Let’s Talk Self-Tanner

I feel better with a tan. I don’t know what it is about my body having some color on it, but man does it make me feel better.

• It makes my mood better (because I don’t look in the mirror and feel all pastey)
• It makes my makeup easier with is a win all in itself. Somehow the tan helps with my dark circles because hello it’s not dark circles right next to pastey white skin, but instead beside somewhat tan skin and I can either go without makeup more confidently or use less makeup. Either way, the tan makes it better.
• I can wear shorts/dresses/sports bras/bathing suits without feeling like I’m blinding myself or someone.

It defines the small amount of muscle that I do have and just helps it to look more oomph (you know what I’m talking about.)

So, let me say first, I have absolutely no problem or care in the world with people who don’t care to be tan, or use tanner, or get a tan in the sun (let me be the first to tell you, I LOVE a tan from the sun, with sunscreen of course, but it is too dang cold for that right now.) I’m all about doing what you want to do with your body, skin, hair, whatever it is to make you feel your best.

If you want to wear makeup or not, workout or not, get your nails done, do them yourself, or not at all, get your hair colored whatever way, or not, literally whatever it is, you do you! And for me, it means I like to use self tanner to give myself than “tanned” look year round. To each their own.

Okay, now let’s talk about the self tanner I’ve been using because I love it and it is budget-friendly. That is a major win in itself. I’ve been using the Tanologist self-tan mousse in the shade dark. The tanner is under $20 and worth every penny in my opinion.

How I Apply:

First things first, I shower and in the shower I shave and exfoliate. I’ll link my razor because it’s my absolute favorite ever here. And I also wrote a whole separate blog post all about it here. After I shave, I exfoliate all over using this and the Dove exfoliating body wash.

Once I get out of the shower and dry off, then I’ll lotion my whole body including my face. You can use whatever lotion you like best. Let you lotion dry for a few minutes!

Now you are ready to get your tan on. Let’s do this.

I apply it with a mitt in circular motions all over. I also use this tanner on my face, but if you’re not comfortable with that, there are tanning drops you can mix into your moisturizer/lotion to put on your face. Some people prefer one over the other. Complete preference!

This tanner doesn’t have color to it, so make sure you remember where you’ve applied so you’re not putting too much in certain places or running over the same places multiple times. The mitt really helps it to look even and not splotchy or streaky. Do the bigger surface areas on your body first with the most product on your mitts, then use excess for knees, elbows, hands, feet. Make sure to only go over these areas once or they can get to much tanner on them and not look natural. Also, bend your elbows and knees when running the mitt over for natural and best coverage. Don’t forget your neck area and behind the knees!

When do I apply? I apply at night after Krew goes to bed usually. This tanner takes about 4 hours to process and if you want it darker leave it longer. So, this works out perfect to apply and have it on overnight while you sleep, then rinse in the shower the next morning. After I apply and let dry for a few minutes, I’ll put on dark, loose long sleeves and dark loose pajama pants to sleep it. This helps it to not transfer onto light clothes or my bed! The next morning, I’ll hop in the shower and do a super quick rinse (don’t scrub). This just gets the excess off and gives it a natural, blended look.

If you want your tan to last, use lotion everyday, especially on your dry areas (elbows, knees, ankles, hands, feet).

With this tanner, I haven’t noticed it getting splotchy as the days pass. Even on day 4-5, I don’t see splotches where it’s worn off, it’s more of a gradual fade, which I love. Even though it doesn’t splotch, still exfoliate before using it again, unless you’re doing it a few days in a row to build a darker, more intense tan.

Top Tips to a Perfect Tan

1. Shower, shave, exfoliate.
2. Lotion (especially your dry skin areas)
3. Apply the most product on the major body parts (legs, stomach, chest, arms) then use what’s left on the mitt for knees, elbows, hands, and feet. I promise there is product on your mitt even if you don’t think so. The excess that you don’t see on there is the perfect amount for those smaller/drier areas.
4. Apply at night and sleep in dark, loose clothing.
5. Rinse but don’t scrub.
6. Lotion each day.
7. Exfoliate before next application.

I hope this helps you with your next self-tan, and thank you for reading! Let me know if you have any further questions, or try this out. We’ll chat again soon!

I’m just a mama who loves a good tan.