The weather is finally starting to warm up and this makes me want to switch out all of my winter sweaters for shorts and tank tops. It also makes me want to be tan! I know it may sound silly but having a little bit of color always puts me in a better mood. Many years ago, I would have already been laying in the tanning bed. I would start about February and go pretty much three to four times a week for a couple of months. I was also that girl that would go lay in the tanning bed and then head to the pool! I know, I know….just awful! When I lived in Tennessee, my neighbor had a pool. We would be out there every chance we had just baking in the sun. She would also make up her own tanning lotion for us to use. It was called “blister cream”. It consisted of cocoa butter, almond oil and iodine. If only I knew then what I know now!
When I started working at Rejuvenations Medical Spa, tanning beds were a bad word. In consultations we tell people to stay out of them and wear sunscreen every day. So, being employed there I could not be a hypocrite and tell people one thing and then do another. I gave up the tanning bed for good! But I still wanted to be tan so I started researching self tanners. Over the years I have tried so many I can’t keep count. There were many fails (some could have been due to operator error). I am going to share my top five favorites. I wanted to include a variety of products (mousse, spray, lotion etc). I will also share a few tips at the to make applying self tanner a little easier!
Coola Sunless Dry Oil Mist. This is one that you can use everyday if you wanted to. It is a very list mist that goes on very easy. The smell is ok. It still has that self tanner smell if you know what I am talking about. It drys very fast and the color develops in a few hours. This is a great one for fair skin and beginners. The color is a very natural golden glow. The downside is there is no color to it so you can’t see where you are applying the product. Once in a while, I would miss a few spots.
Fake Bake Flawless Self Tan Liquid. I do love Fake Bake products. For a long time, this was the only one I would use. This is a spray with a bronzer. It makes it very easy to see where to apply. I highly recommend putting an old towel on the floor because this can get messy. You can apply this directly to skin and then blend with a mitt. I found it easier to spray it on the mitt then blend. This is very dark when you first put it on. Don’t be alarmed…it will wash off in the morning. The color is a pretty golden bronze. Drys pretty quick and the color lasts about 5 days on me. It states it has a tropical smell but it smells like a self tanner in my opinion.
Tanceuticals. I tried both the lotion and the mousse in this brand. I also got the color dark for both. On my skin, this final color was medium at best. The lotion is another great choice for some one with fair skin. If you are super pale, you may want to go for the medium. The lotion goes on easy but has no color guide, so you can’t see where you are applying it. The mousse has a color guide which makes applying a breeze. It takes a few minutes to dry and has a coconut smell to it. The color lasted about 3 days.
Bondi Sands Aero. This is a tanning foam so it is very thick. I got the ultra dark and it is a very pretty deep bronze color. The only thing about this foam is it comes out a dark green (downside). I almost freaked out when I first applied it! I literally had a green tinge to my whole body. I just knew when I woke up I was going to look like Shrek!! But, the color guide washed off and the color was very pretty. Has a slight coconut smell and dries quickly. This color lasted almost a week.
Loving Tan 2 HR Express. This is my all time favorite! I see now why so many people love it. This is a mousse and I got the dark but when it runs out I will probably get the ultra dark. It has a color guide so it shows where it goes. It dries quick and has a suntan lotion smell. The color is a deep golden bronze and looks gorgeous! The color lasted almost a week. I really like the olive undertones in this self tanner.
Best Self Tanner for Beginners: Coola Dry Oil Mist
Best Self Tanner for Fair Skin: Coola Dry Oil Mist and Tanceuticals Lotion
Best Self Tanner Mousse: Loving Tan 2HR Express
Self Tanning Application Tips. I recommend doing this at night so the color can develop and you can shower it off in the morning.
Shower before you apply. I like to shave and use a sugar or salt scrub to exfoliate.
Before I start tanning, I apply a small amount of lotion to my knees, elbows, ankles, and the back of my hands. This keeps the tanner from getting too dark in these areas.
I highly recommend a mitt with any of the above self tanners listed. This will make application so easy.
I start with my feet and work my way up. I also recommend using upward strokes to blend evenly.
Let it dry completely before getting dressed.
You can also use Jergens Natural Glow Daily to make your tan last longer.
I hope you found this post helpful! Comment below with some of your favorite self tanners!
