It's (almost) June! Let's talk tanning!

Okay, so technically tomorrow is June, but still. June & July are my two favorite months of the year. This is simply the best time of the whole year to me.

Last year, I did two posts on sunless tanning. Read those Here and Here. They were two of my most popular posts to date.  Sunless tanning is here to stay to say the least.

I was putting around on Instagram the other day. On the post of a sunless tanning brand, I saw a lady ask "Why is it that some folks can put their sunless tanner on and no one believes its not a real tan, when the rest of us end up a hot streaky mess?"
After she had commented, many other people had echoed her sentiments. So, I thought today it might be good to drill down even further than I had on my past tanning posts with more tips and info as to how to make you be the one with the tan that nobody believes could possibly be sunless.


First off, a little bit of back ground. I've been sunless tanning for over 20 years. I started in junior high. 

Here is me without any tanner on. You can see how fair my skin is. Yes, I do like my fair skin. However, there are times that a girl wants to have a glowing tan. I learned a a young age that all the sun was going to do to my skin was burn it. I just don't have enough melanin to tan. So, somewhere around 13 or 14, I started my "sunless tanning journey".

Let me say this, if it has been a few years since you have last tried a sunless tanner, give it another go.
The leaps and bounds that sunless tanners have come in even the last few years is really impressive.

• Baking soda is your friend

Baking soda mixed with water into paste form has become my primary way to exfoliate. We (should) all know at this point how important it is to really get that dead, flaky skin off prior to applying a tanner. However, many exfoliating scrubs on the market are oil based. That can spell danger for your tan. The oil from the scrub will create a barrier between the tanner and your skin. This will cause splotches of dark and light all over. 

• You must spot treat certain parts of your body

Immediately before tanning , apply a thick cream or thin layer of Vaseline on your knees, elbows and heels. If you personally have any patches of skin that tend to be drier or thicker than the rest of your skin, apply it there too.

• Buy an electric razor

I learned this trick last summer. My tan would fade off of my legs at a ,much quicker rate then anywhere else.
This is because each time you shave with a traditional razor, you are removing the top layer of skin as well. An electric razor just removes the hair and will help you to extend the tan on your legs.

• Don't apply tanner then go out and about

This my friends, is a recipe for total disaster. Your tanner needs to sit undisturbed for about 8 hours. For me, the best way to do this is to apply it shortly before bed.

• Don't pick the wrong shade

You are probably thinking I'm about to say something along the lines of, "the lighter your skin is, the more you need to stick to tanners that are light."

NO! The exact opposite. I've had so many friends go through the whole process of doing a correct sunless tan, just to awaken to a tan so light that its next to impossible to notice. If you actually want to look like you have a tan choose a formula that is labeled "Dark".

In the winter, I'll use medium shades just to help to warm up my complexion. As light as I am, even I don't use shades that are categorized as "light". I don't find that they accomplish a thing.

• Stock up on pre- moistened makeup removing wipes

As soon as you finish applying your tanner, wipe your palms, in between your finers and the arch of your feet.

The meaty part of your palms will need extra scrubbing , if you are anything like me.

That spot, right there. Really wipe that part down!

• Lastly, let me introduce you to a new "product Hero"

This is L'Oreal's new Tanning Water Mousse.

It's darker than a "gradual tanner", but pretty much goof-up free.

It has a light coconut scent. It does not have a color guard that will need to be rinsed off in the morning. (Be extra diligent about blending!)

One coat looks as if you were outside all day on a beautiful June afternoon. Two coats looks as if you spent a day on the beach and three coats looks like you went on vacation to someplace warm.

I can see this one becoming my new default tanner.

Do you have any tips that I don't? Please share!

XO,

SheShe