I’ve reviewed and used so many sunless tanning products in the past that it’s easy to forget whether I’ve tried certain self tanners when I’m in a department store or drug store. I did however remember that I had not yet tried the Sally Hansen brand of self spray tanners for the face (nor for the body for that matter), so at a bargain price of eight bucks for a 1.8 oz. can of spray tanner for the face, I decided to give it a try, since I actually prefer the spray self tanners for the face in the winter since it’s less hassle and you don’t have cream going allover your clothes, which you tend to wear more of in the winter.
Even though the amount they give you in this bottle of Sally Hansen Airbrush Sun for the face seems small, you are treating such a small area that it actually lasts a lot longer than you might think, seeing the “one” in the amount of ounces. Usually for a drugstore product I wouldn’t pay that much, but this was just for the face, so I figured it would last me quite a while.
It’s in a gold cylinder can with a shiny gold top with a clean faced and tanned healthy looking woman on the front of the bottle. The formula says it contains Retinol and vitamins as well, which I’m not sure I really care about since this is strictly for tanning in my book, not for looking younger (although admittedly a tan does ironically make you look younger).
It also advertises that it lasts up to seven days. Let me stop you right there, although I’m going to give this self tanner a good review, I will tell you right now that almost no self tan on the market, at least that I’ve tried, lasts for seven days. Maybe if you never shower, but I don’t know many people who are willing to do that so their self tan lasts longer.
Now, what I really like about this product by Sally Hansen is that the sprayer is excellent and never clogs, like the products that are in a spray can from Neutrogena and L’Oreal tend to do. They really nailed it on the head with this since the reason self tanners in spray form work depends on their spray mechanism. If you don’t have a smooth sprayer, then you get an uneven looking “tan”. This one has a great spraying mechanism that never jams up.
It also has a more pleasant smell than the other airbrush style tans I’ve given myself. While the end smell is still the copper penny smell that many self tanners give off, the first smell is not totally unpleasant, but also not undetectable, so you still do smell a little bit of it unfortunately. Now, as a final point on this review of Sally Hansen Airbrush tan. You do not need to use a lot of this.
Maybe two circular motions of continuous spray in a clockwise motion around the face is all you need, any more and you may end up looking too dark or orange. That’s a good thing, it means it’s a concentrated formula, you just have to use caution when applying for the first time and be sure not to over do it. The color is great – it’s even and natural looking. As with all other self tanners for my face, I use a sponge to gently blend it in, and that seems to work like a charm with this stuff too.
