ROADTEST: ‘This moisturiser promises to both firm and gradually tan my skin. Here’s my verdict.’

If you're going to know anything about me, it should be this: I love a self-tan. 

I love the way it evens out my skin and gives me a healthy glow without the damage. 

You name it, I've done it – lotions, mousses, serums, mists, professional spray tans, all of it, because as we all well know, there's nothing healthy about a sun tan. 

And since the miniskirt trend isn't going anywhere, I figured why not give myself a winter confidence boost with a bit of glow?

But when it comes to my tanning products, there is a strict criteria they must meet.

The skin on my body can be dry (thanks to my occasional habit of skipping moisturiser), so I like my self-tanner to be moisturising in whichever format. 

Then there's the guide colour. This little addition can be a plus to help you see where you've applied the tan but on the downside, it can cling to dry patches and hair follicles leaving streaks or spots. For me, the downside outweighs the plus, so when it comes to guide colour, it's usually a no from me. After all, the guide colour is just like training wheels, right? 

I'm also quite low key. I figure we have a finite amount of executive functioning every day, and I don’t want to use it up fussing around with lots of steps so an easy-to-use fake tan is a must rounding up my very important criteria.

This is where Jergens Natural Glow +Firming Daily Moisturiser comes in. This cruelty-free gradual tanning lotion is a best-seller in the United States and promises to reduce the appearance of cellulite in as little as seven days all while giving you a glowy colour. 

The Jergens Natural Glow Skin Firming Moisturiser. Image: Supplied.

Whilst I was initially a bit dubious about the cellulite claim, I figured for $14.99... why not give it a try?

Like any self-tanner you exfoliate before first use, then use in place of your moisturiser by smoothing it on evenly. Go easy on the ankles, knees and elbows, though. I put a thicker moisturiser on those extra spots first and that worked perfectly. 

Here's my natural, practically translucent skin tone next to my skin tone after one application of the Jergens Natural Glow +Firming Daily Moisturiser.

From left to right, Day 0 and Day 1. Image: Supplied.

For the most natural look you'll want to choose the shade closest to your natural skin tone, so mine would be Fair to Medium. For those with very fair skin looking for a deeper sunless tan, you can opt for Medium to Deep. 

I was careful to apply it evenly to prevent streaks and used it for five days in a row until I was happy with the colour – natural but flattering.

Image: Supplied.

From here I dropped back to every second or third day. I alternated between using my hands then washing them and using gloves, depending on how confident I was in my ability to thoroughly wash my hands afterward. 

There was no streaking, and it doesn't look orange. 

As far as the scent goes, it's mild and there's scent-masking technology which is a huge plus. I seem to be one of those people that are hyper-sensitive to self-tanner, but this scent surprised me as it wasn't strong enough for me to notice. 

You have to wait a few minutes before you can get dressed after application, and I noticed it varied depending on how generous I was with my application, but I allowed 5-10 minutes and just brushed my teeth and did my hair in my robe while I waited. 

It’s also nice and nourishing, without clogging pores. I'm blessed with skin that can break out all over but I’ve had no issues – my skin's looking great now!

Here we are after five days straight of application.

Day 5. Image: Supplied.

The tan itself develops gradually over 24 hours which is perfect timing for the next application. That's because there's a bit of two self-tanning ingredients – DHA (dihydroxyacetone) and erythrulose. Each ingredient gives a slightly different colour, which is what creates the really flawless, natural-looking result.

Now, as far as the cellulite-reducing goes, I did actually notice bumpy areas looking smoother after the dry-down by about day four. There's hydrolysed collagen and elastin plus film-formers that give a tightening effect so this might be cosmetic, but the formula also contains fucus vesiculosus extract, or bladderwrack/brown algae, which has some supporting data for improved skin elasticity when used twice daily for five weeks. I'm not going to use gradual tanner twice daily, but just as an FYI, Jergens also make a version without the self-tan. It's around $12.

Altogether, for $15 I am on board and low-key obsessed. It reminds me not to skip the moisturiser after my shower in the morning, it creates a flawless, natural-looking colour, and it's given me the confidence to wear a skirt for the first time in a long time!

My legs are the most challenging area for me to self-tan but this dermatologist-tested lotion made it so easy. 

I've already recommended it to my mum, and she's a lot more low-maintenance than I am. I can't believe I hadn't tried it yet and I'm so glad I did because the final verdict on Jergens Natural Glow Skin Firming Moisturiser is that it's an instant staple for me.

Keen to try it yourself? Shop the Jergens Natural Glow +Firming Daily Moisturiser at Priceline.

Feature Image: Supplied.