I love Neutrogena products and I had hoped that their Build-a-Tan Gradual Sunless Lotion would be another product that I was happy with, however, I was very disappointed. It is definitely gradual, but the end product is not the nutty brown tan that I get from being in the sun. It is more of an orange-y tan that looks like I have definitely been using a fake tanner. I applied this product for a month and it did not get any better. The lotion itself is kind of runny and it does not absorb very well. The lotion kind of sits on the surface of my skin and makes it feel like there is an oily residue. I hate that feeling. It makes me feel like I need to shower right after applying. I am not so much of a fan of the scent either. It has a weird scent that sticks to my skin most of the day. I can smell it even after I shower, which I hate. This is not one of the sun-less tanners that I can recommend.

Fairyrhi

USA

When I first bought Neutrogena Build-a-Tan Gradual Sunless Lotion it was winter time. I wanted a lotion that would gradually give me a little bit of color on my white skin. This lotion worked pretty well for that. After continued use, I slowly started noticing my skin was getting darker. It did not look orange at all to me, which was my favorite part about this particular lotion. Also, it was very easy to rub onto your skin evenly, so it did not leave streaks. I noticed that this lotion really moisturized my skin as well. It was much softer! I would recommend this lotion to others who want to build a gradual tan, as it really does work. Effectiveness This lotion gave my skin a pretty glow. It is easy to maintain as long as you use it often. Ease of Application I think this lotion was really easy to apply. It goes on even, so you are less likely to miss spots and have streaks. I give it 8 out of 10 because you do have to wash your hands after applying or your hands will turn orange. Longevity This lotion leaves a good tan on your skin, but you do have to keep up with it as it does wear off pretty quick.

brittanyhankins

USA

I used this gradual self tanner by Neutrogena and let me tell you it was just a waste of my time. I applied this formula twice a day and the first day thought, "okay, it is gradual so I will not see an improvement the first day". Then the second day passed, and the third. I kept using it for a week because I was convinced something would happen and I figured I had a whole bottle why not. Nothing ever came about. My skin never changed colors. I even left a spot out of sight free of the lotion so I could compare. This was one of the first self tanners that I had ever used so I thought maybe I was not using it right or did not use enough. So I went out and bought another kind to compare. The results I got with the other brand of self tanner was instant. I knew right away that it was simply a bad lotion that did not work. I have not bought Neutrogena again and I do not recommend anyone else try this stuff unless you just want to mentally feel like you are tanning.

randomhouse

USA

I like a few of Neutrogenas products (many people dislike a few of them) and was excited to try the Neutrogena Build-a-Tan Gradual Sunless Lotion. The price is really good for a self tanner but perhaps it shows that the higher priced self tanners are worth it. This is one of the worst self tanners I have ever tried. The smelled was disgusting and no matter how I applied it, it was streaky and looked terrible. It dried a deep orange color that I scrubbed and scrubbed to get off my skin. It was flaky and fell off in pieces which was gross but I was thankful it was coming off. I don't know what went wrong with this self tanner, but it should be discontinued. I only used this one time but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Ease of Application Didn't matter how i applied it, it never dried right. Scent Made me want to gag, smelled horrible. Longevity It was hard to scrub off skin but did flake off in patches on its own a day later.

Georgia91

USA

I must say that I have previously and in the past purchased and used this Neutrogena Build a Tan Gradual Sunless Lotion and I was not too impressed with it. I used it and followed the directions and the results were not what I expected. First of all I have to say that this is kind of messy. It is a lotion that you put on so I smoothed it all over my body and it felt kind of heavy and like my skin could not breathe. Second you have to make sure you get it even and cover every spot because if not it will leave your skin uneven. So it left me with a few uneven spots. The next thing about this Neutrogena Self Tanner is the scent. It is horrible. I really did not like the scent and then having to wear it around people left me a little self conscious. The price of this product is also very expensive at least to me it is. I would not really recommend this product to anyone. I can say that the reason I gave it a five is because it did work with giving me a tan it was just not a totally even tan like some others that are on the market now.

