I can officially add Isle of Paradise Mousse to my list of best self-tanners (especially for legs!)! I’ve been super pregnant this summer with my 3 young kids so while I really want to go to the beach every weekend – I’m exhausted! But I had heard so much about Isle of Paradise’s mousse, tanning drops, and tanning water that I knew I needed to try them all out for a sunless tan.
Left leg is with the Isle of Paradise Mousse in Light, right leg is without.
I’ll be sharing my Isle of Paradise tan reviews (the tanning drops and the tanning water) this summer too! Because they all have different applications, preferred uses, and difficulty levels – so I wanted to review each product with individual blog posts so it is not overwhelming.
Back to the Isle of Paradise mousse! I tested out the tanning mouse in light (it comes in light, medium and dark) – and the light one gives me the most natural looking tan. Maybe one day I’ll try the medium but even though I am fair with pink and olive undertones, the light does a great job!
Does it smell bad?
First off, let me clear the air – the Aisle of Paradise mousse does not smell like the stereotypical self tanner scent we all know well. It smells tropical and fresh! I really enjoy it, and the scent is consistent throughout all their tanning products.
How do you not get streaks when tanning?
When I first read the instructions on how to apply the Isle of Paradise light tanning mousse it mentions using a tanning mitt or a buffing mitt – if you are a beginner I highly recommend grabbing one from Sephora, or Amazon. It will make you are streak free!
But for myself, you can see above I used an old, dark facecloth that I knew the mousse wouldn’t noticeably stain. I’ve been doing this since I became super comfortable with self tanning a couple years ago – it’s a tried and true way of getting the same flawless tanning results with household items!
Let’s discuss the main reasons this is the best self tanner (especially for legs):
- It absorbs and dries quickly – I was unafraid to lie on top my white duvet 10 minutes after applying – it’s that good!
- It’s easy to apply – I like to apply the mousse one pump at a time, then using a sweeping motion down my leg to put it on. You can see exactly where you’ve applied it (it’s not a clear product on application, it is a dark brown), and I make sure just like when I’m shaving my legs to not leave any areas unattended. I leave my knees (front and back), ankles, and feet last – I use the leftovers of the mousse on the cloth to buff those areas. Since they have the driest skin too much tanning product could make them stand out in an obvious way!
- It gives a beautiful, sun-kissed glow – you do not need to worry about coming out orange (no matter if you choose the light, medium or dark options)! The results of the Isle of Paradise mousse is a bronzed, natural tan – which is what we are all looking for in a tanner!
- It smooths and evens out skin
- It is made without unnecessary chemicals – Isle of Paradise makes their products free of : Sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban. Though it does have fragrance in it (if you’ve read this you know how I feel about fragrance!), it contains less than 1% of synthetic fragrance.
Here are my tips for how to apply self tanner:
- Exfoliate and shave your legs before – the bottle’s instructions suggest doing this 24 hours before you apply the tanning mousse but I didn’t do that here or any other time I’ve used it. And I have severely dry skin so you know my skin is absorbing the heck out of this product.
- If you’re a beginner, moisturize your hands, feet, knees, and elbows (if you’re doing your whole body) before you apply – using moisturizer makes it harder for the tanner to absorb into those really dry areas and make your tan look wonky. But I’ve been doing this for a while and feel confident applying self tanner without this step.
- Wash your hands!! Don’t forget to wash your hands after you apply your tanning products. Tip #2 says it will make it harder for the tanner to absorb, but it will still absorb into your skin so clean your hands diligently afterwards with soap and water.
I hope this helps you make an informed choice on if you want to purchase the Isle of Paradise Mousse in light or medium! I looked throughly through the online reviews of this tanning product and could not find any photos for comparison – I was unsure if the light would be too light or if the medium would be too dark.
I figured I was not the only one looking for before and after photos of the Isle of Paradise mousse!
Have you tried the Isle of Paradise Mousse? What is your favourite Isle of Paradise tanning product?
If you like this post, check out my Best Cheap Drugstore Tanning Product post before you go!
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