On Thursday we tan!

I think I've had the same Thursday night tanning routine now for about 10 years, (where does time go?!). Over the years the tanning products may have changed, but the process, application and dad jokes..."Ohhh look! She's been on an overnight holiday again" haven't.

I've mentioned in a previous post about how naturally pale I am... someday I'll embrace the English Rose look, just not quite yet. And when I mean pale, I mean literally transparent.

That's why I like a little help every now and again, just to add a little colour, (and life), to my body!

For the last few years I'd been using the same tan every Thursday evening, this tan being the Fake Bake Flawless Self Tanning Liquid in Dark, which produces a lovely natural colour and even finish. As most of you will know by now, I really am a creature of habit, so using the same tan every week for this long really isn't a shock, what is however, is that a couple of weeks ago, I decided to change things up!

I'd seen so many online reviews and social media posts about the new tan by Molly Mae called Filter, that I just couldn't resist! So of course, during an online shopping session one evening, I clicked the 'add to basket' icon on PrettyLittleThing.

As per usual, the delivery man left my parcel on the door and waved me off from the other end of my pathway, (I feel like we've become friends with the amount of parcels he drops off!).

And, even though I knew what the parcel was, I still got excited ripping through the packaging.

The tan came in perfect time and I was able to perform my Thursday night ritual... Phew! Before I get into the tanning process I follow, I just wanted to talk a little about the Molly Mae Filter packaging. The colours on the labelling are very muted and almost pastel like. It has a clean, simply look to it, which makes the overall appearance feel and look expensive. The actual tanning bottle comes in a cylinder tube, which is great for storage and actually makes the product something you don't mind having out on display.

I also felt like the instructions were easy to follow. They tell you everything you need to know in a simply and concise manner, you really can't go wrong... although I fear some people still might!

Right... now time for the fun part! Everything I do to ensure the tan turns out the best way possible, (remember, the prep work is just as important as the actual application).

- First of all I run a really hot bath and get my exfoliating gloves ready. I always find that if my baths are hot, I can get the tan off more easily. Usually by Thursday evening most of my previous weeks tan has come off, so all I need to do is lather some body wash on to the gloves and start scrubbing in a circular motion. Remember to be quick gentle with your skin, don't attack it!

- Double check all the tricky spots! Sometimes you need to go back and scrub an area again, especially dry areas such as knees and elbows where the old tan is a little more stubborn. Just keep going with the exfoliating gloves until you are happy.

- Make sure you're completely dry and then add moisturiser. Once out the bath (which you will have to clean away all the tan residue!), make sure you completely pat dry your skin and then take a moisturiser (any will do), and apply to you knees, ankles, elbows, wrists and knuckles.

- Add tan. Next I go in with the tan. The Molly Mae Filter tan comes in a mouse texture and glides on the skin effortlessly. Make sure you invest in a good tanning mit, I cannot stress how important this is. I use the tanning mit by St Tropez as I find it to be the best one out there.

- Lastly, add baby powder. Depending on how dark you want the tan, you can actually apply two layers. Make sure once you're finished applying the tan, that you air dry for a little while. I then take a bottle of baby powder and apply it all over my skin. This is honestly such a great tip, and helps prevent getting tan on your clothes and bed sheets!

I always leave my tan on overnight and wash it off in the morning.

First of all, I have to say how impressed I was with the smell of this product. It didn't smell of the usual fake tan biscuit smell (you all know what I mean!), it actually smelt of a lovely perfume, quite sweet.

Also, the mouse texture is lovely and makes it so easy to glide the product on to your skin. I wouldn't say that the tan dries instantly, you have to wait a little while for it to stop feeling tacky.

This product retails at £20, which I think is extremely reasonable for the size and the results you get. I got the colour Dark, not Extra Dark, as I like to have quite a natural tan finish. You can see the final results in the picture above. This was after just one application, I can imagine the colour would be just as lovely a little deeper on a second application... I might be more brave next time!

So, would this old creature of habit recommend this product?! The answer is YES, I would.

If you like a more natural looking tan then go for the Dark shade, if you like your tan to be a little deeper and more noticeable, then I'd recommend giving the Extra Dark a try. As mentioned before, the application of this product is so easy, so even if you've never tried a fake tan before, I would say this one is a good place to start.

If you've tried this tan before, then let me know in the comments box below, I'd love to know your thoughts. Also feel free to comment and suggest any other tans you can't live without, I always like hearing about new products.

That's all for this weekend you lovely lot! I hope you have a great week and remember, 'Life is better with a tan!'

Love

Jesse Joy xx