How to: Perfect Self Tan ☼

⇻  Disclaimer ⇺

I am not saying you have to put on tan to be beautiful. I'm not saying pale skin is wrong or not attractive. I'm just giving some tanning tips and tricks I've picked if you do want to be a golden, tanned, goddess. That being said, lets get into it!

I am naturally the palest person I know. No seriously, I am stark white. I struggle BIG TIME to get a foundation light enough to match my skin when I have no tan on. My skin is practically blue its so pale. About five or so years ago, I started self tanning, and I never looked back. I have made horrific mistakes along the way and I'm here now to share everything I've learned about fake tan. 

Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate!

This is getting rid of dead skin cells so your skin is left bright and fresh. Your tan will have very little chance of coming out evenly if you don't exfoliate prior to applying it. A massive tip I can give is to start exfoliating in the shower three times before you know you're going to be putting tan on and moisturize. This really preps the skin and your tan will last so much longer and come out really even. If you haven't time, or like me, want to keep the tan you already have on, lightly exfoliate your elbows, knees, and ankles in the showers leading up to a full exfoliation. If you're just lazy (I feel ya) just give yourself a good scrub in the shower before you're going to be putting tan on. 

I prefer to use an exfoliating glove and whatever shower wash I'm currently using. I feel like it works a lot better than any body scrub. But don't scrub the life out of yourself either, go gently and your skin wont be irritated. Also it's a good idea to shave your legs or whatever needs shaving before you put tan on. This helps everything go on smoother. I shave first, then exfoliate. If you want to be smoother than silk, shave, exfoliate, then repeat once. I'd recommend waiting a few hours before applying tan if you're going to do this as the skin needs a break from all the treatment. 

Moisturise

I'd recommend moisturising your skin in the days leading up to your tan application. I prolongs the tan and keeps fading even. Don't moisturize the day you're actually putting on tan. It acts as a barrier to the tan and stops it from sinking into your skin as much. If you struggle with patchy knees, elbows, knuckles, and ankles, apply a small amount of light moisturiser to those areas and let to fully sink in before applying the tan. This stops it from developing as dark and helps with the patchiness. 

Apparatus

.. I had to stick in a science reference somewhere :) I use the Cocoa Brown double sided tanning mitt. I won't show you mine because lets just say it's a bit stained, but trust me, it's the bomb. I also use a big, dense makeup brush to do my chest, hands, and feet, which works best with mousse formula. I got this from Rachel Leary's video and this makes the application smooth and streak free. Another tip is to only use what's left on the mitt or brush to do your hands. I'm notorious for not following this rule myself, but it makes such a difference and the tan look way less orange and fake. 

Cocoa Brown double sided tanning mitt

Tans I love

My favourite mousse to use is the Rimmel Sun Shimmer self tan mousse. It is a lovely colour, not orange, and not green. It applies evenly, and you can see it as it's going on. I use it in dark and I'd get nearly a week's worth of tan from it. It washes off incredibly evenly also. I find mousse form is excellent for beginners or people not so used to self tanning.

My all time favourite tan is Wow Brown which you can get here. I am beyond obsessed with it. It is more of a lotion/gel formula and applies like a dream. The colour is gorgeous and looks so bronzed. You can see it when you're applying it too which makes it easy. I use it in medium/dark and it comes out flawlessly every time. I even double layered it once and it came out perfectly. It washes off beautifully and you'd easily get a week and a half out of it. 

Also the Cocoa Brown shimmer bronzing gel is great for when you already have tan on that's looking a bit dull. It has a bronze pigmentation and shimmer that adds an extra bit of oomph to your skin. It is wash off formula and I think it's a great product for touch ups.

Wow Brown tan. Amazing

After Care

The trick to keeping your tan is to keep your skin moisturized. Use your favourite moisturizer most days (or whenever you feel you need it) after applying the tan to prolong the colour and prevent patching fading. I like using Soap & Glory body butters and moisturizers - they smell gorgeous.

That's about it! If anyone has any tans I should try out, let me know! 

Happy tanning,

Sophie