This confidence-boosting St Tropez self-tan transformed my pale winter skin

Delivering a streak-free golden glow, this buy makes it look as if I've spent a week in the sun

Collage (L-R) Hand holding St Tropez Body Serum and photo of knees showing left leg with the tan on and the right leg without any tan, on a cream background
(Image credit: Future / Sennen Prickett)

Boasting a rich and hydrating formula, this luxe St Tropez self-tan serum is the answer to unlocking a subtle bronzed glow without having to leave the house - and it now has a huge 73% off.

Winter has stolen every inch of sun from my skin, leaving me with a ghostly complexion. So, it's no surprise that I'm on the hunt for the best fake tan for pale skin. Luckily, I've found just the product to revive my golden glow and make it appear as though I've just landed from a week-long beach holiday.

St Tropez's Tan Luxe Body Serum boasts a luxuriously nourishing formula that delivers a subtle sun-kissed glow. Not only has it earned a podium spot in our guide to the best fake tan for mature skin, it's also secured a top place in my very own self-tan arsenal. Plus, it now has an impressive 73% discount, which is incredibly rare for a St Tropez product (trust me, I'm a professional beauty shopper for a living).

St Tropez Luxe Body Serum
Get 73% off now
St Tropez Luxe Body Serum: was £35 now £9.49 at Amazon

You can now save a huge 73% on the St Tropez Luxe Body Serum, meaning you can snap up a bottle for less than £10 when its usual retail price is £35. We've never seen a self-tan deal this good!

The St Tropez self-tan I'm relying on for a subtle glow this winter

I must admit, I declare myself as a fake tan aficionado. If you spoke to me five years ago, I had my weekly self-tanning routine down to a tee. While I may have swapped my trusty tanning foams for one of the best gradual tans in recent years, I still have the ability to scout out a quality self-tan when I see one. That said, this innovative self-tan serum perfectly sits somewhere between the two and delivers an effortless natural glow every single time.


Boasting a luxuriously silky formula that effortlessly glides on the skin, I immediately notice how nourishing this tanning serum feels on the skin after application. Although it doesn't have a guide colour, its glossy finish easily allows you to see where you have applied the product, ensuring you're not left with a streaky tan.

Unlike other self-tans I've tried, this serum quickly absorbs into the skin allowing for comfortable wear as it develops - so much so that I'm able to sleep with it on without any qualms. For those not wishing to wear the self-tan overnight, you'll be pleased to know that it also doesn't have that sticky-to-touch feeling, meaning it's dry enough to put clothes on just a few minutes after application.

Collage of images (L-R) hand holding the St Tropez Tan Luxe Body Serum and testing the self-tan on the left leg compared to a bare, untanned right leg

My left leg with the St Tropez Luxe Body Serum on, compared to my right leg without the self-tan on

(Image credit: Future / Sennen Prickett)

Arguably the most important factor, the results reveal a subtle healthy glow that remains incredibly natural-looking. As you can see in my testing picture, I applied one coat of the tan to my left leg and not my right to see an accurate before-and-after comparison. My left leg has a natural glow to it and looks more hydrated, with noticeably less redness and discolouration. You can also tailor your results by applying further coats of the product for a deeper tan.

How to apply St Tropez Body Serum

Although it boasts a moisturising formula, it is recommended to prep your skin before application, such as exfoliating and moisturising. Once you've allowed one of the best-smelling body lotions to absorb into your skin, apply a few pumps of the serum onto a double-sided tanning mitt (my favourite is the Bondi Sands Double-Sided Self-Tanning Mitt) before sweeping the product onto your skin in circular motions. Like many other self-tans, I would recommend lightly applying the leftover product on your mitt on your elbows, ankles and knees to avoid the tan clinging to drier areas.

The brand recommends leaving it on for 4-8 hours to work its magic, although you can get dressed after it has taken a few minutes to dry down - with no transferring or rinsing needed.

Sennen Prickett
Digital Beauty Writer

Sennen is Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she shares the latest beauty launches, trending buys and personal product recommendations, from makeup and hair to skincare and nails. She is also a judge for the annual woman&home Haircare, Skincare and Beauty Awards.

Previously, Sennen achieved a First Class Fashion and Beauty Journalism degree at Birmingham City University, before undertaking her role as Junior Digital Fashion and Beauty Editor at FROW Magazine. During this position, she wrote about the latest industry news, new product launches, viral trends and thoroughly reviewed a lineup of beauty products. Since leaving FROW, Sennen has gone on to create fashion, beauty and lifestyle content with numerous brands, including Who What Wear UK, HuffPost UK and Harvey Nichols.

When she’s not writing about all things beauty, Sennen spends her spare time outside of work watching the latest Netflix series, doing lots of online shopping and going on countryside walks with her dog.