Jo asked me to review this self-tan product, and since the weather has changed sufficiently that I can wear tights in the event of an almighty tanning disaster, I agreed.

There isn’t much description on this product, but POD states that it is “Advanced Puraceutical skincare to protect your beauty and enhance your wellbeing.” The blurb on the tube goes on to describe the product as “An all-in-one liquid tan that tans, moisturises, protects and nourishes the body naturally”.

First off, let me say that “puraceuticals” made me laugh out loud. Then I felt bad, because maybe it was a real thing, Megan. You don’t know everything! So I Googled it. Nope, POD made it up. It means products “which are pure (without toxins – such as parabens, sulphates, and harsh chemicals) and over the counter (pharmaceutical or cosmeceutical) anti-ageing skincare”. Their website is actually a great read if you want to learn more about natural skincare, without all the nasty stuff that I usually rub into, onto and around my skin repeatedly and every day.

Okay, so I read the instructions (apply a generous amount, massage in, apply daily until desired tan achieved blah blah) and got stuck into it. The product is white, which alarmed me slightly because I like to see where I am putting the product and therefore usually choose products with a tint. However, no need  to be alarmed because as soon as I started spreading the product onto my legs it became clear that it was super thick. You know sunblock? Similar to that (possibly because of the SPF but I rather doubt it). Although this was a bit strange at first, it kind of worked out for the best because you could see where the stuff was going, and it forced you to really rub it in, thus cutting down on streaking.

Now, I like my beauty products to be pretty fail safe, so in the name of science and this review I just bunged the stuff on. I didn’t do the whole “careful strokes using a tanning mitt” system because, seriously, I don’t want my fake-tanning regime to take that much time. I mean, I rubbed it in properly and I half-heartedly exfoliated in the shower beforehand, but I didn’t get professional about it.

And here’s where I put the puraceuticals tag behind me, because this stuff went on pretty damn evenly. It has a smell that I would describe as “herbaceous”, which unfortunately still fades to “fake tan”. However, it wasn’t too strong and I didn’t feel concerned that others would find me offensively stinky. On day one I did have some early concerns that I would turn a bit orange, but I think in the end it was okay. I used it for a second day and I would say that was almost too much tan for me (and I am naturally olive), and perhaps started to look a bit fake. Personally, I’d rather use this once and then use a gradual tan product to keep it topped up for a while.

This product also didn’t cause any rashes or itchiness, and in my opinion did a good job of keeping my legs nicely moisturised all day. Worth trying, although it’s $55 Australian, which puts it at the higher end of the spectrum for me.