Now that it’s (sadly) winter and cold, our beautiful natural tans are fading. Never fear, however, as this is why fake tan was invented! As an avid fake tanner, I’m here to tell you all the tips and tricks you need, if you’re a beginner. Don’t be scared about it, it’s very easy, and you’ll be left looking golden brown afterwards.
First step: Find your tan
Everyone’s skin types are different, which means the tan that works for you may be different than what works for others. You’ll need to try out different tans which are, unfortunately, not very cheap. I would advise looking at reviews before purchasing. Personally, I’ve only tried Bondi Sands and Loving Tan. Bondi Sands was a good tan to start off with, as it was cheap enough that I could practise with it. Loving Tan, is honestly amazing and I never want to try another tan ever again. I personally use the dark one. It’s a lot more expensive than Bondi Sands, at 120ml for $35USD (free shipping to USA though!) A bottle that size generally lasts me between 2-3 months, depending on if it’s winter or not. During the winter, I only tan my legs and my top half of my body which makes the tan last longer. The packaging is also cute, and you can always find people like Shaaanxo and Lauren Curtis giving away online codes for free mitts/applicators. Plus, they have good YouTube tutorials on tanning.
The difference is astounding. As a disclaimer, I am not trying to bash Bondi Sands, this is just my own opinion, which may be very different from other peoples’ opinion. Loving Tan has a deeper olive tan, whereas Bondi Sands is a lot more orange. Bondi Sands never fully developed on my skin, and I don’t know if it is my skin or the formula. When it did develop, it would only last for 4-5 days, whereas Loving Tan lasts more than a week. Loving Tan also has a 2HR express tan, but I recommend getting the 8HR developing one, as the colour is better. Loving Tan also continues developing after you’ve washed it off, so the brown color will be even darker. It’s also a lot easier to apply. With any tan that you choose I would recommend the mousse, because it is easiest to apply. Additionally, when Loving Tan comes off, it gradually fades in all places, whereas Bondi Sands comes off patchy and makes it look like you have a skin disease.
Second step: Prep your body
Your body needs to be completely exfoliated in order for the tan to properly stick onto, and stay fresh for a week. You’ll need an exfoliating glove or mitt, and some exfoliating body wash. The first time you apply a fake tan, you won’t need to worry about scrubbing off the old tan, so just give your body a light exfoliate, making sure to pay attention to your elbows, knees and ankles. These are the driest parts of your body. Therefore the tan will stick to them, meaning these areas will be darker than the rest, making it obvious that your tan is fake.
After you’ve applied a fake tan for the first time, you’ll want to know how to remove it. It may take you a while to develop a way that works best for your skin, but the most effective way to get all of the tan off is to soak in a hot bath for between half an hour to an hour. The hot water makes the tan easier to scrub off. However, if you don’t have an hour every week to scrub off your tan (because, let’s be honest, who does?) another effective way to get rid of it is standing in a hot shower for a while. Personally, I like to combine scrubbing off the tan with washing my hair, as by the time I’ve washed my hair, the tan is about ready to come off. I give it an initial scrub, let myself soak for a bit longer, shave (shaving is also an exfoliator, so be careful throughout the week if you shave, it will create your tan to come off and become uneven) and then do a final, tough scrub. I also like to use a rough towel to dry myself off with, as this will help remove any excess tan.
An important thing to mention is that if you do have a bath, a long hot shower, or go to a spa or hot pool, before it’s time to exfoliate, your tan will come off.
Depending on when you want to apply the tan after your shower, it is important to moisturise.
Third step: When to apply the tan
This also depends on your skin type. A lot of beauty gurus say to exfoliate and shower in the morning, then tan in the evening, but I don’t like to go a whole day without tan on. It’s all down to preference, you can do whatever works for you! You just need to make sure that whenever you tan, you don’t have any body wash or moisturiser on. This kind of stuff blocks the tan from developing properly. I like to exfoliate around 5pm, and then tan around 10pm, giving my body a decent amount of time for the pores in my skin to close. This is important, because if your pores are open and your skin hasn’t gone back to its normal PH level after showering, the tan won’t stick to you. I had this happen when I was using Bondi Sands, but it got so bad that I couldn’t have a shower the same day and then tan. I got so frustrated that I started using Loving Tan, and with this formula I can tan two to three hours after showering.
A few of my friends that fake-tan exfoliate in the evening, and then tan during the day when they have nothing to do but lay around the house, waiting for the tan to develop. I don’t like doing this, because you can’t get anything on the tan including deodorant, water, sweat. If you do, the tan will come off. This is why I like tanning and then going to bed, as you can’t wash your hands or do anything around water.
Whenever you do apply a fake tan, make sure you wear loose clothes, as anything tight, like jeans, will cause your freshly applied tan to rub off, creating patches. Also, don’t worry about the tan getting on clothes or bed sheets, because it’s easy to remove the stains.
Fourth step: How to apply the tan
This process may seem daunting to start with, but once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll get used to it. When I first started tanning it would take me nearly half an hour, but now I can do it in less than ten minutes.
You’ll first need a fake tanning mitt. I recommend using an actual mitt instead of socks or something homemade, you’ll get a better finish. Brands I have tried and loved are Le Tan and Loving Tan. Both mitts are thick, which means no ripping of the sides, and with both mitts you can use the back and the front. This is very useful when tanning different parts of your body. The Loving Tan mitt is softer and plusher, but more expensive than the Le Tan mitt. I have also used ModelCo and Bondi Sands mitts, and while both do the job, I ripped through them in a few weeks. Both are also only one sided.
Grab the tan you’ve chosen, and pump the tan on the mitt. Then apply it in circles on your body, making sure to blend everything together. Don’t worry about things looking uneven, as the tan always washes off and makes everything look perfect, even if it doesn’t when you’re applying it. A good tip is that if it looks streaky, pat those parts, and it will help to blend it all together.
When applying tan to your back, I have no good tricks apart from asking someone to help. I’ve tried doing it myself using both my hands and coat hanger and it ended terribly.
When applying tan to your hands and feet, make sure you use left-over tan from your mitt. Using a new pump will be way too much and cause the color to over develop. Make sure you get in-between your fingers and toes, tanning every part of your hand that you possibly can. Then, when you think you’re done, close your fist and tan your white knuckle lines. Make sure you’ve gone to the toilet before you tan. As I said before, you won’t be able to go near water afterwards.
With your neck, don’t apply a lot. Depending on what color your foundation is, it may look funny. Also make sure to blend your neck and your face together well.
Fifth step: After applying the tan
After you’ve applied the tan, leave it alone for as long as you can. When showering off, make sure you’re gentle and use body wash to properly get off all the tan. When you dry yourself, pat yourself softly. If you dry yourself too aggressively, the tan will come off. One of the most important tips I can ever give you is to moisturize. It makes the tan last so much longer (a week or more) and it comes off more easily. I like to moisturize once a day in summer and twice a day in winter. Don’t moisturize after exfoliating in the shower, though, as you want your skin to be free of that kind of stuff.