I’ve been a fan of self tanner for as long as I can remember. And no, not the spray tan where you have to go to some place, strip naked, and stand in a booth. I mean a simple, easy, do-it-yourself, at home tanner.
And while I’ve tried many, many brands over the years, I have finally found one that meets all my criteria: easy to apply, a deep olive color (no orange!), and lasts more than one day. That brand is St. Tropez. I use this Self Tan Dark Bronzing Mousse, along with this application mitt. (You don’t want brown stained hands, trust me on using a mitt).
However, this tanning perfection does come at a cost. The bottle is on the pricier side, around $45 at Sephora and Ulta.
My last bottle ran dry a couple weeks before the Sephora 20% off sale was taking place, so I decided to wait it out until I could get a bottle on sale (gotta be thrifty with those pennies, ya know?).
But in the meantime, as I mentioned on my Instagram Stories, I stumbled upon another self tanning brand on Amazon called St. Moriz. Its name obviously nods to a competitor of St. Tropez, so I decided to buy this one on Amazon and give it a try. It was only $6.99 (!!) with Prime shipping so I figured it was a no brainer. Would this be my new holy grail self tanner at a fraction of the cost?
St. Tropez vs St. Moriz Results
Appplication
Both self tanners applied great, especially when used with this mitt. I love a good mousse/foam because it leaves less streaking than a lotion or cream. As always, make sure skin is well moisturized before tanning, or else you risk the tan looking patchy. On rougher parts like my hands and elbows, I like to apply an oil like this one before rubbing on the tanner with the mitt.
Scent
St. Moriz won in this category, because it smells nothing like self tanner. (You know that tanner smell! Gag) It has a somewhat tropical, fruity scent to it that is very pleasant, but not overbearing. The smell goes away completely as soon as the mousse is dry.
St. Tropez has a bit more of that self tanner smell, but certainly not overbearing. The smell also tends to linger a bit longer on skin, if you apply at night the smell can still be present in the morning, but it’s nothing that a quick shower won’t solve.
Color
The bronzed color of St. Tropez self tanner still reigns supreme, in my opinion. The undertones of St. Tropez are an olive green/brownish color, while the undertones of the St. Moriz are an orange/pink undertone. If you have a lighter or more pink/red skin tone, the pinkish tanner may work better for you, but for someone like me who has a natural olive tone, it was a bit orange. Not super noticeable in photos, but I could tell the difference in person. But then again, we’re all our worst critics, and I was really looking for any difference I could find…
Durability
From my past experience I know that the St. Tropez tanner lasts about 5 days on me, with normal fading after that.
I found the St. Moriz only lasted a couple of days and then faded quickly after that.
Cost
- St. Tropez $44
- St. Moriz $6.99-$12.99 (varies depending on retailer)
Obviously, we know St. Moriz is the less expensive product here. But in my opinion, you get what you pay for because St. Moriz doesn’t have nearly the staying power or the color that I love in my self tanner.
And the Winner Is…
Even though the cost of this bottle is on the pricier side, for me it’s worth it to get that just-stepped-off-the-beach in the South of France color.
I did end up keeping my bottle of St. Moriz, too. I’ll sometimes use this if I’m not going anywhere in particular or being photographed, but I still want a little bit of color. Because, again, it’s not terrible, it just doesn’t blend as well with my skin tone.
Have you tried either of these products? Which one did you like best? Let me know in the comments below! And if you have sensitive and breakout prone skin like mine, be sure to check out my updated morning skincare routine!
2 Comments
This is really interesting! Thank you — I appreciate the detail!
I’m so glad you found it helpful!
Xx