If there’s one thing that I consider myself an expert in, it’s the art of the faux-glow: I was a competitive ballroom dancer in college, and if you’ve ever seen an episode of Dancing with the Stars, you have to have a deep tan to stand out on the dance floor. Think bright lights, barely-there costumes, and a dance floor packed with competitors- a dark tan gave you the competitive edge. My tanning ritual has changed over the past five years since I retired from competitive ballroom, and the products have improved! I’m rounding up my favorite products for everything from a natural glow to a dance-floor-worthy bronze, and sharing my tips and tricks for applying your tan and getting it to last.
THE BASICS: tanning for newbies
So you’ve got a wedding, or a party and you need to tan but you’ve never done this before; you’re probably worried that you’re going to turn orange, or be super dark, or it’s going to be splotchy. You’re having flashbacks to early 2000’s red carpets where every celeb was spray tanned to the max and looked like an oompa loompa.
First, do not be afraid. The products are better now- no one wants an orange tan and companies know this. Most tanning products come in a range of shades, so you can start where you’re comfortable. However, I would go one shade darker than you want to be. It helps make your tan longer-lasting and honestly, I rarely think that a product is “too dark.” I personally always use the darkest shade available. When I used to spray tan for dance competitions, the lady who did my tans told me that your skin absorbs any kind of fake-tan product similar to how it absorbs the sun: if you naturally tan well, you will get a deeper tan with a spray tan or self-tanner than someone who naturally doesn’t tan well.
The Jergens Instant Sun sunless tanning mousse is a great place to start: it’s affordable $$, comes in two shades (I use deep bronze), and is available at drug stores and Ulta. I’m going to link all of the products that I can from Amazon in this post, and I’ll include where else to find them as well.
Apply with a mitt (wash mitt after each use) and let it sit overnight, or during the day, before showering. This product does transfer slightly to sheets if you sleep in it, so wear loose dark pjs to help it not transfer. You will get an instant tan, and the longer you can go without showering, the more time your skin has to absorb and retain the color.
For an easy but glam tan, L’Oreal Sublime Bronze tinted self-tanning lotion will give you color and shimmer. Very affordable $, comes in two shades (I use deep), and is available at drug stores and Ulta. The lotion goes on smoothly and evenly, but does take a bit longer to dry than the mousse. I apply this the day of an event to add an extra layer of glow to my tan and shimmer, and give it about 15-20 minutes to set in before I get dressed. This is one of my staple products that I’ve been using for years.
THE BALLROOM BRONZE: tanning for the unafraid
*drumroll please* My current favorite self-tanner is Loving Tan Deluxe Bronzing Mousse. It’s pricey $$$$, comes in three shades (I use ultra dark), and is available on Amazon and at Ulta. This stuff is worth every penny: apply it with a tanning mitt and let it sit overnight or throughout the day. I get less color transfer to my sheets with this than I do with the drugstore products. However, I do prefer to apply this in the AM before work, wear something dark-colored and looser to work, and then shower it off in the PM. With any of the higher-pricepoint tanning mousses, I recommend treating it as a spray tan: I let it sit for as long as I can, and I don’t use soap for the first shower, just rinse it off with water. The ultra dark is the deepest color self-tanner that I’ve been able to find and my tan lasts for at least a week.
Personally, I try and save this for when I know I need a super dark tan: if I’ve got an event to go to, or I’m taking a bunch of photos. I use the Jergens mousse between events or photos to keep up my glow because it’s more affordable to use that product on the regular. I will apply the L’Oreal Sublime Bronze lotion the day after I use this product for added color and shimmer.
For the face, I use the Tan-Luxe The Face tanning drops. These are also expensive $$$$, they come in two shades (I use medium/deep), and you can get them at Sephora (they’re more expensive on Amazon). They are worth the investment because one bottle lasts a long time, and the medium/deep color gets you a dark-enough color where you don’t have to use them all of the time. I will use these once a week, usually the day before I have something that I want to be tan for, in the AM, and you will see the color develop throughout the day. I do not use any of my tanning mousses on my face- I have oily acne-prone skin and don’t want to mess with it. I mix four drops in with my moisturizer, and the color will last a good 4-5 days. Wash your hands after applying. These drops and the Loving Tan mousse is my all-time top self-tanning combo.
Honorable mention goes to the St. Tropez Self Tan bronzing mousse. I tried this recently because I found it on sale, and it gets me a nice dark color. This is the most expensive $$$$$, comes in two shades (I use dark), and is available at Ulta and Sephora. It’s good, but Loving Tan is a few bucks cheaper and gets me a darker color than St. Tropez. St. Tropez is a easy to apply, I don’t get streaks and it’s very even. I also do like that it’s available at more retailers-helpful if you’re in a pinch and need a tanning product. I’m an avid Sephora shopper, so I do pick up the St. Tropez tanning mitts when Sephora runs their 20% off sales- if you wash them after each use (soap and water will do the trick) they last for several months.
Happy Tanning! Let me know what products you liked!
xoxo,
Kaitlyn
