I was over the moon when Jamie Genevieve revealed that she was collaborating with Utan. Personally, I’ve always wanted to be a tanned little goddess, mainly because I’m ‘supposed’ to be; in theory. I was born with ‘olive skin’ but then English weather gave me pale and pasty skin, like the rest of us.
Whenever I’ve been on holiday, the sun likes my skin, but it only tends to do anything through sunbathing. If you’ve been on my Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve not done that in a fair few years, so I needed to get this. I would’ve got it a lot earlier, but it came out a month before my birthday – so duty called.
Utan x JG – Skin Idol
Superdrug Price: £23.99 - Buy here.
I’ll start off with this because it was the first thing I tried out. It’s also currently the only thing I have pictures of, to be honest. The thing on the back of the tube tells you to wear gloves. Personally, I ain’t got time for that – that’s what soap and water are for.

First impressions were, ‘oh, this comes out little by little’, but once it went on my skin it went a pretty long way. I wasn’t overly keen on the scent, I’m not the biggest fan of Lavender. Don’t get me wrong, I saw the scent before I bought it, but it was Jamie Genevieve, so I wasn’t just going to leave it in Superdrug, was I? I’m not stupid (I am probably). The scent stuck around for a couple of hours max before it warmed into my skin.

I loved the smell it left after because it kinda gave off that biscuity scent with a sweeter touch from the Lavender – it was really nice. Also, the oil from the lavender left my skin feeling unbelievably smooth – would definitely recommend it!
Positives:
I loved the shimmer it left, and it was really easy to blend into your skin. I didn’t do my whole body so I blended it into my chest and it faded really nicely. Also, did I mention how soft my skin was?
Negatives:
It’s only instant – so it washes off after your first go. I’m keeping this for special occasions.
CBD Tanning Water
Superdrug Price: £17.99 - Buy here
The first time I used this was with my Skin Idol, which was probably a bad idea because I probably couldn’t tell the difference. Actually, thinking back to it – no, I couldn’t! This was also because I put the Skin Idol on my face – don’t worry, it says you can on the front.

After I washed this off, the first night, I instantly missed it. So, I read the back of the tanning water and it said it developed over 4 – 6 hours. So, I had a brain wave – I was going to apply it overnight.
The next morning I woke up to the loveliest glow on my face. A glow so nice that I actually skipped foundation! This was partially because I had never been that ‘baked’ in my life and I didn’t own a foundation. Also, how in the heavens do people colour match their fake tan and foundation in Boots… does it not come off?! I need a personal MUA… any takers?

Positives:
Instant glow in the morning leaving you with the ‘feel good’ spirits.
Negatives:
It did get a bit patchy towards the end of the day, I noticed that it sort of gravitated to the sides of my nose and my upper lip, giving me a bit of a moustache that I shaved off that very same morning. Never mind though, it lasted all day!
My Conclusion
Overall… would I recommend this product? Yes, and no. Together, these guys retailed for over £40. So, if you are a teenager in school, obsessed with MAC cosmetics and you don’t have a job, you just collect pocket money. First of all, I’m not hating – we’ve all been there! But just understand that your mum works hard for her money, so try find yourself a cheaper alternative – I’m sure there are plenty out there.
On the other hand, if you are in a position where you can afford it, and you want to try out tanner for the first time. You’re just like me – I’d say go for it! I’m very happy with this being my ‘pick me up every now and again tanner’. Obviously, if you’re after a buildable tan that doesn’t completely come off in the shower, I’d go for something else too.
Have you tried this combo? Let me know how you found it in the comments!

Psst… This ain’t the first time I’ve bought Jamie Genevieve’s collaborations! – Check out my review of her Cult Beauty Box here!
To answer your question That’s why I love these together I use the skin idol to darken my foundation when I’ve used the tanning water and it’s actually perfect for that. Means i’ll Get so much out of it as it’s basically a super sized foundation… just a small amount really bronzes up my foundation so when I go on holiday i’ll Just use less foundation more of this and not have to buy 2 foundations. i’ll Also use it to perfect my body over fake tan for special occasions. I liked your review and including the results well done
That’s a great tip actually, it’ll be like a natural highlighter too! I need to try this because my foundation is too light for me. Thanks for sharing!