Isle of Paradise’s new self-tanning oil mist gives the most natural-looking glow

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If you’re pining for that golden glow, you’re not alone because so are we. But in our opinion, one of the best ways to get in the hot girl summer mindset is to invest in a fake tan that will leave you feeling more radiant.

With so many different formulas promising to allow you to finesse a sun-kissed glow, it can be hard to find the best one for you. But leading brand, Isle of Paradise, has just launched a brand new tanner: the self-tanning oil mist (£19.95, Boots.com), and it might just be the answer to your woes.

Infused with hyaluronic acid, glycerin and squalane, the oil and water-based formula has colour correcting properties and promises to keep your skin hydrated. As well as, of course, provide a streak-free, natural-looking tan.

The brand’s founder, Jules Von Hep, is a master in his craft. Having tanned the nation’s greats, he certainly knows a thing or two about tanning. And because of that, Isle of Paradise has earned itself a very good reputation.

Ever since it launched in 2018, it’s been on a mission to diversify the self-tan industry – championing body positivity, self-love and confidence. Most notably, it was the first-ever tan brand to use a curvy model with un-retouched photos in its campaign. Another bonus is that the self-tans really do work.

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And now with the new product launch, the brand might have just levelled up once again. We were intrigued to see how this new mist stands up against the claims, so ahead of its release, we took ourselves on a “trip to Barbados” to see if this is a great holiday glow in a bottle.

In order to give you an honest verdict, we managed to squeeze two uses of the self-tanning oil mist in before publishing. During testing, we assessed how quick and easy it was to apply. And we also paid close attention to the scent – both initially and after a couple of hours of wear.

While the brand claims there will be no transfer, we of course had to test this because who wants their white tee turning orange? Last and by no means least, we also kept an eye on how it faded and whether it made our skin look patchy. Could this be our new favourite from the brand? Read on to find out.

Rating: 9/10

The mist is formulated from a combination of hydrating ingredients, including argan, grape seed and avocado oils, as well as hyaluronic acid, glycerin and squalane. This makes it ideal for those who are concerned that fake tan will stick to areas of dry skin.

From first impressions of the bottle, we were sceptical. The brand notes that you need to “shake to wake”, but, you can still see the oil and water separation through the bottle once you’ve done this. So, we were concerned that it would have a greasy residue and cause breakouts, particularly on our décolletage.

In terms of colour options, there are three to choose from – light, medium and dark – all of which have colour correcting technology, but with slightly different purposes. The light has a peach colour, which works to brighten the skin, while the medium is green to cancel out redness, and the dark is purple to neutralise orange, yellow and ashy tones.

When it came to prep, we followed instructions and shaved and exfoliated 24 hours prior to application. For areas that are notoriously difficult to get right (hands, feet and elbows) we moisturised before and after tanning, using the shape and glow big blender (£13.95, Theisleofparadise.com) to buff in – this helps to give a more even finish, but the tool is not a necessity.

Following the brand’s advice, we sprayed each section of our body liberally, giving it an almost saturated feel before rubbing in using a tanning mitt (£5.95, Boots.com). We even managed to apply it to our backs without any need to call on a friend thanks to the game-changing 360-degree spray. The process was fairly speedy – taking less than 10 minutes.

Read more: 14 best fake tans for a golden glow all year round

Despite our initial concerns about the formula being greasy, we were positively surprised. It was instead very lightweight and blended seamlessly into our skin. It didn’t leave our skin feeling sticky, and as with all Isle of Paradise tans, this one had a lovely, holiday scent, and we noticed no biscuity smell on application.

The only slight gripe we experienced is that owing to the oily consistency, it does make the bottle quite slippy, making application harder than others we’ve tried from the brand.

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It took around five hours to develop and we found it gave a really natural-looking tan – one application is great for a nice glow, but if you’d rather have a dark tan, you can reapply and it’s very buildable. We noticed that after a second application, we had a seriously golden complexion, which was similarly streak-free.

To the brand’s promise, it made our skin feel more smooth and hydrated for the first 24 hours. And better still, owing to the fact it goes on colourless, it doesn’t transfer onto clothing or sheets.

As for how it faded, we didn’t notice our skin looking at all patchy, so we luckily didn’t experience any of that tiger bread look that you can sometimes get with other self-tanners.

If you’re looking to try a new fake tan that hydrates the skin, while also providing an even, buildable and natural glow, Isle of Paradise’s new self-tanning oil mist certainly delivers. It’s easy to apply, doesn’t give off the usual biscuity smell and didn’t transfer onto our sheets.

While we were initially concerned about whether the oily formula would wreak havoc with our pores on our decolletage, we noticed no breakouts. It’s a real holiday in a bottle, and we think it might just be our favourite self tan from the brand.