Self Tanner Tips

Well, it’s that time of the year. I’m looking pale and feel like I am a part of the Cullen family (hey Edward!) haha! I don’t know what it is about having a little color, but it makes me feel SO much better about my appearance.

Many of you have asked about what I use to stay tan and today and I am sharing all of my tips! Generally speaking, I typically apply self tanner once every 1-2 weeks depending on what I am shooting. If I know that I have a lot of content that requires me to show skin (skirts/dresses/etc), I will use it more often. However, if I know that I will be more covered up (coats, jeans, etc), I don’t really use it as much. Let’s talk first about how I prep:

• I always shower before I use self tanner. In the shower, I make sure to exfoliate with a scrub and/or a more rough washcloth. I mainly focus on my elbows, knees, and ankles as this is where more color can deposit and leave your skin looking uneven.
• Once I get out of the shower, I DO NOT put any moisturizer on- nothing!

For the application of the self tanner:

• I have been using this self tanner for years and absolutely love it. I love the color than it gives me, how even the color appears, and I like how the color fades without any issues.
• I use this mitt and cannot recommend it enough- no one wants orange hands ladies!
• I usually apply 2-3 pumps of the product onto the mitt and then start with my legs. I work in an upward, sweeping motion and apply the product from the tops of my feet all the way up my legs. You can slightly see where the self tanner is being applied, so it makes it pretty easy to see if you missed anything.
• Next, I apply the product to my arms, but this time I work the product down my arms. I start at my shoulder and use downward, sweeping motions to apply the product.
• Lastly, I apply the product to my neck and chest. I usually just use a circular motion to apply the self tanner here. *I usually do not apply self tanner on my back because it is nearly impossible to do unless someone helps you haha!

To be honest, I used to be realllllly nervous about using self tanner on my face. I was always afraid that I would end up looking crazy orange, so in the past I rarely used any self tanner on my face. Recently, I started applying a teeny tiny amount of the self tanner to my face and thank goodness- no crazy orange face! I will pump a small amount onto the mitt and apply the product in circular motions all around my face- I usually do not apply any product to my upper lip area because I have found that if this area darkens on me, it can give to appearance of a weird mustache-looking thing (I know- weird!).

The only thing I dislike about this self tanner is that it does transfer onto my sheets. I normally apply this at night once I get out of the shower and then I will go to bed. We have white sheets and whenever I wake up in the morning, I am tan (yay!), but there is always a slight orange discoloration to my pillowcase and sheets. It comes out in the wash, but is slightly annoying.

If you like the idea of using a lotion as a self tanner, I have this product as well and really like it. Before I started using the St. Tropez product, I used this all the time. What I liked about it is that it is a buildable color- you can continue to apply daily until you achieve the color you like. It also doesn’t have much of a smell and doesn’t transfer onto clothes/sheets. It fades evenly after a few days as well. The reason why I switched to the St. Tropez mousse is because I like the color of that product a little more on me and I like the ability to apply with a mitt (can’t apply lotion with a mitt).

There are two products that I have been wanting to try- Loving Tan 2 Hour Express Mousse and these Isle of Paradise self-tanning drops. The Loving Tan mousse is interesting because it provides a deep, dark tan within 2 hours whereas the other self tanners I have used take much longer to see any result. I think this is great if you need a tan last minute! I have also heard so many girls rave about this product, so it is definitely one that I need to try! I keep meaning to purchase and try this out, so I will definitely let you guys know what I think when I do! The Isle of Paradise drops are really cool too because you basically just add them into your regular moisturizer! According to the product description, the drops help to give a glow with no streaks, smells, or orange tones. I think this is great for people with dry skin because you are still able to use your same moisturizer, but you’re also able to add a little color too. What is nice is you can also control the level of color- more drops = more tan. I will definitely let ya’ll know if I try this one out too!

As a side note, I did want to mention that sometimes I will go and get an actual spray tan at Sun Tan City. I usually only do this for special occasions (weddings, trips, etc.) as I feel like it really gives me the best tan out of any sunless tanner. For instance, two weekends ago we were in Miami for a wedding. I knew that I would be wearing less clothes (bathing suits/shorts/tanks), so I really wanted a pretty glow. Two days before we left, I went and got a spray tan and couldn’t have been more happy with the results. I normally get clear dark- clear basically means the color gradually develops over 6-8 hours. For me, the only downside to spray tans is that they are more expensive (versus using sunless tanner) and they require you to leave your house (this sounds silly, I know, but sometimes it’s just easier to stay home and use the sunless tanner!). Therefore, I usually only get a spray tan a few times a year for special occasions.

I hope this post was helpful to you guys! There are so many options out there for self tanners, so I know it can be difficult to figure out which one is best! Let me know if you have any favorites and I will continue to update you if I find any new ones that I love! Happy Friday! -A