There is this joke that as a black woman, you endure every summer and winter. It's either; Gee, you're so lucky you don't have to worry about your tan, or haha look I'm almost as dark as you. Ugh.

I wish it were so because unlike popular belief, we very much tan and we very much like to remain so, and very much know the struggle of losing said tan. I spent my summer jetting across the Southern Hemisphere, Barbados, Ghana, Bali and Italy. And the one thing that I noticed (other than the stunning scenery, good air and warm weather) was that people just had this beautiful, otherworldly glow. Never have I seen people with better skin than in Barbados. I wasn't surprised that this was the country that produced our lord and saviour Robyn Fenty.

 Anyway, when I got back to cold Europe after Bali, I started seeing a rapid decrease in the glow that I imported from Bali. My skin was smooth and silky and glowy. I didn't wear make up for weeks after. So I started thinking about what I could do to get back to that state of glowiness, hoping thereby to capture that mindset too. Enter Bronzed Panther, Ashanti Cosmetics sunless self-tanning cream. It smells fantastic. It makes you feel fabulous, and it's like slathering yourself in pure gold. I used it this Christmas, and my family asked what I was eating because my skin was beaming. I felt like one of the shiny (in a good way) ornaments on the Christmas tree.

 Like most Ashanti Cosmetics Products it contains Shea Butter, which is very moisturising, apricot oil, hence the heavenly smell, raspberry seed and citrus lemon essential oil. The above ingredients make for a super nourishing and moisturising cream, which is suitable to battle dryness which is the winter cold's main sidekick. It also contains oat kernel oil, which has anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant and anti-allergenic properties. Oat oilis excellent for nourishing and soothing maturing, sensitive and damaged skin and can support the elasticity of the skin and hair. What gives it it's illustrious gold finish is the gold mica powder. Mica powder can create a natural shimmery finish since it can be milled to a fine powder. Because it is naturallyproduced, it is safe to use on almost all skin types with little to no side effects.

It's also non-comedogenic, so it is safe to use on your face too, to get that Rihanna-Esque glow. It's firming and anti-ageing, and after using it for a few weeks, I could swear that I feel like I'm basking in the golden glow of the Bajan sun. So if you are struggling with that post-holiday paleness and winter blues, Bronze Panther will make you feel like your best Golden Goddess self.

SHOP BRONZED PANTHER