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One of the things I dislike about the beginning of summer is exposing yards and yards of my white skin to the world. Summer clothes just seem designed to look better when you have a tan. And I don't get tan. My skin is so pale and transparent, I look like an illustration in Gray's Anatomy.
Most of the time this doesn't bother me. It's who I am. I'm not going to hit the tanning beds. I'm not going to head to a Mystic Tan salon and strip down to my undies to get air-brushed by complete strangers. But I wouldn't mind picking up a little color.
And that's why I've grown to love self-tanners. I'm not saying they're all perfect. There was a really unfortunately incident involving me, a can of Lancome's self-tanning foam, and a dark, windowless bathroom in Florida. It's lucky that Mickey and Minnie can't talk, or they would have screamed and run away at the sight of my streaky orange legs.
But self-tanners have improved a lot--even the cheap ones.
Here's a self-tanner primer, in case you've never used one before. First of all, everyone reacts differently to self-tanners. If you've never used one, test the results by applying the product to an
inconspicuous place. Don't buy too dark a shade; start with a lighter shade and build. That will cut down on streaks. Make sure your arms and legs are smooth; apply moisturizer and
use a shower puff or exfoliator on them regularly. You don't want to have dry patches, because they absorb too much product and will give you an uneven tan. Thick skinned-areas like knees and ankles absorb more than their share of product, so after you apply a self-tanner, run a damp tissue over your knees and ankles to remove excess product. Be sure to let your self-tanner dry before you get dressed.
Ready to take the plunge? The following are really good, and not that expensive. Starting with the cheapest:
After the debacle of the streaky orange calves, Jergen's Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer was my re-entry self-tanner. I LOVE IT. I use it on my arms, legs, and face every day and it has given me a wonderful, natural color. It works slowly, and you basically can't mess it up.
There's no need to worry about orange palms or streaks. It's so subtle that I didn't realize how dark I had gotten until I went to put on makeup and realized that my foundation was several shades too pale.
I use the Light shade and plan to graduate to Medium in time for BlogHer. So keep an eye out for me--I'll be the one with the healthy natural glow.
L'Oreal Sunless Sublime Glow Moisturizing MicroFine Mist gets faster results than the Jergen's and is just as easy to apply.
It's like Mystic Tan, except for at-home use. No stripping down in front of strangers! The airbrush nozzle works at all angles, so the application couldn't be easier. Like the Jergen's, you have the option of getting a lighter shade, for a trouble-free, subtle tan.
TanTowel Look Good Naked Self-Tan Towelettes produce incredibly believable color and are easy to apply.
The invidividually-wrapped towelettes are convenient for travel and ensure that you use the right amount. The downside is the price: $21 for 10 towelettes. To get and stay tan, you'll need to use four towelettes a week.
Self-tanners have really improved, even in the last three or four years. The Lancome flash-bronzing foam I was using five or six years ago was state of the art at the time, but no longer. If you haven't tried a self-tanner lately, you don't know what you're missing. Trust me--you no longer have to choose between "Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Oompah Loompah."
