As someone that is extremely pale, cool-toned and prone to freckles, I’m well versed in using sunless tanning products. I’m a fan of other sunless tanning lotions, such as Jergens Natural Glow Express, which is one of my favorites. However, I can’t resist the urge to try new and recommended products. I do a fair amount of reading on www.makeupalley.com which is where I tend to hear about new beauty products. As I’ve always had luck with Hawaiian Tropic products, I figured that I would probably like this product. Fortunately, I was right.
I was in luck and found a bottle of Island Radiance on sale at Big Lots for about $3.50. I haven’t seen this product in many stores in my area, but the standard cost appears to be approximately $8.00 or $9.00. The version of this that I bought was the medium-dark version. I’m very fair-skinned, cool-toned, so I was a bit nervous. But, I figured that I would just start with applying it on my legs in case that it turned my skin orange. Thus, I first applied this product on my legs. Once I received satisfactory results, I tried it on the rest of my body, including my face. I have extremely oily skin, even at my current age of 33. It’s also quite acne prone. This added to my already greasy face but did not break me out at all.
Application
Hawaiian Tropic Island Radiance applies like a dream. I have tried countless sunless tanners and there is no better product in terms of application. It’s a soft, gel-like consistency and smooths on very easily. The texture is a runnier version of gel baby oil. The great part of this is that you can apply the product quickly and easily. It’s clear, there is no color guide. I was able to apply it to my entire body in just a few minutes. The downside of this smooth gel is that it takes a while to dry. I did not put any clothes on for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Your skin still may feel a tad sticky for a while, but it isn’t bad at all.
Scent
I have an insanely keen sense of smell. Almost all sunless tanners bother me, even if the scent is considered unoffensive. I was even able to wear this during the day, which is almost unheard of for me, as I’m a bit obsessed with smelling good. I noticed a very slight scent, not offensive at all though and that was after many hours.
Color
The color of the tan is completely natural on me. While it’s supposed to be medium- dark, I would say that it’s medium at best. It’s completely appropriate for very fair skin. Hawaiian Tropic Island Radiance looked like an even, natural tan. With one application, it looks pretty light but not orange at all. As my skin is really pale naturally, this just gave me a more normal tone of skin rather than my regular fish-belly white. It’s easily buildable and you would probably need at least one more application to get really tan. I honestly had no streaks and my hands and feet looked incredibly natural, even though I applied it quickly.
Wear
This self-tanner faded evenly, with just the occasional patchy spot here and there. It faded much more uniformly than other self-tanners that I have used. However, my skin is not dry at all. If your skin is dry, you may end up with patchier areas. But, I do swim regularly and usually chlorine has an adverse affect on sunless-tanner. That was not the case with Island Radiance.
In summary, I give this product a top rating. If you are naturally a bit more tan or looking for dramatic results, this is not the product for you. For the rest of us, I recommend Hawaiian Tropic Island Radiance wholeheartedly. I rarely if ever stock up on products. But, as I wasn’t able to find this in most stores, I went to www.amazon.com and bought three bottles of it!
