Arbonne Made in the Shade Self-Tanner Review (and Giveaway!)

Me and self-tanners have had a rocky relationship. When I was younger, I always used to tan like crazy... probably part of being young and always being outside. But as I got older, I've found that I just don't tan as easily.

Okay, maybe I'm not outside as much, that's true. But instead of tanning on my face, now I just freckle up. I don't want to get sun damage either... and it's hard to avoid here in Colorado, even with the highest of SPF.

So, when Angie contacted me asking if I'd be interested in trying Arbonne's Made in the Shade Self-Tanner, I had mixed emotions. What if it ended up like the time I used that Neutrogena spray and I looked like an orange zebra? Or the Bain de Soleil, which I liked but always seemed to go through a huge quantity of just to get the coloring I wanted... and it really wasn't cheap to begin with? And, on the other hand, I was sick of rivaling Nicole Kidman in the race to the pale. I wasn't going to go to a tanning booth (did that in college, and not only was it expensive, it just zapped the crap out of my skin!), but catching the rare rays outside just didn't seem to be cutting it either.

First off, let me tell you how ridiculously impressed I am with Angie. Her organization is insane. Since I was testing out this product, I wanted to learn more about the company... she sent me a couple samples along with my tester of Made in the Shade, along with a booklet of the Arbonne lines. She took time to put tabs all throughout the book where information about the brand, the items I'd been given, and the lines of those specific items were located. Oh, and a key on the back of the pretty note she sent me. I was in awe.

So, I figured that I'd probably like this stuff... after all, if she spent all this time on me, it probably was for good reason. Maybe I'm daring, but I decided to try it the first night...

...on my face. Luckily for me, it ended up great. It's got a decent smell (nothing spectacular, but totally not offensive), SPF 15 (which is perfect for a freckle-face like me)... and it looks natural. Here's the example: first picture is of my legs just normal. No color, no sun, etc.



Second is after one application of the Made in the Shade:



It's subtle (and really, the flashiness doesn't help!), but I can tell the difference. And, there's something so amazing about being able to build the color to the level I want to achieve, instead of trying to scrub off orange streaks.... and it doesn't take a ton of it to get color. Just a few pumps of it takes care of business. I really, really like the stuff.

Alright, now the point you've all been waiting for: how to win your very own bottle of Arbonne's Made in the Shade!

Required
1. Leave a comment with a valid email address and why you want the self-tanner.

Optional
1. Tweet about the giveaway, including a link to the site (Up to twice a day) and leave a comment with the link. (One extra entry per tweet) Don't have Twitter? You can promote the site on Facebook or Myspace... just leave a comment saying that you did!
2. Subscribe to my blog via email or Google Friend Connect (it's on the right of the page... yeah, that's it!) and leave a comment. (One extra entry)
3. Write a blog post about the giveaway. (Ten extra entries)
4. Follow both me and Angie on Twitter. (One extra entry)

And that's it. So, get your butt in gear and enter!

You have until Monday, August 3rd (that's one week, kids!) to enter!
Love,
JP