#selftan

The fabulous after effects of tanning in the sun:

THE RISK OF SKIN CANCER!!!!

Wrinkles

Aging skin

Freckles / Pigmentation / Discolouration (ever tried to remove pigmentation? Ja, blerrie damn impossible)

Painful sunburn (no matter how much after-sun you put on)

Horrible skin peeling that goes on for what seems like forever

A tan that also ends up fading (if you have a skin type that does tan, some don’t!)

So, then how do you get a beautiful beach bronzed goddess look with the sun nasties? Fake tan. Self-tan. Call it what you will. There are so many brands and options available, there will be something to suit you! Applying self-tan has a little bit of a learning curve and if you want to tan your whole body you will probably need some help (unless you have strangely long and bendy arms…) but it’s not impossible and there are some formulas that are easier to use than others. If you’re a beginner start with a cream/lotion formula, even better if it has a guide colour (the product is coloured to help you see where it’s been applied). Even if you dive in the deep end it can’t come out that horrible, as the formulas now are so much better than the orange paint of earlier decades (hello Oompa Loompas of the 90s).

I have a whole arsenal of self-tan products I’m still going to try:

Luv that Sun Daily Tan Airbrush Bronze Shimmer (medium)

Clicks Sun Protect Instant Colour Spray (dark)

Sun Labs Bronzed Daily Tan Airbrush Bronze Shimmer (dark) – I’m thinking this is the same range as the Luv that Sun one, Dischem will have to clarify…

SkinnyTan 7-day-tanner (dark)

Le Tan Self Tanning Foam Coconut Water

Some key pointers to a good and lasting self-tan:

EXFOLIATION. Especially before you apply it. Think of applying icing over a crumby and uneven cake. You end up with blotches everywhere. So scrub, scrub, scrub and be sure to wash it off well (especially if you used an oil based scrub). I love using those nylone scrub gloves (you can find it at Clicks/Dischem etc.) Also shave what you want shaved the day before.

Apply a light layer of LOTION over certain areas: knees, elbows, ankles, hands. These areas are naturally drier and will absorb more product when it’s applied over bare skin, so apply some lotion sparingly before (and allow it to absorb!) and don’t rub too hard when applying the self-tan over these areas.

Use a MITT. There are a few available on the market – it just helps to distribute the product more evenly than when using your hands. It also prevents your hands from being coloured by the tan product (which can look very weird – you have hectic tanned palms…). I’m sure you can even make one yourself if you have some soft, not too absorbing material at home.

Start from the BOTTOM up. I find starting at my lower legs easier, then thighs, stomach area, breast area, neck, arms, face (if doing my whole body). I can’t do my back on my own, so someone usually helps me with that.

You can apply the product to your face, just start of LIGHTLY. Don’t just slap an entire handful of product on there. You’ll end up looking like Ross (and if you don’t know what that reference is, we can’t be friends)(and if you didn’t get that then oh my gawd)(and if you didn’t get that either, then rather just leave).

Use the EXCESS PRODUCT on the mitt to wipe over your feet/ankles and hands.

WASH YOUR HANDS (PALMS) AND NAILS afterwards, even use a little scrub, you don’t want dark tanned hands! Even when using a mitt.

Wait for it to DRY before putting on clothes, sitting down or moving around a lot. No intense workouts! I usually stand in front of a fan for a bit (in summer when it’ super hot this also helps with preventing patches etc. due to perspiring).

MOISTURISE your skin every day to keep the tan looking good.

READ the instructions of the product you’re using. Duh. All products differ, for example, some must be washed off after a set period of time.

I’ve been using the SkinnyTan Tan ‘n Tone oil for a while, which produces a lovely golden colour that lasts for a good while! I usually apply it 2 or 3 days in a row and then see how if fades before applying again. I started with their Gradual Tanner cream, which is great for beginners, as the cream is easy to apply, absorbs quickly and you can build up to the colour you want over a few days. SkinnyTan products also doesn’t have that horrible self-tan smell like the products of days gone by! Bonus! SkinnyTan is available at Clicks, Dischem and their online website shop. I finished the bottle just before new year!

Currently I’m trying the Luv that Sun Bronze Shimmer Daily Airbrush Tan (medium shade) – so far so good. Follow me on Instagram to see pics of what I’m using etc.

Of course, you can also get a fake-tan professionally applied. Many beauty salons offer spray on tans, which are quick and easy!

Go on, get your (fake!) tan on!

  (see what I did there, Golden Glow, Golden Globes – bahaha)

So I decided earlier (like 20-30 minutes ago) to put some self tanning lotion on, because I have a dance this weekend and i don't want to look ghostly as frick as per usual.

