SUN Laboratories Dark Sunsation Lotion

This stuff is AWESOME!!

I've tried various sunless tanners over the years, my most recent favorite being Fake Bake Flawless spray. I wanted to try a lotion that would be a little less messy than the spray, and this worked great for me. I just got back from vacation and had gotten more sun on my arms than my legs; wanting to even them out, I tried this.

The application is pretty foolproof- use the gloves and apply in a circular motion. The color guide is great bc it shows where you've applied. Maybe I didn't apply it very thickly, but even the color guide looked streak free and natural. I applied to my legs only and let dry for about fifteen minutes before getting dressed. I rinsed the color guide off the next morning and was left with a natural, even tan. It didn't sink into my hair follicles, creating black dots like some tanners do on my lower legs, and it still looks good three days later. The scent while applying is pretty good and there is a little of the telltale tanner smell for the next few hours after applying, but nothing major. When comparing my arms that got a natural tan and my legs, I can tell no difference in the color. The packaging is fine and I got a two pack of 8 oz. bottle, gloves and an exfoliator off Amazon for $30- not bad at all!

For those that got a thin and runny version, I can only say it must be an issue with the vendor selling it. The version I got is brown and creamy, like a thick lotion. I definitely recommend it!

This USED to be the best self-tanner on the market. But it appears they recently changed the formulation. What was once a thick, easy-to-apply lotion with a nice scent that was the color and consistency of chocolate pudding is now a thin, runny, dark brown sludge that smells terrible. It's so different from the original version that I was under the impression that I had received a bad/expired bottle or fake product. Judging by the recent reviews I see on other sites, I'm not the only one who thought that.

Application is a nightmare. It's so thin and liquidy, it doesn't absorb into the skin readily, so before it dries fully it can migrate and pool in places. The final result is much lighter and much more orange than it used to be and it fades very quickly--it's possible that they're using a lower grade of DHA in this formulation than they did in the original.

Seriously the best tanning lotion around. I'm naturally pale to medium skin tone and this color is great. The lotion has that greenish tint to it that completely eliminates the orange-ness that comes with most self tanners. HOWEVER, there are some very important tips I can share that make this work like a dream. 1) use gloves to apply (I just use regular latex gloves) otherwise your palms will be straight up brown. 2) follow the directions and only apply to small areas at once and blend very well. 3) I find it easiest to this self tanner with a little bit of regular lotion - it eliminates streaking, goes on more easily, dries faster, and you don't need to shower it off. Then I just use it after every shower and it keeps a nice tan.

Great self tanner, but for my skin that's on the paler side, the Ultra Dark works best. This color is best suited to women who are medium dark in color, and want a deeper tan.

SCAM ALERT:

Not bad at all! I've probably used every self tanner they make.. I was using xen luxe for a while, but i found that the color came off very splotchy. Now, I ordered my sun labs from amazon (18.98 for 8 oz bottle), not realizing I selected the "very dark" (i'm very pale!). I was intimidated by the sound of it, but decided to try it anyway. I used my mitt...

Application: Great!! Dried very quickly, waited about 5 minutes and put my clothes on, but it was dry almost immediately...with that said, make sure to blend reasonably quickly!

Smell: Good at first, of course it did turn into that typical self tanner smell, but not as strong as the other tanners I've used!

Lasting quality: I'm only on my first day. I will update though!
Staining: Nope!! I have light gray sheets and pillow cases, and it did not come off on them.

Color: really nice!! I'm very very pale, and I used the "very dark" sun labs. The color does not look orange on me, but my fingers do look a little gross from washing them. I just exfoliated and applied a very thin coat to them with my mitt.

Break outs: This is a hugeeeee part for me. I have very acne prone skin and take very good care of it. I never apply self tanner to my face because I assume it will break me out. I tried the jergens to my face before and it did make me break out a little bit. I will update about the acne in a couple weeks so I can really see if it affects my skin.

