Monday 27 March 2017

Tanning 101


how to self tan

Self-tanning is a weekly occurrence for me and something I almost do now out of habit. Don’t get me wrong, I still have weeks where I don’t put any on but I often get the “are you sick?” questions or just people stating the obvious “you look very pale”. Add in the fact that most of my foundation is a shade or two darker than my natural colour, tan gives me more options with my makeup and I feel better with a bit more colour.

I really started getting into tan that was darker than gradual when I was at university and would usually apply St Moriz Dark lotion on a Saturday night, Sunday night and Monday morning in preparation for Monday nights out – it didn’t look quite as mad as its sounds because half of it washed off before I got out! I thought today I would go through what I do in terms of prepping my skin for tan, how I apply it and what products I use and how best to maintain it!

To start with, whether I’ve got week old tan on I need to get off or I’m starting from scratch, I always like to exfoliate and moisturise my skin. So, if I’m planning on applying tan on a Friday night, I will make sure I exfoliate and moisturise the night before.

how to prep before tanning

Soap and Glory Pulp Friction Body Scrub is my favourite body exfoliator. It lathers up a lot more than other exfoliators which really helps spread it over my body and get patches of tan off as well as soften any rough patches! I always spend a little extra time on my elbows, heels and knees too.

If I’m using an exfoliator that hasn’t got all the tan off I will go back over my body with exfoliating gloves (mine are from Poundland) and a shower gel with oil like the one I talked about last week as oil helps to break tan down and makes it easier to remove.

soap and glory the righteous butter moisturiser review

After showering, I will then generously moisturise my body and at the minute I’m using Soap and Glory Righteous Butter which is a really thick and rich moisturiser perfect for prepping the night before you tan. Self-tan applies best on clean skin so don’t moisturise right before you plan on tanning and do make sure your body is completely dry!

Since I started using Bondi Sands last year, it’s quickly become my favourite tanning brand. If you’re looking for a natural, even, long lasting tan look no further! I switch between the Liquid Gold Self-Tanning Dry Oil and the Self-Tanning Lotion (Dark) at the minute.

bondi sands bellamianta tan review

The one negative I will say about the oil is that it’s messy so do lay a towel down in the bathroom when you apply as it can skite over the tiles etc.! It’s totally worth it thought because it leaves you with such a beautiful shade of tan the next day and wears off so evenly over the week! I generally prefer lotions or sprays to foams as I find they can dry out my skin quicker. Both tans have a light coconut scent and to be honest I never really get the whole biscuit scent thing with tan anyway.

At the minute I’m also using White to Brown lotion – love the colour but it wears off patchy – and St Tropez self-tanning mist – very light colour so I usually apply a few layers and sometimes have to reapply the next day too. I definitely always go for the dark version of tans so I don’t usually have this problem but I got the St Tropez in a beauty box!

To apply my tan, I either spray the tan onto my body and rub in with my Bellamianta luxury tanning mitt or apply the lotion directly to the mitt. This is completely worth the extra few pounds compared to a standard mitt as it’s lasted so much longer, feels softer and doesn’t fall apart and let tan seep in like I’ve had some tan mitts do in the past!

oil of olay review

For tricky areas like elbows and heels I apply a light moisturiser like Oil of Olay onto the area, apply tan as normal than I take a square of toilet roll and dampen it then lightly wipe away the excess where it could gather. For my hands, I apply about a pea size amount of moisturiser onto the back of my hand then another pea size amount of tan and rub the back of my hands together not forgetting the sides and where my thumb and fingers meet. Again, I take the damp square and lightly dab my knuckles and joints as these can have some build-up of tan. I’ve also seen people do this half and half tan/moisturiser then use a makeup brush to apply but I haven’t tried that yet!

To maintain my tan I make sure I follow up with moisturiser every day so my skin is as hydrated as possible and I find especially with Bondi Sands that it looks good all week.

Do you tan regularly? What is your favourite fake tan?

Danielle xx

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44 comments

  1. I really want to try Bondi Sands! I'm always hearing such great things about their products :)

    xo, Liz
    http://lipstickandconfetti.com

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    Replies
    1. These two are amazing! I want to try the extra dark foam next! Xx

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  2. I really want to try the Bondi Sands tanner, it is right up there on my list with the Loving Tan self tanner!

    Danielle xx
    http://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/

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  3. Thanks for the tips, I have never self tanned before and I am planning to do it before I go on holiday in easter. I need all the help I can get!

