I'm not afraid to say that when it comes to fake tan, I'm into it. I'm not talking about OTT levels of faux bronze, but a natural-looking, sun-kissed glow has long been my go-to when it comes to brightening up my complexion. As someone with fair skin that's prone to redness, I've found that a light touch of fake tan helps even out my skin tone, meaning I don't have to load up on foundation or concealer.
For the past few months, I've been loyal to the Tan Luxe Super Glow Hyaluronic Self-Tan Serum (£35) for giving my complexion a light bronze. Not only does it hydrate the skin, but the gradual formula means I don't have to worry about going overboard. When it comes to tanning my body, I usually reach for the Bondi Sands Aero Self Tanning Foam in Light/Medium (£18.99), it's one of the very few formulas that I've discovered that gives my fair skin a natural-looking golden glow.
Despite how much I love the Tan Luxe and Bondi Sands formulas, when I spotted that Love Island's Molly Mae had launched her very own fake tanning brand, Filter by Molly Mae, I knew that I wanted to give it a go. After all, whenever Molly pops up on my Instagram feed, she always looks like she just spent two weeks in Ibiza.
So, after a quick Google I made my order... I went for the Filter Tanning Mousse in Medium (£21), as it's the lightest shade on offer and therefore seemed like the best choice for my skin tone. There are two other shades to choose from, Dark, which is recommended for lighter to olive skin tones and Extra Dark, for medium to darker skin tones. Price-wise, it's similar to my favourite Bondi Sands Aero Tan (£18.99), so I had high hopes...
To kick things off, I exfoliated my body with the Beauty Pie Soul Providers Dry Oil Scrub (£50) and moisturised with the CeraVe Moisturising Lotion (£11.25) the day before tanning. Then the next night, I applied a generous layer of the Filter Tanning Mousse to my body, before using the excess left on the mitt, to add a layer to my face, hands and feet. The foam applied really easily, blended well, and only had a subtle scent that wasn't too intense. After applying, I threw on some loose pj's and went to bed.
Bondi Sands Aero Self Tan Foam in Light/Medium
CeraVe Moisturising Lotion
Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-energising Dry Oil Sugar Scrub
PrettyLittleThing Filter By Molly Mae Tanning Foam Medium
The next morning I was a little surprised by how tanned my face looked (after all, I'm used to my suuuper-subtle Tan Luxe gradual tanning serum). My arms and legs were just as bronze, but I didn't mind the shade on my body — I looked like I'd been on holiday for a fortnight (minus the UV damage).
I hopped in the shower to wash off the guide tan and see if things would lighten up a little. This was where I was pleasantly surprised, the quite obvious fake bronze look instantly disappeared, and whilst I still had a light glow, it looked a lot more natural than when I first woke up.
Before
After
So, how does it measure up to my other favourite fake tans? Well, there are a couple of pros and cons...
Pros:
- The formula is safe to use on the face and didn't break me out.
- It smells great (not overpowering) and doesn't linger on clothing or bedding.
- It's lasted really well - I've still got a glow and it's been five days.
- The mousse applies really easily, so you shouldn't have to worry about missing any spots.
Cons:
- The formula is a bit more intense than the light fake tans I'm used too, so you only need the tiniest bit when applying to knees, knuckles and ankles - otherwise it can cling to these areas.
- Skin needs to be moisturised really well the day before, as I did notice the tan clung to a few tiny dry patches on my arms.
Overall, I really like the fake tan and will 100% use it again, although I'm not quite ready to ditch my Bondi Sands or Tan Luxe, I'll certainly be adding Filter by Molly Mae into my rotation.
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Victoria Jowett
Beauty Director
Victoria Jowett is an award-winning journalist and the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work in beauty journalism and oversees the skincare, hair, makeup and fragrance content across all of Cosmopolitan’s platforms. She's worked in the beauty industry for over 13 years (and tested 1000s of products), making her an expert when it comes to recommending beauty brands that truly work. Having started her career working weekends on a makeup counter, Victoria began interning at the likes of and , before landing her first Beauty Writer job at weekly fashion magazine, LOOK. Joining Cosmopolitan in 2016, Victoria has always remained a beauty fanatic and has been lucky enough to interview everyone from Britney Spears to Kourtney Kardashian about their beauty routines. Follow her on LinkedIn.
