I was lucky enough to be given Sampar 3-day weekend hydrating facial gel and body milk just as I was running low on moisturiser. As a moisturiser 3 Day Weekend works fine and a little goes a long way. But the manufacturer claims it “moisturises and gives a hint of a tan” as “the fresh and moisturising gel stimulates the skin’s natural melanin, pigment necessary for tanning, for sunkissed skin without sun, self-tanners or make-up all year long”. I have pretty fair skin but it does not take much sun for my skin to darken so though I would not expect this product to give me a ‘full on tan’ I would expect to see some appreciable difference. Alas after 2 weeks of using the moisturising gel I had not noticed any.

My feeling towards the body milk is pretty much the same as for the facial gel: it’s a decent moisturiser but I do not perceive a change in skin tone, not even a hint of a tan.

So I came to the conclusion that the Sampar 3 Day Weekend products are on par with other daily moisturisers I have tried. These products may offer some protection from the sun with the SSP (Smart Sun Protection) though I doubt this is any better than any other day moisturiser with some degree of SPF protection. I would use a dedicated sunscreen in addition to any of these products before I spent prolonged periods in the sun.

At R 395 for 50 ml of the facial hydrating gel or 125 ml of the body milk I do not think it is worth it and would not purchase either.