It's that time of year again. If you're like 90% of women, you dread swimsuit season. The reason I am not a fan isn't necessarily because I'm out of shape but because I am incredibly pale. I've been made fun of my entire life for being "lily white" and I was even told "You'd be so pretty if only you were tan."
I've tried explaining that I literally cannot tan. I have tried. I go from Elmer's glue to Ketchup in a couple hours and then one sheet peels off to reveal Elmer's glue again. The good news is my skin still looks like I'm 12. I have no wrinkles or age spots and I most likely won't have any issues until I'm well into my 60's. In high school, all the girls started tanning around February to get ready for track/softball/soccer season and by Prom they looked like they had rolled in mud. To be quite honest, I did feel left out so I took it upon myself to get tan. I went to Walmart and bought the first batch of Jergens self tanner. I had no idea what I was doing (and neither did they). The lotion came out brownish-orange so I could at least see where I was applying it. However, I didn't quite grasp the concept of streaking. All I cared about was my legs for the first time in my life had color on them. The next day I put on my mini skirt and heels and I strutted into homeroom. I looked down and my ankle was completely orange. Then I saw the back of my leg. We'll leave it at that. I had to walk around the entire day looking like a hot mess. It's safe to say I learned to deal with being pale for a long time.
I've had enough! I want to feel confident and beautiful this summer! I started using self tanners again and they have come a long way since my days of orange knees. I have 3 tanners to review and I'm sure I'll have plenty more throughout the season.
Product #1: L'Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Salon Airbrush Self-Tanning Mist
This was the first one I bought. I got it at Walgreens for about $9.00. I made the mistake of buying this on a whim and never checked the reviews. When I got home, I got nervous so I did a bunch of research on it before applying. This has mixed reviews all over the internet so I figured I would just have to find out for myself. I like that it's a mist. It's super easy to apply and it literally dries instantly. They absolutely do not lie about that part. You can get dressed as soon as you apply it. The smell is a little bothersome but I have smelled worse tanners. It advertises a citrus scent but it is FAR from it. You're supposed to keep a good distance between yourself and the can when spraying to avoid color streaking. The problem I had is I can't get any color from this product. I only use this now to get my back because it does have a 360° wide angle applicator. Overall, leave this for hard to reach spots but don't rely on it for your all over color.
Product #2: Sephora Moisturizing Bronzing Body Lotion
I bought this on clearance on the Sephora website for $5.00. It's 6 oz but I figured I would check it out to see how it does. I desperately wanted this to be the miracle lotion. It has a pleasant smell and feels like silk going on. It lives up to the moisturizing name. My immediate issue with this though is the amount of "shimmer" in it. I looked like when I was 11 putting on roll on body glitter from Bath and Body Works. The color development is pretty quick compared to daily build up. It has a brown tone unlike those that have the orange base. I was getting really excited about this until I went outside. My legs looked just as pale as before but my knees, ankles, etc were "dirty" looking. Indoor lighting it looks perfectly fine. I think I will continue to work on this one to see if it is me applying it too sloppy.
Product #3: Jergens Natural Glow
I love this product. The smell is subtle, the color is a perfect shade for me, it's reasonably priced at around $8.00 at Walmart, and I haven't had an issue with color build up on my ankles. It takes about 3 days for it to look like anything is there and it supposedly lasts 3 days. I try to apply it every other day just to keep it up. I do lose color fast with this one. I can literally wash it off with a washcloth in the tub. The plus side to that is if I do make an oopsie, I know I can get it right off. Somehow this does not come off on my clothes but I am pleasantly surprised. My main annoyance with this is it takes FOREVER to dry. So far, this is my leading product.
Tips for the perfect glow:
1. Exfoliate! The color builds up on dead skin which causes the orange tint.
2. Shave before you apply. Trust me. Otherwise the color makes you look like you have itty bitty polka dots on your leg. Not the look you want to go for!
3. Apply moisturizer to your elbows, hands, the skin where your armpit meets your chest (I hadn't thought of this one until I started my research), knees, ankles, and the tops of your feet.
4. Use a figure eight motion when applying on your legs to avoid streaking. When you apply in an up and down motion, you can't always ensure you've covered all the skin.
5. If you'd like, you can get a special mitt to apply so your hands don't turn orange.
6. Lightly spread the color on your hands and feet. Make sure before it dries that you clean up the spaces in between your fingers and toes or your secret is out!
7. Make sure you also get the color off the palm of your hand.
If you have a favorite product you'd like to share, feel free to comment on this post!
Upcoming posts! See reviews of my very first Birchbox and how I scored a box full of samples from Sephora!
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