A big part of becoming a beauty expert is not being afraid to experiment Royals. I’ve been mulling around a few questions in my head about self-tanner and I’m so stinkin’ excited I tried them out! They are: Will self-tanner enhance my “natural tan”, even out my skin tone and give me a glow-y summer look? The answer: YES!!!
THE PRODUCT
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In my quest to find a self-tanner to try, I ran into a few issues during my research. (A) No other woman of color I know self tans, so I had no references! (B) From reading several dozen reviews, I could tell I needed to avoid self-tanners that turn orange and emit that “self-tanner smell”. (C) PRICE! I saw self-tanners that were going for $70-80 in the salon where I get my hair cut! *Jeez*
After a little digging I ran into tons of great reviews on Banana Boat’s Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion in Deep Dark Color. The best part is that it’s affordable and easy to find. I got it for $6.47 at Walmart. At that price, I was willing to take the chance that my theories weren’t going to turn into fact. The formula says it’s oil-free plus enriched with Vitamin E and Aloe Vera. The finish is also streak-free, which I think has more to do with your application techniques than anything else.
THE APPLICATION
When it comes to self tanning, the application is just as important (if not more!) than the actual self-tanner that you decide to use. Here are my tips and what I did to get a glowing natural tan.
Step One: Apply an hour before bed. Most self-tanners need up to 24hrs to fully develop. But most importantly, no matter what self-tanner you use…there’s “the smell” that you have to deal with. BB Summer Color I’m told isn’t that bad compared to most self-tanners out there. I found it to be not that bad and only slightly annoying. It didn’t drive me crazy, but I was happy to wash it off the next morning.
Step Two: Shave & Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate! Let me say just now that I don’t recommend shaving right before to everyone and while using every product. I am saying that I was able to do so without any irritation. Proper exfoliating on the other hand, is a MUST! a sugar scrub is great, but I suggest an exfoliating glove to really get the best results possible. If you apply self-tanner on flaky skin, your tan is going to look uneven and blotchy.
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Step Three: Now that your nice and smooth, dry of really well and apply moisturizer just to your knees, ankles, elbows and wrists. This will keep the self-tanner from saturating those areas and making them darker than the rest of your body.
Step Four: Most people use gloves, but I decided to apply the self-tanner with my bare hands. BB’s Summer Color is a great consistency (not too thick or runny) and extremely moisturizing! It let my skin soft and with a slight bit of color due to it’s tint. The slighly bronzed shade makes it easy to tell where it’s been applied.
I started on the bottom half of my legs and spread the little bit left out to my knees and ankles. And then I just worked my way up! Never rub self tanner into the places that you applied moisturizer earlier. Just work whatever’s left over onto those areas and you’ll get an even tan. Also, because BB’s Summer Tan is oil-free, you can apply it to your face also. It will give you a nice glow and reduce the amount of foundation and concealer that you normally use.
Step Five: Wash your hands! If you want to avoid orange or weirdly tanned palms, wash your hands thoroughly. I even use a sugar scrub to make sure I got it all off.
Step Six: In a perfect world, you could spend the nest 30 mins walking around naked and letting the self-tanner do it’s thing. But most of us have roommates, so I’m going to advise against it. Do however, apply really loose clothing until it completely dries. This is especially important if you applied it during the day and don’t want to ruin your good clothes.
Step Seven: Enjoy your tan! The great thing about BB’s Summer Tan is that it’s build-able. The more you use it, the tanner you’ll get. I would suggest not applying it more than once in a 24hr period though. If you’re satisfied with your results, just re-apply every 3-4 days to maintain. You can also mix equal parts of self-tanner and your favorite lotion to keep a healthy glow year-round!
THE RESULTS
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I love my bronzed skin!! It’s more even and my legs look smoother and dare a say a bit sexier Image may be NSFW.
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Using Banana Boat’s Summer Color in Deep Dark gave me a more evened skin tone and enhanced my natural color. I even look more toned and fit! Even though I’m IN LOVE with the results, I don’t think I would make this an every day thing. But anytime I know I’ll be showing a lot of skin (or leg), I’m definitely reaching for this. I can’t wait to discover other brands and what they can do. I may even try a spray tan one day!
Do you use self-tanner? What are your favorites and why do you like them? If you’ve never self-tanned, are you inspired to now? Leave a comment below!
Bronze Royally,
J. Clarice
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