There is absolutely nothing wrong with creamy porcelain skin. It is beautiful, it makes makeup pop, it is lovely. Some people can pull it off beautifully but if you are like me and have pink undertones, dark circles and blue veins that show up all too well....you might want to consider going under the gun (spray gun that is). I do not encourage laying out in the sun or tanning beds unless it is infrequent and for the purpose of getting a little Vitamin D.
One huge thing that I would also like to point out is that spray tanning is not just for the pale girls! For all of my ethnic ladies out there, spraying can be a great solution to blotchy or uneven skin. It is very common for women of color to have the "halo" on their faces, light/dark spots from injuries/scars or general uneven tone. Go to your local tanning salon, buy a spray session and kiss your imperfections goodbye!
Many people think that spray tanning is scary and it absolutely is if you do not know how to do it correctly. If done incorrectly you could end up looking like a pumpkin with leprosy. Not a good look. Below I will tell you exactly how to get the perfect faux tan and avoid disaster.
STEP 1: EXFOLIATE AND SHAVE
Your skin cells are constantly trying to renew themselves and push away the old cells. You have to remove that dead skin otherwise the dead cells (which cause that dry/flaky look) will absorb more of the tanner and cause darker uneven spots. Shaving is also important. On top of it being another form of exfoliation, once you have tanned, shaving will strip your tan off of your skin and that is literally money down the drain.
STEP 2: MOISTURIZE
This is very important. In conjunction to what I said in step 1, you really want to hydrate your skin so that any dry skin you may have will not absorb more of the tanner than other areas of your body. Focus on knees, ankles, heels, elbows, toes and nail cuticles.
STEP 3: TAN
If you are going to a tanning booth all you have to do is step in, push the start button and a ladies voice tells you step by step what to do. If you are spray tanning at home, it may take a couple of tries but you have to make sure you spray every single part of your body. This sounds obvious but I promise, you will miss places the first time. If you do miss spots, wait until the tan develops, lightly spray the areas you missed and blend with a sunless mitt (described in step 4). My personal favorite spray tan is Versa. Many people do Mystic Tan but if you are as white as I am, Mystic still looks Simpsons-ish. Versa turns you the perfect shade of ooooo la la.
STEP 4: BLEND
Whether you are in a tanning booth or using an at home self tanner, you must blend. Many tanners say "streak free" but that is a bunch of bologna. My favorite product for this is a $4.99 Ulta Sunless Mitt. Put the mitt on your hand and after you have applied your tanner, gently rub it on you skin in a circular motion. Do not rub hard. That is just unnecessary.
STEP 5: DEVELOP
DO NOT let your skin get wet until your tan processes or else it will stop developing!! This includes sweating and wet little dog noses that want to sniff you (I learned that the hard way). I usually tan before I go to bed and then rinse in my morning shower. If you do not want to get too dark, keep an eye on how the tan is developing and when you get to your desired color, hop in the shower and rinse that bad boy off.
MAINTENANCE:
Once you have tanned, I suggest you respray every week to week and a half. When your skin gets wet from showering, swimming or washing your hands, pat your skin dry. DO NOT RUB! Last but not least, moisturize. You should be doing this anyways but just as a friendly reminder, please make sure you are applying your lotion or using your shower oils every day!!
I hope this helps you and if you have any questions, leave me a message in the comments box below!
xoxo
