I love a good faux glow. But it’s not my favorite activity by any means.

Another thing about self-tanner is that you typically have to have time. You generally need a solid 4 or 5 hours before an event so the color can develop and you can quickly rinse off before you leave your house. And we don’t *always* have that time. So whether you just want to be lazy and avoid washing your sheets after they get a stain from St. Tropez or you are short on time, I have a summer beauty hack for you such as tanning Red Deer.

I’ve tried different bronzer creams that are supposed to act as a “glow” for the skin. Some don’t blend well. Some act like straight-up leg foundation. Some have a smell. But after making my legs act as guinea pigs for said task the past few months, I can proudly say I found THE fabulous hack you’ll be using all summer long. Colleen Rothschild Lotion meet Loving Tan Bronze Shimmer Cream.

So why this specific body butter?

The new Colleen Rothschild Body Butter is made without Parabens, Phthalates, Artificial Colors, TEA, DEA, PEG, PPG, Silicone, Aluminum or SLS/SLES Sulfates. What does that mean? It will be a great carrier for color. A lot of lotions can break down any bronze color from self-tanner or luminous creams due to the sulfates. This Body Butter is also made Pink Algae to protect the skin, Arabica Coffee Seed to energize the Skin and Polynesian Mother of Pearl. What does that mean? It’s ultra-hydrating but dries like a satin {NOT sticky/oily}, so you aren’t stuck waiting to put your clothes back on for an hour. If you’re going to add a bronzer to your lotion, you don’t want it to rub off because it’s got the viscosity of water on your legs! The Mother of Pearl gives you a glow- kind of like a Snapchat filter for the skin, if you will.

Why this luminous cream?

This cream acts as a contour kit for your skin. You’ve got bronzer, luminizers, and a finish to just even out skin tone. This formulation has micronized pigments that give a soft-focus effect so it deepens your tone {whether you are already tanned or not} just slightly! I have the shade medium which works for light to medium skin tones and it also comes in Dark and Ultra Dark. If you’ve been at the beach and just want to enhance the tan you already have, smooth it over your skin. If you haven’t touched self-tanner or sun in a few weeks, but just have 10 minutes to get ready, this works beautifully as well.

Together? You get a glowy cream that smooths out any imperfections and gives you a twinge of glow! It dries evenly and you can throw on your sundress in a few minutes! I will note, I have put white denim on after applying this all over. It only rubbed off a little bit on the waistband but washed out completely. I experience the same with self-tanner but just wanted you to know. If you are wearing tight jeans, I’d just skip this on your legs.

{Also, I cringe to use the word imperfection in regards to skin. I don’t really think blemishes, bruises, eczema, cuts, should be qualified as imperfections. They just make up what our skin looks like! But it’s just the best word to describe what this product does- like a tinted moisturizer for your skin!}

This is the amount of each product I’ll use for one leg, arm, etc. I blend it in all over.

Unlike self-tanner, this will last until you rinse off- but given that it takes 5 minutes to apply, a few minutes to dry, and doesn’t have a smell- I’m thrilled! It’s just like applying lotion after you shower anyways.

You can purchase the CR Body Butter here.

You can purchase Loving Tan Luminous Cream here.

Something about the texture of both these products together really allows the product to give you that “CC Cream/Self Tanner” look while drying matte enough to not get all over your outfit.

This is a photo of what my skin looks like in natural light after application! Let me know if you try it and what you think!

But if you do have 4 hours to let color develop, these are my two favorite self-tanners!

P.S. The dress I’m wearing in these photos is Sheridan French and be sure to check out the major $1,000 gift card giveaway we are doing here!