ssears1973

Undisclosed

I give this sunless tanner the award for being the worst product...ever...Everything about it is wrong, and using it is certain to be a mistake you are soon to regret. Applying the tanner isn't difficult at all. The bottle makes it easy to push and apply. But do prepare for your hands to 'tan', too, no matter how well you wash them. You need to wear gloves when applying this one. The color...well it looks like you've applied a sunless tanning lotion, and a cheap one at that. rather than the nice promised golden tan you're left a burnt orange color that looks like the color of an ugly bottle, or at least this is what happened to me. Once it is on it is on until it is ready to come off, and that is usually not for a few days at least. You're stuck with the color even when you hate it as I did. even then it is not easy to remove the stuck on color from the skin as the bottle promises. I tried to give the self tanner a second chance because sometimes a bad experience is bound to happen. I even went as far as giving it to a friend to see if she would get something different. But, each time the results were the same, even for my friend. I would not recommend anyone use this product.

agrace03

Nashville, TN

The only thing this product has going for it is its price. But cheap is cheap and you get what you pay for. Results weren't very pretty, although it may be good enough to practice with if you don't plan on getting excellent looking results. Effectiveness While it gradually got tanner and tanner over time, it took forever! You'll go through more than one bottle just to get the way a better tanner will make you look after only one or two applications. I also found it left you a little too orange--it wasn't natural looking on my skin (your results may vary). I would more recommend a tanner that uses the sun to make it work--you'll get more natural results. Ease of Application It's a rub on. Easy to apply but not easy to get on evenly in all places. Nor can you alone reach all places on your body. You'll need a partner to help you apply this. Scent A little too strong for me, but my helper didn't mind the scent. To each their own. Longevity It lasted long enough, but it took a long time to get to the color I wanted. I also didn't like the shade that I ended up. I felt it looked too take, too orange.

BobbettJascor

USA

Having used Neutrogena products in the past and trusting the brand I thought of giving the Neutrogena Build-a-Tan Gradual Sunless Lotion a shot. The only good thing about this product is the price, it costs pretty less as compared to other brands. It is the only pro to it. Rest all are cons- 1. It has a watery texture which makes it really difficult to apply as it tends to dry out really quick which leads to uneven application. Also, for the same reason my skin felt so tight and dry. 2. It has an overwhelming smell to it that, I would have ignored had it done any better for my skin. 3. It did not make my skin look tan rather, it appeared more of orange that it totally unnatural. It might be because it dries really quick and does not absorb well. I have medium tone complexion and I'm sure, I would have looked totally fake had I have fair skin. Better application along with the moisturizer might help in this case, which I did not try, neither I am interested.

anjali12

USA

This has to be the worst self tanning lotion product I have tried out. The product comes out like water which makes it hard to apply without making a huge mess. The scent of this product is less than pleasurable. I did not get a tan color but turned orange. I ended up with rashes all over my entire body that was itchy for days. The color of this product was yellowish in tone and not white like other tanning lotions I have tried before. Overall this product was nothing like I had expected it to be. I was very disappointed. Effectiveness Not only did my skin turn orange, my skin broke out in rashes and my skin became itchy and burned. If you have sensitive skin do not use this product. Ease of Application This product came out like water so it dripped all over the place. There is no ease of application when it comes to this product. Scent The scent of this product is very unpleasant. Not sure what I can compare the scent to but it smells really bad. Longevity Not applicable.

JT2013

USA

This product comes from Neutrogena and is also a lotion that moisturizes and softens skin. I figured I would like this because it was supposed to be streak free and gradually build a tan. The only thing it did to me was gradually make me look like burnt clay or mud. It worked about like 9 out of every 10 self tanners I've tried. It turned me a little bronze colored the first few uses, then it started to gradually make me orange, and eventually after four or five days of twice a day use, it turned me the color of burnt clay or mud. I looked more like a spray tan gone bad than a natural brown or gold color. It was disappointing and frustrating. The moisturizing agent really did hydrate skin and make me feel soft. I even liked the fragrance and the feeling but the effects of the self-tanning were a tragedy. I think one would be better off just living with pale skin. There are very few products for us porcelain ivory folks on the market that make the tan look natural. This ended up in the trash because even though I liked the moisturizer, I could not live with the orange color. Effectiveness The color was so unnatural. This was unfortunate because I liked the feeling of the moisturizers but the orange skin tone was something I couldn't stand. Ease of Application It's easy to apply. Scent The scent wasn't too bad. It was kind of pleasant and tropical. Longevity It only lasted a few days.

clinen11

USA