Monne (That's What I Want!)

a while ago, i mentioned that i had purchased a self tanning product from QVC called Monne Express Self Tanning Liquid, $24.50. i was extremely excited to try this but somehow when it finally arrived at my house, it got shelved in the bathroom and slightly ignored. on a whim the other day i tried it, and mon dieu! i am shocked, stunned, awed, wowed-- you get the drift. this is THE FIRST SELF TANNING PRODUCT I HAVE EVER USED THAT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE A REAL TAN! i truly cannot believe it! after testing so many gradual tanners and regular self tanners and bronzers and lotions, i have finally found THE ONE!

anyways, the Monne Express Self Tanning Liquid comes in, of course, a liquid form, which is very thin and basically the consistency of water. i was very worried about how i would apply this smoothly seeing as how i knew it would take ten years to do using cotton pads the way they demo'd application on QVC, so after reading some reviews i went out and bought a foam brush (left), which is basically a sponge on a stick, a very common art/craft store tool that cost me a mere 79 cents at Fred Meyer. this turned out to be one of the best investments i have made in years! i would say that the foam brush was crucial in getting a nice, smooth, QUICK application of the product. at first i tried the cotton pad method and basically it was garbage and was taking forever, plus i can barely stand to touch cotton, it makes me cringe! using the foam brush, i squirted a small amount of the product onto the sponge and then dabbed it on my body, blending in circular motions with first the sponge after i had it in the right spots, and then my hand. this worked like a charm! very easy, i would recommend this method to anyone (like myself) who is NOT a self tanning expert. you could also mix a small amount of the liquid with your regular body lotion if you'd prefer to apply that way! it definitely did help to have my boyfriend present to do my back, but i'm sure everyone has a friend who could help them do this, or if you're an expert, you've figured out a way to do this by yourself (how?). after i had applied the product to my whole body, including face, i was very pleased at how it dried immediately and didn't feel the least bit sticky. however, i noticed a few spots that looked a tiny bit streaky, and since you are directed to apply the product to clean, moisturizer-free skin, i also looked somewhat dry. i solved both these issues by applying lotion and rubbing it in very good, which blended together any streaky areas, kept my skin soft, and helped everything turn out very evenly. literally, i have not ONE word of complaint!

after initial application, i looked very nice and naturally tan, but that was because of the guide color of the product (which did not rub off at all on any of the clothes i wore that day or night). when i woke up later that evening after taking a nap, my body was nicely tanned in a subtle but still very noticeable way! when i washed my face however, it looked kind of pale. i was disappointed, and did another quick facial application, and the next morning when i washed my face again, it was golden tan perfection! absolutely NO streaks, no tell-tale orange areas, just a perfect golden-brown tan in my naturally tanned-skin color. i just couldn't (and still can't) believe it! i truly thought i could never find a self tanner that i would be happy with, and i am ecstatic with my Monne!!! several days later, my tan is fading evenly and slowly. i am in LOVE with this stuff! i would do free advertising for them, which i guess this post is, because i beg of you-- TRY THIS PRODUCT! you will ADORE it! i could go on and on, but i'll spare you my insane gushing ;D

so far, the only place i've found Monne available to purchase is QVC, where they carry the liquid version and an Express Self Tanning Spray Duo where you get two 5.29 fl. oz. for $39.84, a fabulous deal in my opinion. visit QVC and order some for yourself, and let me know how much you love it!