Review: Dove Summer Glow Body Lotion *

Now that Autumn has hit and the days are cooling off, not to mention getting shorter, I'm starting to miss my tan, which, while present, is definitely fading. 

This has given me the chance to try out an old friend, and my first ever foray into fake tan, which was about 10 years ago - the Dove Summer Glow gradual self tan body lotion!

I really loved this lotion way back when, and even ran through a couple of those bottles, and when I was given the chance to try it again, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it again, if just to get the memories of 10 years ago to come flooding back!

This works on the basis that it will build up your tan slowly, and you can use this instead of other body lotions. Make sure you let it dry down before you put your clothes on, just like other types of self tanners. I like the smell that comes out of the bottle initially, but it does fade into something that's a little mustier, which I don't remember at all.

The lotion itself is lovely - rich, thick and a little goes a long way, so don't go too heavy with this one, or you might end up wondering where you're going to put the rest of it!

Overall, I think that this lotion is relatively rich, and actually a little too thick for me during the Summer, which is fair enough, given that I don't need it during the hottest season of the year! I found it a little tacky on my skin on the really hot days, and it took quite a while to for it to sink in. This improved on the cooler days, presumably when my skin was super thirsty and dry. I also like the fairly natural look I achieved with this, which is the whole point of it!

This lotion comes in two shades (fair to medium and medium to dark) and two sizes (250 ml and 400 ml), which means that it also comes in two prices, $7.36 and $10.52 , respectively. You can pick one of these babies up to try at Priceline, Target and just about anywhere that stocks Dove, which is just about everywhere!

Have you tried this particular gradual tanning lotion before? Would you go for gradual over a one off?

* This product was sent to me for editorial consideration, but my opinions are my own