Fake Bake Sunless Tanning {Review & Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, trishden!}

Is it summer yet?

How about now? No?

Now?

Even though I know that in six months I'll be complaining about the heat and never wanting to leave the comforts of air conditioning, I'm just so over winter. I'm tired of everything that comes along with it: the snow, piling on seven layers before we leave the house, my glaringly white legs and more. All in all, I'm ready for it to at least be spring.

Aside from waiting and hoping that the groundhog (who predicted an early spring) was right, there's not much more for me to do. However, to at least rid myself of that blinding whiteness in the meantime, I know that I can turn to Fake Bake.

Available nationwide in salons, stores, online and even in dermatology offices, Fake Bake sunless tanning products are used and renowned by everyone from celebrities down to us regular folks. And even though there is a large number of brands and products out there to give you a bronzed, healthy glow, there are quite a few reasons that Fake Bake stands out from the rest.

First, they are organically-based and paraben-free, so right away there is no worry about what you are putting on your skin. There are also no dyes in Fake Bake products, so not only does that mean you won't be left with streaks, dark spots or the dreaded orange coloring, but the water-soluble formula won't stain your clothing as well.

Instead, Fake Bake is the first company to include anti-oxidants as well as anti-cellulite and anti-aging ingredients that soften your skin while reacting with the natural proteins to result in a natural-looking tan that is long-lasting. Why not do something good for your skin while you are safely giving it a warm summer look?

Just in time for a family trip to an indoor water park (bare skin alert!) I was ready to try two of Fake Bake's new products: Bronzing Gel and Flawless.

Pulling out the Bronzing Gel first, applying this lightweight formula couldn't have been easier. After slipping on gloves, I squeezed a little of the smooth substance out...
...and, using a circular motion, rubbed it along my legs. As instructed, I took care around my knees and ankles and, moments later, was done. My legs were nearly instantly dry, not at all sticky and there was no scent - three things that I appreciated. Even though Fake Bake indicated that my tan would deepen after having set, I could already see a difference.

Not a drastic change, but considering this was after only one application and about 30 seconds of having been rubbed on, I was pleased. I went on to use the Bronzing Gel on my face, neck, arms and shoulders and the next day it really did look as though I had spent some time out in the sun. My face especially had a great soft glow and it was even better that the gel hadn't left any greasy or oily residue at all, just a slight tan!

After giving the Bronzing Gel ample time to fade away, I pulled out the Flawless sunless tanning product to see if I would have the same great results.

The main difference I noticed right away was that this is a liquid (as opposed to a gel) so it is sprayed onto the provided mitt and then rubbed on your skin. Simple enough, right?

Flawless also went on very easily using the same circular motion and dried very quickly. It did have quite a strong tropical scent (it smells like traditional suntan lotion) and the results were slightly less noticeable, but I thought the end result was also very natural-looking and non-orange. Another success!

With spring break right around the corner and shorts season not far after that, I'm ready to start thinking about how to get a long-lasting tan that appears genuine but is much safer. Thanks to Fake Bake and their high quality products, it's easy to be bronzed and beautiful at a variety of price points (the Bronzing Gel retails for $29 and Flawless for $24 but there are other more and less expensive products) and feel good about how your skin looks and feels.

And, thanks to the generosity of Fake Bake, one person will be set to hit the beach tanned and ready, because...

One lucky person will win their choice of any TWO products
from Fake Bake!

To enter to win: Visit Fake Bake and tell me which two products you would choose if you win.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you Like Fake Bake on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Get ready for spring break and summer! #WIN any 2 sunless tanning products from Fake Bake! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/h9DhQq #giveaway

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on March 11th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

A big thank you to Fake Bake for providing sunless tanning products for me to review as well as the choice of any two products for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.