Business guru and entrepeneur Michelle Mone, founder of lingerie brand Ultimo, has branched out into beauty with the launch of UTan, her first self-tanning range. Made an OBE in 2010 for services to UK business, it’s interesting to her that she in continuing her support of the UK economy by ensuring all UTan products are made in the UK.
The range includes a number of products with shade names relating to hue, such as Miami Beach (medium), Brazilian Bronze and Ibiza Extreme (both dark). I sampled the UTan Self Tan Mousse in California Sun; one of the lighter shades in the range (but don’t let that fool you – tanning virgins should head for the Miami Beach Gradual Tan...)
The range is designer not just to tan, but to sculpt and shape, improving and smoothing skin tone and firming the skin. The advanced formulation contains wild indigo flower (a potent ingredient that helps to improve the appearance of the skin for smoother, firmer contours )and rainforest extracts (a blend of buriti and pracaxi seed and wild strawberry leaf seed extracts) designed to deliver an even, longer-lasting colour. A blend of DHAs that provides a deep rich colour intensity to help eliminate streaking and produce a more even finish. The added benefit is that it is free of the usual DHA odour, so you won’t smell like biscuits for two days after applying.
Applied with the enclosed velvet mitt, the mousse went on smoothly and seamlessly. The guide colour is always a bonus (I still haven’t mastered the art of tanning and find it difficult to apply it perfectly without one) and it was surprisingly easy to get an even, streak-free finish. The California Sun shade was a tad dark for me at this time of year – due to the lack of recent sun it wasn’t quite believable(I hate to think how dark Ibiza Extreme might be...), however come two weeks when the rest of me in bronzed to perfection from my forthcoming trip to Greece it should be perfect. It’s not cheap (California Sun Self Tan Mousse £25.50, most expensive product is £28.50) but I would say it’s on a par with other premium brands such as St. Tropez so it’s worth trying.
To celebrate the launch of Ultimo Beauty UTan, Michelle Mone OBE will be making appearances at two branches of Boots to promote the range. Tuesday 22nd at Boots Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow, (from 12-2pm) and Thursday 24th at Boots Westfield, White City, London (from 11am – 1pm).
UTan is available from Boots, Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis.
Love Laurel x
