Tried and tested: Rimmel London Sun Shimmer Self Tan Mousse

I’ll be the first to admit it: I’m a total fake tan fiend. Whether it’s a gradual tanning cream, tanning mousse, or instant spray tan in a can, there are very few formulas that I haven’t slathered on with the best intentions of looking like I’ve spent half my life vacationing in the Bahamas.

The latest product to catch my attention? Rimmel London Sun Shimmer Self Tan Mousse, a mousse formula that promises to develop in just one hour and last up to seven days with a single application. Pretty big claims, so for the purposes of market research (someone's got to do the job, you know), I put up my hand to give this product a whirl.

The product

There are tons of noteworthy features of Rimmel’s Self Tan Mousse; the oil-enhanced formula can hydrate skin, it dries to a matte finish in just two minutes, and comes in three shades - light, medium and dark. With my medium-to-olive skin tone, I chose to road-test the darkest shade as I wanted noticeable results.

The process

After my shower (where I made sure to exfoliate and shave), I dried off my body and got my tanning mitt and mousse ready. You can apply the mousse with your hands, but I find using a mitt helps blend the product evenly and saves me from potential fake tan hands.

I was a bit too enthusiastic with my first application, and I pumped three dollops into my mitt, and massaged the formula in circular motions over my calves. What a rookie error – this was far too much product, however it wasn’t an issue as I simply scooped up any remaining product with my mitt, and worked it straight into my thighs.

I was actually quite surprised with the application process - the mousse covered my limbs and torso without a hitch (even tricky areas like the feet, ankles and knees), and there weren’t any uneven patches in sight. I finished with a light application on my neck, collarbone, and face. Success so far!

One drawback, however, was that the green-based mousse didn’t apply super dark on my skin, so I had to make sure I was standing in good lighting to check that I had done an even application.

By the time I had finished my entire body, I was totally dry to the touch, so no stickiness whatsoever. I really can’t emphasise how surprised I was that it dried so quickly, especially how heavy-handed I had gone at the start of my application. I still made sure to get dressed in a loose-fitting dress just to be on the safe side, and waited an hour before I rinsed the product off in the shower with just warm water.

The final verdict

To be completely honest, I was sceptical of how the tan would look after my shower as the mousse didn’t look that dark on my skin when I was applying it. However after waiting an hour, the formula definitely developed and gave my skin a gorgeous and golden kiss of caramel colour that looked believably natural and with no uneven blotches in sight. Yes, that includes my feet and toes!

While it’s not the darkest mousse I’ve ever tried, it’s a great product to use when you’re in-between seasons and want a natural finish, especially coming out of winter and into spring. The colour is nice and golden without looking orange, and it applied like a dream. Add to cart ladies; you’ll love this product just as much as I did.