Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster

Back in July, I went on holiday to Spain.  In preparation for maintaining my tan, I bought a gradual tanner from Dove (you know the one I mean...) and had my heart set on a Clarins treat for on the way home from duty free - the Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster.  I feel a bit odd applying a self tanner to my face that isn't specificially designed for facial use.  I just don't feel like a body tanner can be as good for my blemish prone skin as a specifically formulated facial tanner.

The Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster is one we've probably all seen over the Summer months.  I know for a fact I would never have heard about it had I not read rave reviews on it from other bloggers.  It comes in a small bottle, which was definitely smaller than anticipated; I'll talk in sizeable terms that we can all probably relate to - it's the size of a MAC lipstick.  The box itself makes the product out to be a lot bigger than it actually is, which I also think is a little naughty.  The bottle is a small glass bottle, with a small flexible button on the base which pushes out drops of the product from the concentrated nozzle at the top of the bottle.  It's really easy to use, and is actually pretty nifty in terms of how precise you can be when dispensing the product.

The product itself though...I'm just a little disappointed I think.  I think I thought the product was something different.  The idea is to use two to three drops of the concentrated liquid daily mixed within your moisturiser or serum to build the colour, and then one drop after your desired colour is reached to maintain a colour.  It's not that it's a bad product; it works beautifully.  It's seamless, streak free, doesn't make me break out and the colour given doesn't sit in my pores - but I just thought that the colour would be more noticeable?  Like you have put a self tanner on?  I usually work with Xen Tan, and the results there are beautiful - I love the colour I get from that.  This is literally exactly as it's described on the bottle - a glow.

The Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster provides a very subtle glow.  If you use this and suddenly stop, you won't go patchy and your "tan" won't look uneven.  The effect is a healthy glow, and to be honest I think it's perfect for bringing a bit of sun to the skin during the Autumn weather.  I don't think you'll look obviously tanned like you've been abroad for two weeks using this - it's just nice.  I haven't felt the need to change my foundation shade, let's put it that way.  I do feel pretty radiant in my complexion after using this, so I would feel a bit more comfortable going bare faced instead of feeling a bit dull with my Winter skin.

Whilst I do like the nice healthy glow it does provide, I want something that I can apply at the same time as I apply my more instant tans like Xen Tan, so my face will match my tan when I wake up in the morning without having to apply a body tanning cream or mousse to my face.  Or at least a gradual tanner which is a bit more noticeable than this so I am a similar colour to when I use my Dove gradual tanner.  It's not that I don't like this product, it's just I don't love it as much as I thought I was going to because I expected it to be a lot more noticable in terms of colour.  I can imagine myself buying another in the future though; it really is a great pick me up if your skin is looking a little dull!  I have found it cheapest on Escentual for £15.80.

Have you ever been disappointed with a blogger hyped product?