I just got in bed...

I have lights purple fleece sheets and a comforter with blue/grey/white on one side and straighr white on the other..

I think I made the biggest mistake if my life.

Let's hope for stain-free sheets.

In school, my nickname was Snow White. No joke.

I remember in Std 5 when Tropitone’s self tanner came out, it felt like a revelation: bronzed skin overnight. I even loved the distinctive smell I have later learned to call ‘hamster cage’. 

I have grown to love my pale skin, luckily, as I really don’t enjoy basking in the sun. Born and bred Eastern Cape, I have always somehow managed to live in cities all over the world whose temperatures reach over 30deg in summer, next to the ocean- don’t ask me how I managed to get that right! I love the sea, and unfortunately waltzing into the waves looking like Morticia Adams isn’t quite a look.

Cue the search for amazing sunless tanning for Snow White.

I have tried everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, from standing naked in a strange ladies grotty shower getting sprayed in places no-one except God should ever see, to sunbeds, to taking self tan tablets, to asking my boyfriend to spray me in our shower, and staining everything in our bathroom (and bedding) for months. Grr.

Firstly, because as much as I love beauty and skincare stuff, I honestly don’t have hours every day to spend primping- give me self tan that’s not CLEAR please. I want to see where I’m putting it- have I missed that irritating spot behind my knees? Do my elbows look like used teabags?

Secondly, please let it have sunscreen!

Thirdly, if it doesn’t smell like a guinea pig covered in sawdust that’d be FAB.

Enter: Palmer’s Sunless Tanner. I have about 20 of these scattered between every travel bag I own.

This product delivers the most natural, totally-not-orange colour to even paleys like me. It’s an instant bronzer too YAYYYYYY so immediately I know where I’ve applied it and immediately I look like someone who doesn’t sit behind a computer all day. It smells delicious (like everything in their cocoa butter range) AND! it has an SPF of 15.

This product is sadly very hard to find- I’m not sure why as there honestly isn’t anything like it out there, and when I do see it at Clicks or Dis-Chem, I buy en masse.

I couldn’t even find it on their local and global sites :/

Heck, I couldn’t even find a decent quality picture!

No matter, here’s my amazing leg-fie....

This is my last instalment of the ‘cheap & cheerful’ as I’m planning my first ‘Bathroom Apothecary’ event in the Eastern Cape- if you can make it, I promise a great workshop where you’ll be one step closer to being a beauty chef. (Find on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1981080281940975/)

Love, 

¿Piel besada por el sol en tiempo récord? ☀️✨ ¡Descubre el secreto mejor guardado de las beautylovers!

En la Bodybox de mayo hemos incluido el dúo dinámico que va a revolucionar tu rutina: la Mousse Rápida de St. Moriz (50ml) y su guante aplicador.

En este carrusel te contamos paso a paso cómo conseguir un bronceado dorado, uniforme y súper natural sin moverte de casa. ⬇️

1️⃣ PREPARA: Exfolia e hidrata las zonas secas (codos, rodillas).

2️⃣ APLICA: Pon la mousse en el guante (¡esencial para un acabado profesional y sin manchas!) y extiende con movimientos circulares.

3️⃣ ESPERA Y ACLARA: ¡Elige tu tono! El tono es "LIGHT/MEDIUM", pero tú controlas la intensidad. Apta para todos los tonos de piel; solo aclara cuando hayas alcanzado el tono perfecto.

4️⃣ ¡LISTO! Bronceado uniforme y sin el odiado subtono naranja.

¿Lo mejor de todo? ¡Tú decides la intensidad!

🕒 1 hora: Tono ligero y natural.

🕒 2 horas: Tono medio.

🕒 3 horas: Tono más intenso y dorado.

POV: Eres una beautylover y acabas de descubrir la St. Moriz Mousse Rápida 🤯✨

Si buscas un bronceado natural, uniforme y sin el odiado subtono naranja... ¡este es tu producto! ⬇️

✅ Textura en mousse: Ultra ligera, se absorbe rápido y no deja sensación pegajosa.

✅ Tono personalizable: Tú controlas la intensidad según el tiempo que la dejes actuar (1, 2 o 3 horas).

✅ Guante aplicador profesional: ¡La clave para un acabado sin manchas y unas manos limpias!

Su formato travel size de 50ml es perfecto para llevar a cualquier escapada y estar siempre divina.

✨ Este imprescindible de St. Moriz está incluido en tu caja Bodybox de mayo. ¡No te quedes sin el tuyo!