It feels like the biggest trend in beauty right now are beauty and make-up dupes, and for those who don’t know what those are – a dupe is a less expensive or drugstore version of a high end beauty product. And I read online that not only was Airbrush Legs a dupe to the St. Tropez tanning line, but that it was better than St. Tropez in some beauty bloggers opinions because it overall in some opinions the best cheap drugstore self-tanner for fair skin!
For the past 3 years I have been only using Nkd Skin organic self-tanner, a safer beauty self-tanner that I think is fool proof – but when in pinch I wanted to see how to Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs worked on my pale, post winter legs.
But then the next dilemma arose when I was standing in the sunscreen aisle in London Drugs… which is better the Airbrush Legs Spray or the Airbrush Legs Lotion application? And when I grabbed both I wanted to test the out together so I could compare them on my legs.
My Right Leg | Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Lotion
Before I tried this experiment, my brain was in favour of the lotion because that’s what the Nkd Skin tanner is and I’ve had great success with it.
When I first opened the Airbrush Legs Fairest Glow Lotion (there are fair, medium and dark options so be careful which one you buy!) I immediately thought “wow, that’s pretty orange…”. Thankfully, there is a limited smell to the self-tanner – and in my opinion even less than my Nkd Skin tanner.
The Airbrush Legs Lotion spreads easily but be aware that it dries fast! I did not have a buffing mitt so I used a dark facecloth to buff out the cream in light circles all over my legs, ankles and knees.
The first layer of the Airbrush Legs Lotion was noticeable, then the second layer was even more so. I recommend only one layer for future use, the second was almost like when you apply too many coats of nail polish (head to this blog post for a few of my favourite nail polishes!) and the colour starts to look worse rather than better… that’s the effect I experience with the second layer of the Airbrush Legs.
My Left Leg – Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Spray
Like I mentioned above I went into this review thinking I was going to prefer the lotion to the spray, just from hearing from other beauty bloggers that the Airbrush Legs Spray was quite messy. But to my surprise, I prefer the spray to the lotion!
The photo of me applying the spray was the first time I used the bottle, and the bottom end of the stripe is the accurate result of the spray. I didn’t hold down the nozzle hard enough until the end so even though it looks like it’s a weak line, the rest of my leg was covered easily after pressing hard enough.
And with the Airbrush Legs Spray I felt like the product applied more even and used less product!
Same with the spray, I used a dark facecloth to buff out the self-tanner onto my legs, ankles, and knees. And was very happy with the look afterwards!
But the same with the second layer, it looked cake-y. So I highly recommend with either the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Lotion or Spray one layer is plenty.
Tips For Applying Airbrush Legs Self-Tanner
- Both the lotion and the spray dry quickly, I found applying and buffing the self-tanner in sections was the best strategy.
- Use a buffing mitt, or a dark facecloth! If you want to avoid streaks or looking like you have a self-tanner fail you need to buff all the areas that you applied self-tanner.
- Apply sparingly to your ankles and knees, just like with all self-tanners your ankles and knees are drier than the rest of your legs so they’ll absorb more product and give that dreaded orange look if you’re not careful.
- Wash your hands immediately! The Airbrush Legs dries fast and orange hands are not cute.
The next time you’re in a pinch for a cheap drugstore self-tanner for fair skin, you can achieve that glow with the Airbrush Legs!
Which do you prefer, the Airbrush Legs Lotion or Airbrush Legs Spray? Or what do you think is the best cheap drugstore self-tanner for fair skin?
If you like this post, check out my The Best Costco Beauty Products 2019 post before you go!
Make sure you pin this post on Pinterest so you can come back to it later!
P.S. if you’ve ever wondered about your skin or what products you should be using for your skin type check out my quiz below and I’ve hand-picked skin care reviews that would help your skin live it’s best life! Check it out!
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