Tanning

Self Tanning Prep

by

It’s finally sunless tanning season! Maybe you bother year ’round, maybe you’ve already started for the year – but for the rest of us, here are some tips on how to achieve a great sunless tan regardless of the products you’re using.

Shower

Self Tanning Prep - Original Dove Beauty Bar

For best results, you should always apply to just-cleaned skin! When I’m showering with self tanning prep in mind, I use a mild soap like classic Dove (which is what I use in the shower most of the time anyway). Some of the richer, creamier body washes contain oils (great for ultra-moisturizing, not great for self tanning prep). While you’re at it…

Shave

remingtonshaver

…at least the areas you wish to tan with coarser hair, such as the lower legs. Don’t feel like you need to shave everywhere – for instance, I don’t shave my forearms; the hair that grows there is fine and light.. If you wax or have removed the hair via a laser device, you get to skip this – lucky you! Still, you need to…

Exfoliate

Self Tanning Prep - Eco Tools Shower Gloves

While in the shower, exfoliate your skin to remove any dry or errant patches. Sunless tanner works best when everything is smooth; otherwise you risk a patchy or muddy application. No product can prevent it – you simply have to do your due-diligence. I use a pair of scrubby shower gloves or a sugar- or salt-based scrub. If your scrub has oils (many do!), you might want to do this before you suds up to remove any oils.

Read more

St Tropez at Costco

by

Do you use self-tanner?

St Tropez at Costco
St Tropez at Costco

I haven’t tried popular self-tanning favorite St Tropez, but I think calling it a cult item would be plenty fair. This recent find might make me give it a shot once I finish up my Million Dollar Tan Cabana Tan lotion(s).

I found that Costco.com carries the 8oz St Tropez mousse for $26 + $2.99 shipping – a steal, compared to Sephora’s $42 and $5.95 shipping unless you have Sephora Flash or spend $50+ to get free shipping. Hell, even Amazon only has the 8oz priced at $38! Unfortunately, this is one of the items on their site that does require a membership (not all items do), but if you have one anyway it’s a no-brainer.

If you’re attached to your tan, in the market, not thrilled with drugstore tanners, want to trim the fat from your tanning budget, this might be a good deal to check out.

Also hey – I realize the timing of this is pretty close to my Kirkland Makeup Wipes post, but Costco doesn’t know who I am. I mean, I bought a membership so they know who I am in that sense but there’s no relationship other than…I buy their stuff with money I earn at my non-blog-related day job.

Apply Self-Tanner to the Face – Brush Method

by

If you’ve been self-tanning for a while, you know a mitt is the way to go when we’re talking about application. If you haven’t…well, now you do. It means you don’t need to scrub your palms for five minutes post-application, and usually gives more even results. They even make micro-mitts that fit over just two fingers so that you can apply self-tanner to the face. They are adorable and wee!

Realistically, though, a micro-mitt isn’t a smart purchase. On top of being yet another thing you have to buy that only has one use, you have to replace them ever so often. I feel like you’d be paying more for the novelty than the efficacy…and who can you share your joy over the cuteness of a facial tanning mitt with? Just going to stash it in your purse, brandish it at your coworkers and go, “OMG LOOK AT MY TINY FACE MITT!”

how-to apply self-tanner to the face - brush method

This method to apply self-tanner to the face (I used to just use my fingers) has been adopted from Jaclyn Hill’s latest tanning video. She uses a mousse product, but I can confirm that this works with lotion-based ones (and will likely work with gels or liquids, too – just be careful to avoid making a mess).

Steps to apply self-tanner to the face:

Read more

Melanoma Awareness Week 2 – Sunless Tanning

by

May is Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness Month. Each Monday of this month will feature a post pertaining to sun safety and skin cancer awareness and prevention.

Week 1

I used to tan. I loved to tan! Like many people, I think I look a little better with a little color. I don’t seek to resemble a cognac leather handbag, obviously, but whereas I’m naturally roughly NC15 in MAC, I prefer to be around NC25, at least in the fair-weather months (I don’t bother in late Autumn and Winter).

Unfortunately, though, while tanning in the sun’s glorious rays or worse, in a tanning bed, might produce nice short-term results, the long-term consequences do not make it worth it. The attitude of, “We’ll deal with that when we reach it,” is not a healthy one. I’ve heard some people say, “Well I want to stop, but…” and then append some myth they heard or some excuse they have about why they’re just going to keep baking in the rays.

Let’s dispel three of those.

Read more

Tan Talk: Million Dollar Tan Review

by
Million Dollar Tan Cabana Tan and Cabana Tan Extreme LotionsMillion Dollar Tan Cabana Tan & Cabana Tan Extreme

So I mentioned in last week’s favorites post that I have been using Million Dollar Tan sunless self-tanning products recently. I avoid tanning in the sun and do not tan in a bed any longer – I actually had no intention of getting any color this year, but by April I already didn’t match my fall/winter foundation quite right. My wedding was come up so I figured, “Oh hell, I’ll just self-tan since I already need different foundation anyway.”

I previously wrote about Jergens Natural Glow Self Tanners, but I wanted something that packed a little more punch that I didn’t have to apply every single day. The last couple months leading up to most weddings are pretty hectic (mine was no exception), and ain’t nobody got time for that. I’ve tried sample packets of the towelettes – I had one from Kate Somerville 360, but towelettes aren’t for me. Years ago I had tried a spray-on variety and wasn’t a fan either. I compiled a list of requirements and ventured forth to see what Google could share.

My requirements for a sunless tanner:

1. Please for the love of cats do not be perfumed/scented*
2. Wash off my hands easily, please.
3. Not a towelette.
4. Not a spray.
5. Not super thick or goopy.
6. Fast-drying.

Optional:

No green tint
No color guide
No shimmer/glitter/nonsense

Call me picky. It’s okay – I know I am when it comes to this. To touch on these – I’m not a fan of fragranced lotions to begin with; I definitely do not want a perfumed sunless tanner, as the fragrance will almost surely not be cute once the DHA starts reacting and the, “tanning smell,” starts*. I just plain don’t like the towelettes – they may be a good option for you if you are traveling a lot, but I’d still rather have lotion. Sprays can be messy – that isn’t to say they’re bad, just not for me. 5 & 6 coincide – I don’t want to sit there for a half hour waiting for my self-tanner to dry before I can get dressed or go to bed. As far as the optional stuff – some tanning products have a green tint or dye which helps counteract the orange that sometimes occurs. This isn’t a bad thing, but it coincides with the second optional point – I do not need instant gratifications. I do not want dyes or bronzers in my lotion; I can wait the 4-8 hours for the color to develop. Also, as I am not Ke$ha, please skip the shimmer/glitter. If I want something like that, I’ll get a Soap & Glory Body Butter.

* Now, really quick, let’s talk about that asterisk next to the scent remark. I want a lotion that does not have ADDED FRAGRANCE or perfume because I am very picky about scents. I am not asking for a miracle-lotion that does not produce a, “tanning smell. Let’s chat about the science of the sunless-tanner odor before you lose your mind.

The smell that so many people get mad about and say, “boo,” to tanning lotions over is going to happen to some degree with any lotion that contains DHA..which is most of them. DHA, or dihydroxyacetone, is a compound derived from beets and from sugar cane (not scary), and when applied to the skin it reacts with the amino acid in your skin – this is what produces the color you seek, but a side effect is that this reaction also produces a smell. The strength of the odor will depend on your own body chemistry and the concentration of DHA in the particular product you choose – but it isn’t that the lotion smells that way, it is actually your body producing this smell.

Read more