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Self Tanning 101- How to tan at Home

I have been 50 shades of orange, which is not nearly as sexy as 50 shades of gray.  I have worn jeans in middle of summer to cover up some sort of tangerine experiment I did on my legs in the name of self tanning.  Over the countless mistakes I've made I've found some gems and have found gold, and by that I mean a golden glow.😉

*Disclaimer: I do not tan easily in the sun so Sunless Tanning is the best option for me.  All skin colors are beautiful.  Also I am not sponsored, my opinions are my own and  products purchased by me 

Things you will need to achieve that I just came back from a beach vacation in my bathroom look:
  • A good lotion- I use CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion that costs about 13 at Target but any lotion will do
  • A makeup brush- I use the E.L.F. Ultimate Blending Brush which is about 6 dollars and is absolutely perfect for application
  • Either a Tanning Applicator Mitt like This one for about 6.50 or some Latex Gloves like These for 8.70.  **I prefer an applicator mitt 
  • A good tanning foam (See my blog The 2 best products to tan your selfie)
  • A good exfoliate like this one Soap & Glory Flake Away honestly most will do the trick and you can find great ones from Marshalls as well
  • Makeup wipe or baby wipe
  • Preferably a friend to get your back for you, if not a spatula from your kitchen to go inside your tanning mitt 
Once you've gathered up your tanning supplies lets get started!

  1. Shower, shave, and exfoliate well!  Especially on your legs and arms.
  2. Towel dry completely, make sure you are really dry before you start tanning for smooth application
  3. Use your lotion and apply a fairly generous amount to wrists and hands.  Apply a little to your elbows, feet, and knees. You can put some on your face but I don't usually
  4. Put on your mitt and five it two pumps apply it to your first arm stopping at the wrist, blend in long circular motions until the cast from the tanner shows the area completely covered.  *For reference my arms take about 3 pumps*
  5. Once you finish an arm do not apply any more tanner to the mitt and rub the mitt on your wrist and hands (there is product there but not enough to streak your hands), then I usually use my makeup brush with a tiny amount on it and apply it to my hands, making sure to get in all crevasses
  6. Repeat on the other arms, chest, stomach and legs.  I usually do two pumps for thigh and two for lower leg, avoid your feet while doing this.  Complete tanning each foot with the smallest amount of tanning foam.  You can just use what's left on the mitt or do a dime sized amount on your feet, the makeup brush works great on feet/toes too
  7. Ask a friend to do your back or stick the kitchen spatula inside the tanning mitt and go for it... carefully
  8. At this point you have your face and neck left.  I pull out my ELF makeup brush and do about a half a pump on the brush applying it to my neck and ears.  
  9. I put a half a pump or so to my face... This is optional, you do not have to tan your face in case you break out from this.  I do not break out so I go for it. Use enough foam to where your face is covered but it dries quickly so I work quickly doing a section at a time
  10. Wait a few minutes before getting dressed to allow the tan to feel less sticky.  You can also use a quick blow dryer on your body to dry faster, but not required
  11. *Optional*  Scare your significant other with the weird body paint you have now applied 
  12. Put on comfy and loose clothing.  If you are going to sleep in it, which I always do, put a towel down where you sleep to sleep on, this will prevent you from tanning your bedding.  You can also put one on the pillow if you want
  13. Keep the tanning foam on for as long as directed then shower off with only water for 2 minutes.  
  14. Get out of the shower, dry off, and enjoy your glow!
A few notes:

  • It's ok if you look weird and even a little splotchy in places if you are using Loving Tan, it will still look even after showering.
  • You can use the makeup applicator on your hands with a TINY amount of tanner if you want to get in between those fingers just make sure you put a ton of lotion on them
  • Moisturize a ton to keep your tan looking great afterwards, day and night
If you have any other great tips feel free to comment below :)  


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