Hey ladies!! As most of you know I'm pretty white. And when I say that, I mean - WHITE. I'm Canadian and for some reason my sister, Rebecca, got all of the "tanable" genes in our family. When I go outside for the day, or to the beach... I don't tan I BURN! It's unfortunate but I've learned to protect my skin with sunscreen and have started to appreciate my white-girl-ness at times. HOWEVER, I LOVE to be tanned! Spray tans, self tanning lotion, instant bronzers, anything that'll give my skin a glow - I gotta have it! Since I've been experimenting with self-tanners and ways to get bronzed without a sun since grade 8 (yes grade 8, I was orange at times LOL) I have a TON of tips, tricks, and products that'll give you an amazing color!
If you're interested in self tanning at home, you must know by now the important of exfoliating! And it's true. Not in the sense that you need to get every cell off your body, but you DO need to exfoliate so that areas like your elbows, knees, and hair line absorb nicely. I have an exfoliating mitt from Target that works wonders for me. Whether I'm exfoliating pre-tan or post-tan, it gets the job done right! You should use either an exfoliating mitt, a wash cloth, or a body/sugar scrub. Scrub those elbows!!
After you exfoliate make sure you put lotion on your elbows & knees. Your elbows and knees absorb self tanner MUCH more than the rest of your skin so you want to hydrate those areas a bit creating a small barrier.
My REGULAR lotion
My absolute FAVORITE non-self-tan lotion is Kisses by Australian Gold. I get it from amazon because it's the least expensive there hehe. This is after 4 days of consecutively applying my secret weapon self tanner. :)
After putting regular lotion on your elbows and knees, lotion up your hands as well. NEXT - apply the self tanner! Don't worry about a certina technique or motion of your hands, as long as you apply it evenly you can work in whatever routine feels best for you.
This part is SUPER important, and most of us overlook it! I know I used to... wait before getting dressed! I used to get dressed after 5 minutes and tell myself "Okay, there's no way my clothes can move around the lotion! It's on my skin already!" Haha, learn from my mistakes! Wait at least 15 minutes before getting dressed and just listen to an audiobook, pain your nails, ect.
Once you've gotten dressed - VOILA! You're done the first application yayyyy!
After this, the next day you'll want to repeat the steps MINUS the first one - don't exfoliate after you've put on the self tanner!
So in review:
1. Exfoliate
2. Use lotion on your driest skin areas (elbows, knees, hands etc.)
3. Apply Self Tanner
4. Wait 15 minutes before getting dressed
Make sure you use regular lotion everyday as well as using your self tanner, I like to self-tan in the mornings & before bed I use my Kisses lotion to prevent the tan from fading.
OKAY, I know you're wondering what self tanner I actually use and my bad boy is the *St. Tropez Gradual Tan*
I've tried the St. Tropez mousse, and while it DID make me super dark, it stained a lot of my clothes and didn't last long. :( But I can honestly say the gradual tan is my baby! It's so moisturizing and the color is gorgeous, fades evenly, and doesn't smell bad! I actually love the smell and look forward to it since it's makes me feel "fresh" haha. Try it out!
These are some other self tanners that I've tried and would HIGHLY recommend for anyone wanting to pick up a self tanner at Target, Walmart etc.
1. Banana Boat Sunless Tanning Lotion in Dark (Medium isn't enough color even for me, so try the dark!)
2. Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer in Medium/Dark
3. Nivea Sun-Kissed Radiance Gradual Tanner & Body Lotion in Medium to Dark skin
4. Sally Hansen Airbrush Leg Makeup in Light (This is NOT a self tanner but I use this from time to time and LOVE IT! Just don't wear white)
5. L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Pearl Tinted Lotion in Medium Natural Tan
Those are some GREAT lotions that I always keep in stock in my bathroom! I don't use all of them on a regular basis anymore but I can always rely on them when I'm out. I've tried a lot of others and these ones I promise you will love!
I'm sure there are some others out there that are JUST as good as my list so if you have a favorite comment and let me know! I love trying new babies.
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