    Vanessa x | www.springlilies.com

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  4. I tan almost every Thursday & I'm loving Bondi Sands & Bellamianta tan at the moment - I must buy that mitt! xx

    Beautylymin

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    Replies
    1. It's fab! The Bellamianta tan I tried wasn't dark enough for me but I borrowed it off my mum and she always gets the light stuff so I'll maybe try it another time! Xx

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  5. I don't really self tan but it was interesting to know about it just in case I will decide to get a fake tan in future.

    Nina's Style Blog

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  6. I have never self-tanned but I really want to start doing it as I hate tanning naturally and spray tan is too much effort! The Bondi Sands sounds good! x

    Ariadna || RAWR BOWS

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    Replies
    1. Yes I don't have the patience to self tan naturally and spray tans can be expensive! These two are great products for a natural tan! Xx

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  7. I haven't self-tanned in so long but now that spring is here, I'm definitely looking forward to starting my self-tan routine again. So many great tips in this post! That dry oil sounds nice, except for the fact that it's a little messy.

    Paula
    Thirteen Thoughts

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Paula! Yes definitely lay a towel if you use it but it's 100% worth the mess! Xx

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  8. I have never self tanned before but you gave us some pretty useful tips :))

    Caterina | www.caterinasosso.com

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  9. It has been a long time since I last tanned and I look so white at the moment. I don't have a good experience with tanning which put me off. Next time I decide on tanning, I will follow your steps maybe it would help me get better result :)

    Ela BellaWorld

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  10. I've never tan before (and as a matter of fact I don't need it) but this post was very informative!

    x,abril
    The Color Palette

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  11. I have never used a tanning product before and honestly I don't think I ever will. I tan extremely easily, let me be under the sun for 15 minutes and I'll turn brown. LOL!

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    Replies
    1. Lucky you! I turn a darker shade of ghostly white! Xx

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  12. I don't think that I'll ever need to tan myself as I am naturally that colour, but thanks for the tips...
    www.crazyaboutcolors.com

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  13. I don't use tanning products since I live in Cyprus and I get a nice tan every year but it good to know what others use and what works and not. Great post!! xx

    Yiota
    PinkDaisyLoves

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  14. That righteous butter always smells so good! I don't tan often but I feel like all these are super crucial :D

    xx Sofia | SOFIAADOT

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    Replies
    1. It's gorgeous isn't it! Yes I think they are too! Xx

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  15. Totally agree with what you've written, I became a fake tan lover a few years ago and learnt my own tricks. I have to say the classic one I tend to use is St Moritz although the next one for me to try is the Bondi Sands oil x

    LAURA ­| Laura Thinks About

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    Replies
    1. I used to love St Moritz! I must pick up another bottle and see if it's still as good! Xx

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  16. i don't use self tanning products as I already have medium skintone. However, I love Soap and Glory as well as Olay products. Great post Danielle.

    Ash | www.mstantrum.com

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  17. I used to tan quite regularly in the summer, but that was before the kids. Now I can't even remember the last time I did. A habit to take up again come summer, my legs are pale as a ghosts.

    Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking

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  18. Yess, I've used the soap and glory body scrub and I LOVE it. However, on the tanning side, I don't really need it; I'm mixed so I think I'm pretty tanned already! x Loved this post all the same,
    Lots of love,
    Marina Rosie xx
    http://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/

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    Replies
    1. Haha saves on a weekly tanning session! Glad you like the S&G scrub too! Xx

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  19. Ironically, people here are usually tan and they often use whitening products! I guess tanned or fair, what matters is glowy, radiant skin, and I love how most of your selections covers that. Great picks!

    - Gretch of GG Memochou

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  20. I recently got a spray tan and I cannot explain the importance of exfoliating it's an essential. I'm on the lookout for a new one and that soap and glory one sounds great. Next time I'm definitely going to take more care with moisturising my heals as I found it went a lil odd there haha. Great tips!
    Charlotte / Charlotte's Picks

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    Replies
    1. Yes elbows, heels and knees are first to show up if they aren't exfoliated/Moisturisd in my opinion! Xx

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  21. I'm not going to lie, I couldn't relate because I've never tanned LOL! But trust me when I say that I love the Olay Fluid!! It's been my holy grail for years ...
    tipscapsule.blogspot.com

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  22. Hey girl, very good looking and lovely blog! I love to scrub my body, now I'm using exfoliating gloves by Daily Concepts and Collistar's scrub :)
    I'm looking forward to tanning this summer!!

    Feel free to visit my blog (even if it's in Italian!!)
    XoXo

    Silvia | www.andoutcomesthegirl.com

    ReplyDelete

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