I know everyone has a
story and I was just scared
to tell mine.

When I was 11, I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called SLE lupus. There were definitely some scary days back then, but luckily, I got through them.

Fast forward to me at the age of 15 - I was awkward, self-conscious, and way too concerned about looking like the girls on magazine covers — you know, the ones with the perfect golden tans, zero pores and legs for days. The problem? With my lupus, I needed to stay out of the sun or I would get pretty sick. The sun could trigger flare ups or make my joints hurt, bring on some serious fatigue and I’d always end up with a rash across my nose and cheeks. So while everyone else was getting tan lines and a summer glow, I was putting on my fourth layer of sunscreen while I sat under a beach cabana with a very trendy (not trendy at all) legionnaire hat.

And this is where my journey or obsession with self tanning products was born. Once I accepted that the sun and I could never be besties, I took matters into my own, at the time, very orange hands.

From ages 15 to 25, I think I tried every self tanning product known to humankind. I went through all the stages, streaky ankles, cheeto palms, tiger bread stripes and that one time I came home from a crazy spray tan looking like a sweet potato. My parents burst out laughing when I walked through the door and haven’t let me forget it since.

After testing what felt like the entire tanning aisle, I realised most of them didn’t enhance my skin, stained my sheets and left me scrubbing off patchy evidence until the skin was raw, not exactly the glowing goddess moment I was going for. On top of that, tanning became a full time job. I’d get home late, stare at the bottle, and think, do I really have the energy for this.

After all that tanning chaos, I finally decided if I couldn’t find the perfect tan I would make it myself. I wanted something easy and that I’d actually be excited to use. Packed with skin loving benefits, and a natural glow that complimented my natural skin tone. It wasn’t an overnight thing — it took years of trial, error, and okay, definitely not that shade moments in development. But it had to be perfect, hydrating, easy to use, quick and natural.
When the final formula was ready, I started sharing it with family and friends and everyone said the same thing - I need more!

And here we are, from wearing scarves in summer to hide my patchy neck to creating the effortless glow I always wanted.
I truly hope you love it. I want to leave you with this little reminder just like 15 year old me needed to hear, we are all beautiful in our own skin and you are already amazing as you are. I used to think I was missing that perfect glow everyone seemed to have, but trust me, you don’t need to roast yourself in the sun to get it. For those moments when you would like a natural glow, if anything just toast.