Overall, I give it a 4 because it is probably the best tanner I had, but it is not perfect. I don't think a self tanner will ever be perfect considering its a fake tan, but this is certainly the best I've found :)



EDIT: This did not break me out (knock on wood), it lasted longer than any other tanner I've used! I was amazed that it did NOT come off spotchy except for my wrists hands and feet were a little uneven. But my chest, neck, back, legs etc faded really evenly!

I really haven't had the greatest experiences with this particular brand of self tanner. This one's color is decent enough but to me is rather orangey in color ( I have not tried the Ultra Dark, but would like to). It stays on a great length of time, however it comes off very patchy and doesn't seem to fade evenly. This particular self tanner definitely requires a good moisturizer to go with it. For me, I've found way better products so I doubt I would repurchase this. This will serve as my facial tanner to help use up the product. It doesn't cause breakouts which is good. Don't forget to use some latex gloves. It stains very easily. Overall, my personal rating is mediocre.

I really wanted to like this product because I have heard only positive things about it. First, my biggest issue with this self tanner is that the tint in it is awful and makes you look unbelievably dirty. On top of the tint looking uneven, it is hard to apply and doesn't gracefully apply to the skin's surface, so I recommend a good moisturizer beforehand.

On a positive note, after the tanner sets and you take a shower to wash off the tint in it, the tan looks natural and flawless. I have never had this tanner leave streaks or appear patchy, so if you can bear the application process, then it isn't a bad investment. I also wanted to comment on the packaging and how my pump wouldn't work properly, not a good impression when you're buying a more expensive self tanner.

Awful self tanner (based on my skin tone) for the price and sly advertising. This is reviewed by many youtube gurus who have been sent the whole set for free.


Cons -

The colour of your skin will look YELLOW. If you have pink undertones, this is probably a great tanner for you. But for someone with italian, olive skin like me - I looked sickly.

It is not a dark tanner. I applied this three nights in a row, and went up one shade. My boyfriend didn't even notice my skin colour had changed at all. If you are very pale, this would probably be good for you - because you wouldn't want a drastic change of skin colour. But being naturally quite tan, it didn't do much for me.

Whilst not being streaky (because I blended it till my skin was sore) it wasn't particularly smooth looking. It was also difficult to apply.

It makes your nose pores look dirty and huge (I had to do a clay mask on my nose and exfoliate it with a sturdy scrubbing sponge the next day)


All in all, not worth the price. However - you might get good results from this if you are naturally pale and do not have yellow undertones in your skin.

I ended up purchasing Garnier self tanners which are much cheaper and much better - less streaky and more bronzey which is better for my skin tone.

To start off, I am a natural redhead, so I am ghost white. I HATE being that white in the summer, and of course have tried every drugstore self-tanner known to man. I have mostly great things to say about this product! I of course got the Dark color, not the Ultra-dark, and the lotion. I love that it has a color guard, because it allows you to see exactly where you are putting it. I applied it with a tanning mitt so I wouldn't stain my hands. It applies for me very evenly, and I apply it at night, shower it off in the morning without scrubbing at all. The color guard washes off and in just one application I have a nice glow. For me, I apply it two nights in a row to get the color I want. The smell is amazing, and there's only a slight self tanner smell after a couple hrs after applying, but once you shower it off, that smell is gone.

Since I'm so pale, for me I went through one bottle very quickly. I felt that even without exfoliating daily, it didn't last but 3 days before I had to start all over which was a bummer. I would like for it to last longer on the skin, and only have to re-apply once a week. Another con I would say would be the drying time. I hate that it takes forever to dry, and for me, until I wash it off in the A.M. I feel a bit sticky. Which is why I would never apply during the day.

I do love the color it gives though and I got so many compliments on how tan I looked, and believe me, that never happens. You also have to be careful, as with any self tanner, around your knuckles and for me, my ankles and heels. It gathered a bit there, but I scrubbed with a rough wash cloth and that seemed to tone it down.

Overall I highly recommend this, and I might try the spray kind next to see if that cuts down on the drying time!