Fake BakeFlawless Self-Tanning Liquid Streak-Free, Long-Lasting Natural Glow For All Skin Tones - Sunless Tanner Includes Professional Mitt For Easy Application, Black Coconut Scent - 6 oz

When reviewing a self-tan product, I believe it's extremely important to introduce certain characteristics of the author in order for readers to determine whether the product should apply to them. Before I begin, I am 21 years old and extremely fair. As a child, I was decidedly ginger/strawberry blonde, so my skin WILL NOT tan - not then, not now. I've tried a lot of sunless tanners throughout my middle school/high school/collegiate struggle to be tan (or at least a normal, non-ghost shade). This ranges from L'Oreals Sublime Bronze lotions/sprays, to Model Co. products, to Xen Tan, and lots of other brands.As of now, this Fake Bake Flawless is my favorite self-tan product I've ever used. I'd argue that, when used properly, this is the best sunless tanner. The color guard in combination with the mitt makes sure I get every single square inch of my body, no streaks. It dried in minutes, and I was able to dress quickly. The liquid develops into a wonderful brown (not orange!) color, and it was even and believable. HOWEVER... it must be used properly :)There are a few reviews on here that have complaints about this product that I'm going to address here (mostly noting why they're silly complaints). The first major complaint is "bottle leakage" - the spray bottle that comes with the product is too long for the bottle. The natural solution I came up with was cutting down the straw to make it short enough to fit in the bottle and prevent leaks. CUT THE STRAW before you use and your Fake Bake won't leak! The second major complaint is about the application mitt. Some people say it leaves fuzzy stuff on them, some people say it should have velour on both sides, and some people think it won't last until the tanning product runs out. All of these are wrong. If you've shaved and don't press too hard, your mitt should NOT be leaving fuzzes on you. You're supposed to lightly buff the product on. If the mitt had velour on both sides, there would be risk for rubbing extra tanning solution in random places, most notably on your body where it can leave a streak. One of my biggest tips in using this product is WASH the mitt of all leftover tanning solution after each use. This will keep it in MUCH better shape.To get the brown, amazing results that most reviewers gush about for this product... it's not hard. Here are some steps to follow.Step 1: Shave and exfoliate with a Baiden mitten or a similar Turkish bath mitt. If you don't know what it is, promptly go purchase it and use it and be amazed. UPDATE 4/28/2014: Dry brushing thoroughly prior to entering the shower is also adequate exfoliation.Step 2: Take some scissors and snip off a bit more than an inch of the spray bottle attachment that came with the product, and put the modified attachment onto the bottle. This WILL prevent all leaking.Step 3: Rub body cream (I use Bliss Lemon & Sage body butter, the BEST cream EVER) into your elbows, knees, ankles, and knuckles. Let it dry.Step 4: Apply sunless solution as per the directions, using the gloves and the mitt, spraying on the mitt and then LIGHTLY buffing the color all over (it's probably best to put a tiny dab of body lotion on your knees and elbows and ankles).Step 5: This is my personal step that really helps me as an extremely pale person get a beautiful, even, brown tan. Everyone hates the tell-tale splotching on hands/feet that give away the fact that you're wearing a store bought tan. I highly recommend that every pale someone purchase a product called Xen Tan Blending Balm. Once you're done applying the tanner all over, including hands and feet, take your blending balm and go over your elbows, ankles, knuckles, sides of feet/hands, and wrists. I usually don't need Blending Balm on my knees when I use body butter. This will prevent the tan from developing into too-dark territory. UPDATE 7/25/2014: Xen Tan Blending Balm is almost impossible to find these days, but its first ingredient is petrolatum. Use some Vaseline instead if you can't find the Blending Balm. I also recommend using Smith's rosebud salve or any Badger balm.OVERALL... The Fake Bake Flawless system is fantastic. It's well-priced and delivers beautiful results (even for gingers), and beats the inconvenience associated with going to the spray tan place. When the correct measures are taken, it looks great for a long time. If you're looking for a deep, dark tropical tan, you'll need to apply it a few nights in a row. My advice is BUY THIS NOW. And then order some Xen Tan Blending Balm and a Baiden mitten (both very important!) OR as per update 7/25/2014 you can also use a dry brush pre-shower instead of a bath mitt and Vaseline/Smith's rosebud salve/Badger balm instead of blending balm.UPDATE: September 27, 2012After finishing a whole bottle of Fake Bake, I'm happy to report that the velour mitten is still in tact. I'm adding this edit to emphasize how important it is to wash your mitten between uses. Washing the mitten also prevents leftover solution from becoming reactivated and leaving darker splotches in random places during application. Seriously yall, WASH YOUR MITTEN.UPDATE: December 13, 2013Something I never mentioned in this review which I should have... The color guard is GREAT. It's gorgeous and brown. But... It will streak when it rains, and wash off in the shower, and rub off on your sheets. Which, to me, is whatever. It's fine. But it's just good to know and plan around! For instance... I opted to use Jergens the night before Carolina Cup a couple years back because I knew it would be rainy and I didn't want everyone and their momma noting how streaky my tan seemed to get in the drizzle. Anyways, just wanted to give this little update. Happy tanning :)UPDATE: April 28, 2014Years later, I'm still obsessed with this tanning product :) However, like many people in the comments note, the product doesn't last as long as other sunless tanners without maintenence. Personally, I've found that this is a wonderful option when you need a light tan the day before a big event, such as a wedding or a horse race or a tailgate, and you don't have much time to devote to getting it perfect and you don't want to smell like you've been tanning. Fake Bake Flawless is also an ideal option for people who have never applied their own sunless tanner before, as it is basically idiot-proof.UPDATE: July 25, 2014A whole 3 years later, after 2 Fake Bake Flawless kits, I still have both velour mitts. I always use them when I tan. I don't always use the Flawless system anymore, as it doesn't develop dark enough to my liking. My top two tanning products are Tanwise mousse via Sally Beauty and St. Moriz self tanning spray in dark, which you can find at Ulta. Both always applied with gloves and mitt, after exfoliation, with the Xen Tan blending balm. Keep in mind that these are MY favorites, but I've been self tanning for more than a decade. If you've never had success with a self tan product, buy the Fake Bake Flawless.Because of so many comments about how this product doesn't last, I'm going to recommend another option that I really love. For those of you who want a longer lasting tan, with a more difficult application, I recommend Tanwise Lotion or Mousse. The lotion stays on FOREVER. Tanwise is not a product for the faint of heart - it goes on VERY dark and stains your skin in streaks unless you blend QUICKLY. The other issue with the Tanwise is the bronzers WILL stain your hands, and the only way to get it off is with baking soda. I went to Charleston recently and applied this the morning of a very long day of bar crawling, and my arms were still tan at work a whole week later. You can find Tanwise products here on Amazon or at a Sally Beauty supply near you - but remember, they are NOT easy to apply correctly. The Fake Bake Flawless is still my absolute favorite product for a quick, easy, pretty, coconut-scented tan. I like to apply the Tanwise mousse with the gloves and mitt from my Fake Bake kit and it always works perfectly.

