Spring has decided to finally grace us with her presence after the harsh winter months. Finally, longer days, more sunshine, and warmer weather! I can’t be the only one longingly looking at the weather apps waiting for those 70 degree days, right?!
Something about having tanner skin makes me feel like I can take on the world. It just makes my self-confidence shoot up. Over the years, I’ve tried lots of fake tans, not tanning beds, don’t do those. Lotions, sprays, mousse, towels, even drops that look like water.
Luckily, I’ve made a lot of mistakes so you don’t have to. I’ve come up with a pretty good routine that has yet to make my friends say I look like a nacho.
Before you do anything always, always, always shave and exfoliate in the shower right before application. This removes dead skin and gives your tan a longer survival time. The next step in prepping your skin is to moisturize. Moisturizing brings life back to your skin and will make sure the tan doesn’t blotch or get dark in random spots. Don’t forget your elbows and knees!
Make sure you have a mitt to help you apply. There have been so many times where my palms look horrendous and the staining feels like it never comes off. Once I switched to a mitt, my tans started being more even and a more natural color.
1. Loving Tan - $40
Loving Tan is an Australian brand that I saw in a beauty store while I was in Brisbane. I didn’t grab it to try so I was thrilled when it started popping up in stores State-side. They are by far my favorite brand. Their 2-hour express is my life saver. The mousse goes on and immediately leaves your skin with a slight tan. After 2 hours, wash it off and you’re good to go. Another redeeming quality is it doesn’t rub off while its bronzing!
2. Ulta Brand - $13
This bad boy is a fantastic Loving Tan dupe. If you regularly self-tan, $40 is an expensive habit. They have gradual, 3 hour, and a lotion. I stick with their 3 hour. The idea is that you can pick the darkness you want. If you want light, wash after an hour. Medium, 2 hours. Dark 3+ hours. My only issue with Ulta tanner is it will look like you rolled in mud upon application. Definitely not one you can put on and run errands while bronzing. It rubs off a little bit, but it comes off when you wash your clothes.
I make sure not to use any harsh chemical soaps, that’s a big factor in turning orange. Wait a few days to exfoliate again so you don’t rub anything off. Lastly, if you wanna touch it up, Jergens tanning lotion is an awesome midweek refresher! Now go be tanned, not orange!
*no pictures are my own - all used for educational purpose
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