Even with social distancing and staying at home, I am still the girl that likes to get up and feel like myself. Not only does that mean spending some time playing with my hair & makeup it means having glowing bronzed skin. I always feel 100% better when I have a nice tan.
Since it is currently still freezing cold outside in Connecticut that means I turn to my BFF, self tanner. Even when it is sunny I still turn to self tanner because I am so against laying the sun!
The tanning product that I turn to and have been using for over a year it the Loving Tan Mousse in the shade Ultra Dark. It gives the most natural looking self tan with some olive tones making it a gorgeous deep tan. If you are new to the Loving Tan brand I recommend starting off with a lighter shade just so you can get familiar with how to use the product. But before I really get into the details of applying the tanner let me talk about the prep work that goes into it.
EXFOLIATION… is key!
To prepare your skin before you apply the self tanner you need to need to exfoliate all the dead skin cells off. It sounds gross, I know. To exfoliate my skin I love starting with a Dry Brush which I use even before I get in the shower. Basically before I turn the shower on, I hop in and use the dry brush in circular motions. This really smooths your skin out. This brush is especially great for using on the drier areas like you elbows, knees, wrists, and ankles.
Next thing I like to go in with is a Sugar Scrub, this is another way to really prep the skin even more. This scrub smells AMAZING and is great for just an all over exfoliation. I especially love using this in the winter months to help smooth my skin.
After I scrub everything away I go in with my razor to make sure I have a close shave. I did get laser hair removal which honestly best thing ever! But I love to go in and just make sure all over is really smooth & hair free. This is another way of exfoliating your skin!
If all of that didn’t work and you have any leftover stubborn tan I like to go in with a self tan removing mitt. This mitt has a super coarse texture to it which is perfect for any areas that just won’t budge.
One last PREP step…
Once I am out of the shower I like to really let my skin dry. As much as I want to lather up in a nice body lotion you have to let your skin dry. I will get out the shower blow dry my hair and do some skincare and really make sure that there is no moisture on my skin. Once I am done then I like to go in with a thick moisturizer and put it on all of those dry areas. This is going to make sure that when applying the tan it does not stick to those areas. Be liberal when you apply it. Trust me! I have definitely had my fair share of tanning mishaps.
TIP: Apply the moisturizer and let it sink into your skin for like five minutes. This will help it even more when you apply the tan!
Time to get your TAN on!
Finally after all that prep work it’s time to get your glow on! I raved about my favorite tanner the Loving Tan Mousse. It has such a great color guard which is the color you see when you are applying the tanner. This gives you an instant color to help make sure that you don’t miss a spot. This helps so much when you apply it!
TIP: Like I mentioned before start with a lighter shade and you can work your way up to a darker self tanner. This will help you get use to applying it with out having to walk out of the house with any crazy dark hands or anything.
What I love about this mousse is that it goes on flawlessly. When I apply it I go in circular motions making sure to reach all over so that there aren’t any weird tan lines. When it comes to the drier areas I like to wait until there is very little mousse left on the mitt. This will make it still have some color but nothing too dark or crazy.
TIP: Once you are done applying the self tanner give it a couple minutes to set in. Once you give it that time grab a washcloth and the thick moisturizer that you used when you were prepping your skin. Trust me this is a life changing tip!! Go in with the washcloth and apply the moisturizer to those dry areas we keep talking about. Use circular motions and really buff away the mousse. This is especially good for your wrists. It creates a very natural looking tan!
I particularly like to sleep in my tan to give it the ultimate time to develop. When I wake up I hop in a nice cold shower. I know it sounds crazy, but a cold shower for a couple minutes to just wash off the color guard. Don’t freak out! You are going to see some of your tan go down the drain. Your tan is still there and it is going to develop after you step out of the shower. I don’t use any body wash when I take this shower because I am really only rinsing off the color guard.
When I am done in the shower I grab that same moisturizer and lather up! The best way to prolong your tan and really make it last is by moisturizing all day EVERYDAY!! Seriously though. I moisturize from the inside out make sure you are drinking tons of water and applying a lotion before bed.
All my favorite products to get the most flawless self tan are linked so we can get our bronze on together girlfriend!
xo
Sarah Elizsabeth
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