I am so incredibly fair that when I roll up my pants in the sunlight, I pull a 'Twilight'. (My stomach just blinds people.)I have been using different tanning products for years, everything from L'Oreal Sublime Bronze (which I was vaguely favorable to), MysticTan, VersaSpa (good in a crunch, but not at the eleventh hour), and Jergens Natural Glow. I came across this product when searching for options knowing I have a wedding to attend. I am extremely tired of being ORANGE. Especially in the traditional places where the lotions sink in too much and create the ever lovely bread-crust effect on the edges of the palms, between the fingers, nail beds, and don't even get me started on the feet! Or streaks for that matter! (UGH!)Enter my discovery of Fake Bake Flawless. I was a bit gun-shy, seeing as there were a few reviews moaning and groaning about trouble with the mitt and trouble with leaking from the bottle... but after reading one absolutely AMAZING review (Shout out to Glynis Ewing!!) I decided to He** with it... I'm buying it! Worst that can happen is another orange week right?Well! I am here to say, that is SO NOT THE CASE!!I FEEL PRETTY!! OH SO PRETTY! hahaha No really though... Glynis is dead on when she recommends that you trim the tube, I measured it by sight looking at how much would need to come off just to screw the cap down tightly. You will know what we mean when you see it.WEAR YOUR GLOVES!! Don't risk having too much on your hands because this is a fast drying product (and trust me, that's a good thing!!)Clean your mitt! I do it every time, and it's been used three times now to equal success each time!Go slowly!! I tend to get a bit antsy and go too fast over my thighs, but that's how you can miss a spot... luckily, touch-ups are not hard with this formula!Start with your feet, do both at the same time. Work your way up from your ankles to your knees, make sure you are working the whole way around your calves and then thighs. I say this because my first time I didn't do this as a total airhead and went up one leg, and then found myself leaning against the leg I had just done to do the other. Which was awkward. I did work around that, but still... not the brightest moment.Also, for ladies with busts that are larger... make sure when you do your chest area, you are careful to have a fan at the ready so that you can dry the area rather quickly. If you let them sit and sweat, you might get lines.After you take off your gloves... WASH THE MITT FIRST!Why you may ask? Because you don't want to wash off all the tanning lotion that you put on your hands, and then try and clean the glove. I did that one too. Very frustrating.As Glynis mentioned, using the blending balm is a must! I thought buying a second product sucked but I was not exceptionally in to the whole idea of lines or splotches. And it was worth it! The balm is like a wax, and you apply it after the tanner to blend the color, or before it to block it completely. It's pretty awesome!http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0079M7VN6/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 <--- Link to the Blending BalmI will be adding a picture to show exactly how awesome the final product of the lotion was for me on the first go, and I must say, I really am pleased! I love it! My family has a super high number of people with skin cancer throughout, and I am less and less charmed with the idea of being in a tanning bed three times a week.A total winner!Update 6/15/2013:I've been using the Fake Bake Flawless intermittently for some time now and am still very pleased with it! A few things that I have noticed that are worth mentioning...* When washing your mitt: I use a gentle shampoo to wash it out, and truly scrub it. I have been using a paraben-free shampoo that I didn't like for my hair and it has been great for truly rinsing out all of the tanner and letting the mitt return to original status. If you don't get it all out, when you use it again it will leave little dark brown specs that are coming off the mitt.* I spray the the Fake Bake on the back of my hands, one or two spritzes on each hand, and then put a deep moisturizer on with it and rub it all in together. That along with the blending balm on my knuckles and side of my palms is really affective for getting the color to my hands without leaving odd markings or shading.* I have the "Fair" version of this product too, and it's a lotion. Have to admit... it's really not that great. It's not as potent as the Flawless, and the Fair is harder to have saturate the skin. It takes time let it set... and it's easier to scrape part of the color off on something by accident.* Invest in a good wand that can be used to reach your back if you aren't yoga flexible. Mine has a pumice-like stone that is non-porous that I got at walmart... It's specifically marketed for tanning but I loathe it honestly so I plan to replace it with one from Amazon. However, it's useful for reaching the areas that are hard to reach by hand alone.Still 5 stars!! Love this product!!