COOLA Sunless Tan Face Serum vs St. Tropez Bronzing Water Face Mist
Hey there, girlfriend! Welcome to my blog if you're new :) And if you're not new, then you probably already know how much I love self-tanning products. Back in high school (2004 - 2008), I used to apply that Jergens lotion all over my body (#throwback). In college (2008 - 2012), I was, unfortunately, one of those girls who was obsessed with tanning (in a tanning bed). Not good. But luckily, by the time my senior year rolled around, I stopped. So I would say around 2011, I started really using self-tanning products (instead of basking in those terrible UV lights). I have been using St. Tropez products for as long as I can remember. Particularly their mousse and lotion products - and I love that brand. I have also used several other brands that I didn't love and didn't repurchase. For a very long time, I would just use the St. Tropez Self Tan Express Advanced Bronzing Mousse on not just my body, but my face as well. It never broke me out, but it's probably not the best thing to do (ha!). So for today's blog post, I wanted to do a specific product review on two self-tanning products for the face. I have used the COOLA serum for more than a year now and recently started using the St. Tropez face mist. I'm breaking down the pros and cons, and my overall review, of the COOLA Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum and the St. Tropez Bronzing Water Face Mist. Now, let me start by saying that these are two different types of products. One is a serum and one is a mist. So I'm really reviewing them based on how well I liked the results. Hopefully, that makes sense!
Alrighty, let's start with COOLA:
Product Type: COOLA's Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum is not only a self-tanning product but also an actual skincare product - which I think is super cool! You can use this as your serum...and it gives you a glow. Score! It is a gel texture that feels nice on the skin, in my opinion.
Level of Tan: This serum gradually builds a streak-free and transfer-free tan. It won't happen overnight and it won't be anything crazy (meaning, you won't increase your color by three shades overnight). However, it definitely gives you some noticeable glow after just one use.
How to Use: I typically pump one or two pumps onto the back of my left hand (I'm right-handed) and then take my right pointer finger to spread evenly across my skin. Note: be sure you just washed your face! The tan should develop in about two to four hours.
Price: $54 for 50 mL
Pros: Just one use will last up to three days (however, I recommend applying this daily, morning or night, to maintain a constant glow). Another pro is that it is an anti-aging serum, and the ingredients help to smooth your skin. It is also non-GMO, vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated without parabens, phthalates, perfume, retinyl palmitate, and synthetic colorants.
Cons: It will stain your hands unless you wash them immediately after use. Also, this isn't really a con, but just something to note - it does not apply SPF. So just keep that in mind and be sure to still apply sunscreen after you apply the serum and whichever moisturizer you normally use.
Now moving onto St. Tropez:
Product Type: St. Tropez's Bronzing Water Face Mist is an easy-to-use facial mist that you spritz on your face for some glow!
Level of Tan: This face mist gives your face a tan pretty much instantly, in my opinion. It gives me a light to medium tan. I have naturally olive skin, so if you have fairer skin, it would probably look darker on you.
How to Use: You can apply the mist regularly either under or over makeup by simply spritzing it! I just apply it under my makeup (I haven't tried doing it on top yet). I typically spritz about 8-10 times - if you have fairer skin, you might not want to do that much.
Price: $30 for 80 mL (much better deal than the COOLA serum!)
Pros: It has an amazing tropical scent that I love, it's easy to use, feels completely lightweight, and you don't need to rinse it off. Similar to the COOLA serum, it is also vegan-friendly.
Cons: This is hardly even a con, but you can't see it go on - which I guess could be a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it!
Alright, so I am sure you're wondering - which product do I like better? That's such a hard question, but I would say...the St. Tropez Face Mist! I haven't been using it nearly as long as I have the COOLA serum, but I can already tell that I like it better just because of its ease of use and immediate results! Do you have a favorite self-tanning product for your face? I would love to hear what you use!