Self-Tan Update
By Alina Avery
When I lived in NYC, there was a joke about the first warm day of the year and all of the New Yorkers baring their pasty white legs for the first time since the previous summer. Today it’s about 70 degrees in Boston, and in an effort to prevent being one of those jokes, I broke out the self-tan.
I’ve done a post on my favorite formulas before, but like most women, when it comes to cosmetics and body and skincare I’m always on the lookout for something better. When it comes to self-tan, you want something “foolproof”. To me, that means easy to apply, a natural looking color, and unlikely to stain your clothes or sheets. As far as scent goes, I actually like the fake tan smell (Matt likens it to chocolate chip cookies!), so that doesn’t bother me.
Here’s my latest routine:
At night:
I’ll dampen the beautyblender body sponge as you would the usual beautyblender. It’ll grow to 1.5-2x it’s normal size and become super soft. I prefer the sponge to a mitt since it’s easier to hold and doesn’t have any edges. It also lasts way longer (as it should since it’s about 4 times more expensive) and since it’s black doesn’t look as dirty.
I’ll use the sponge to apply the James Read Sleep Mask Tan Body. I usually take two pumps each for my chest/shoulders/neck, arms, top leg, bottom leg, and however much of my back I can reach. I’m not usually going to the beach, so I’m not too precious about making sure I cover my whole body, just the bits that would show if I were wearing shorts and a tank. This self-tan formula is clear, meaning it’s a little tough to make sure you’re getting an even coverage, but it won’t stain your sheets/furniture/clothes etc. It also dries very quickly and leaves skin soft!
Then I’ll apply one pump of the James Read Sleep Mask Tan Face to a clean face, making sure to blend into my hairline, jawline, down my neck a bit, and my ears. Again, usually my face will be evened out with makeup, so you don’t need to be extra cautious here, just do your best. The formula is clear and works as a pretty good night serum as well, so I don’t feel like I’m completely neglecting my nighttime skincare routine!
Then make sure you wash your hands!
In the morning:
So I don’t spend a fortune on buying multiple foundation shades to match my various degrees of self-tan, I’ll mix a little bit of liquid bronzer into my usual foundation. Lately, I’ve been going for Benefit’s new Dew The Hoola, but mine has a defective pump so I think I’ll have to return or exchange it. The formula is soft and light and the color is just dark enough to add a little bit more color to my foundation without changing the coverage too much or adding any shimmer or glitter.
If I’ve missed a few spots on my body or certain areas didn’t take to the tan so well, I’ll use the Vita Liberata Body Blur. Usually, the backs of my hands and the fronts of my legs don’t darken as evenly, so it’s usually just there where I’ll need to apply. If I’m going out at night sometimes I’ll use this on my arms since the glisten looks so lovely! This dries pretty quickly and won’t stain your clothes once it does, but you should only need to apply it on exposed skin and it blends in really nicely so it shouldn’t be a problem. It will also help minimize the appearance of bruises or other imperfections. It’s essentially a sheer wash of color in a silicone formula with the finest amount of shimmer you can imagine. It’s gorgeous.
And that’s it! A bit of a project but so worth it to look like you just got back from a weekend at the beach! Now if only I could go spend a weekend at the beach for real…
