Best Tips For Creating A Faux Tan Anytime

Summer is officially over now. Total bummer, right? But who says we have to put a complete halt on anything slightly resembling sunshine and warmth? NOT US! No sir…I am a sunshine rebel and I am here to tell you how to prolong the summer no matter what time of year it may happen to be:) It’s called FAUX TANNING! Yep, keep that summer tan all year long and feel the warmth beauties!

For the best results you will need to begin by prepping your skin. Think of it as priming, so in other words, exfoliating. You want to remove any dry or dead skin first using a gentle scrub, so get your gorgeous body in the shower and scrub yourself from head to toe using a loofah, or a wash cloth combined with a gentle body exfoliant scrub. The sugar polishes are good too! They get the job done by buffing the skin and removing dead skin cells but are also soft on the skin. Good for those who are sensitive. I also suggest using Fake Bake Passion Fruit Body Polish 170ml/6oz. Fake Bake tanning products are fantastic. I would also suggest avoiding oil based exfoliants and body scrubs or polishes as they can act as a barrier to your self tanner adhering to your skin.

Once you’ve done this and the skin looks even and ready for tanning you can move on to the next step, which is your color. This skin must be thoroughly dry before  you begin applying your self tanner. Make sure to add some moisturizer on to the dry areas and creases in your body like your elbows, knees, ankles, wrists and hands to prevent your self tanner from building up or catching on these areas. These parts of the body tend to tan darker and stand out making your tan look uneven. Plan on tanning your face too? Then you will need to apply moisturizer to your hair line as well to avoid the same thing happening to your face.

Next You Will Need To Wax or Shave

I suggest shaving or waxing your legs and bikini area the day before applying your self-tanner to avoid any irritation this may cause the area and therefore keep your self-tanner from working properly. It will also prevent you from shaving off all of your faux tan since shaving is considered a type of exfoliation.

Now It Is Time To Apply Your Self-Tanner Product

You will want to apply your self tanning product to all of the larger areas first like your legs, arms, stomach and back. After applying self-tanner completely all over these areas then you can focus on your neck, feet, ankles, knees and hands.  Make sure you check your entire body closely for any dark patches or streaks, especially in these areas. If you do notice any we suggest using a small hand towel or tanning mitt to buff out and blend these areas of your body to make your tan look as natural as possible. Once you are finished with these areas then you can apply self tanner to your hands. It is very important to use a ratio of 50 percent self-tanner to 50 percent body cream to cut the color down. Otherwise your hands will be too dark and will not match your body. Massage the mixture into the backs of your hands.

Faux Tan On Face

It can be a little frightening and tricky when it comes to tanning your face. Many of us are afraid of applying harsh ingredients to our faces, or concerned that the color will look too orange, too dark, or even worse, streaky and not seamless with the rest of our body. The good news is, there are so many amazing self-tanning products on the market that are specifically just for faces and are extremely safe, so problem solved! Pro Tip: for an even application use a makeup sponge to apply tanning cream to your face.

If you’re still on the fence about using a self-tanner on your face then may we suggest using a good face bronzer. Make sure the color of the bronzer matches or compliments the rest of the color of your tan. Too Faced has an excellent selection of facial bronzers along with Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown. For the best results make sure to apply your bronzer in layers using a full and fluffy bronzer or powder brush to avoid adding too much color and to ensure that it matches beautifully with the rest of your bronzed body.

Best Self Tanner To Use

The best formula’s for self tanning are usually cream based since they tend to be more moisturizing to your skin. Unfortunately, most of them are white without any tint. So you need to be extra careful where you apply them. Otherwise you can have dark spots in places you did not want them or white spots! You can use tinted gels but they tend to set into your skin quickly and some skin types find them drying. Sprays are great for easy coverage but can be tricky. Best to use a 360 degree nozzle. NORVELL Amber Sun Prime Bronze Optimize Enhance Spray is great! You can get a rapid tan in one hour. Spray Tans are also great for keeping a sunless tan going. Another type of self-tanners include bronzing mousse like VITA LIBERATA products. (The Vita Liberata Tanning Mitt, can be used from head to toe.)

Picking A Shade

Finding the perfect shade for your tan will depend on your actual skin tone. If you are fair to light skin then you will need to do a few coats of self-tanner in order to achieve a darker tone. I do not suggest buying a darker shade since it will make your tan look fake. It would be in your best interest to do a shade patch to make sure the color is right for your skin tone before you do a head to toe tan. Just saying…

Keep Your Tan Going

Prolong your self-tan by staying hydrated and applying lots of moisturizer every day! You can use a regular body cream but we prefer using a tan extending cream, his will keep your color looking rich for a few days longer. Want to add a little pizzazz to your newly tanned body? Then may we suggest applying a little shimmer to your arms and legs?!

te-see xo