Finding the right fake tan for you is nothing short of a challenge. There are hundreds of options on the market, but almost all of them have their pitfalls. Will it make me green, or orange? Is it patchy? Streaky? Will it give me tiger bread hands?
But, I think I may have found a new favourite in Camino Rose.
Camino Rose is an Australian brand that started during COVID. Of course, self-tanning is a fairly saturated market here in Australia, with people willing to try anything to create a natural, bronzed look without having to submit to harsh sun rays. But, Camino Rose has a point of difference – the owners wanted to create a fake tan that looked anything but fake. And, I think they’ve done it.
Application
Camino Rose currently sells two shades in their fake tanning mousse – Dolce (Light-Medium) and Toffee (Medium-Dark). I opted for the shade Dolce.
One of the most unique things about this tan right off the bat is their choice of applicator. Whilst most come with a tanning mitt, Camino Rose recommends using a disposable glove, saying that not only does it guarantee a streak-free tan, it also doesn’t absorb any product, ensuring you get the most bang for your buck.
As someone who’s used to using a mitt to apply fake tan, using a glove was a bit awkward. It took longer to blend everything out, and I was overly cautious of creating streaks.
The consistency of the tan itself was relatively similar to others I’ve used, however it felt a little drier, which didn’t help with the glove situation.
However, the flip side to that is that this is the fastest drying tan I have ever tried.
When the bottle says it dries in five minutes, it wasn’t lying. This meant that almost as soon as I finished applying the tan, I was able to get dressed and sleep in it very comfortably – as the bottle says to leave it on for four to eight hours before rinsing.
Appearance
I will admit, I was a little bit scared when I woke up the morning after tanning, as the colour appeared to be quite dark.
In saying this, once I rinsed it off, I was pleasantly surprised. It has a really pretty neutral undertone, meaning you don’t look overly green or orange, and overall it looks quite natural. This is also the best my hands have ever looked in fake tan, and I credit this to the application method with the rubber glove, and accompanying buffing brush.
The colour of this tan is still a little deeper than other Light-Medium tans that I’ve used in the past, however this could be amended by washing it off sooner. I did find that it also stuck slightly to dry patches, especially on my legs. However, I believe that moisturising prior to use would amend this.
Removal
Over the following days, I did notice the tan fading quite nicely, rather than cracking or getting patchy.
I found that it exfoliated off fairly easily using exfoliating gloves, though you could use a tan remover to provide the most seamless canvas for reapplication.
Should I try it?
In short, yes! Due to how quickly it dries, I found it to be incredibly convenient. Whilst with other tans you may be standing there for hours and still won’t feel fully comfortable touching anything, this one was completely dry to the touch after about 10 minutes.
Cassidy Pearce
Cassidy Pearce is a news and entertainment journalist with The Western Weekender. A graduate of the University of Technology Sydney, she has previously worked with Good Morning Macarthur and joined the Weekender in 2022.