Stay Tan this Winter: Bronzers, Self-Tanners, Sprays

Ah, Winter - the season of beautiful snowfalls, cute scarves, mittens and adornments. It's also a season that leaves some of us cold, sunless, and helplessly pale. If you want some quick color without the major health risks, skip the tanning beds and lather on some self tanners or bronzers instead. Some simple radiation-less tanning methods include bronzer, gradual self tanner, instant self tanner, and tanning spray.
February 2012
Bronzer, Gradual Self Tanner, Instant Self Tanner

Bronzer
Pros: Instant and immediate color, easy to correct or wipe off.
Cons: Most rub off too easily or are too obviously artificial.
Gradual Self Tanner
Pros: Gradual and usually more natural, easier to maintain through daily use.
Cons: Must use daily or at least very often to maintain color, difficult to see mistakes since the color changes gradually.
Instant Self Tanner
Pros: One application can last several days, many markets for great products.
Cons: Difficult to correct for blotches or mishaps.
Tanning Spray
Pros: A professional can make your tan look natural and can even customize the colors to the contour of your body.
Cons: Salons are costly and it is difficult to spray tan oneself.

Of course, a pro of all of these methods is that there is no risk of skin cancer from radiation like that of the sun or tanning beds. (A con is that most of them smell like chemicals.) If you opt to avoid the sun completely, however, be sure to get your vitamin D supplements.

My thoughts on some sunless tanning products I've used:
Best Sunless Tanners
Hard Candy Glow All The Way Body Bronzer & Illuminzer, Equate Healthy Glow, St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse

When I bought the Hard Candy Glow All The Way Face & Body Illuminzer, I had really meant to buy the Hard Candy Bronze Tanner with Gradual Self Tanner. It was a disappointing purchase, really. The color is way too dark for me and the shimmers in this stuff is beyond crazy. I used it at night and thought it was too much, but then saw it in the sunlight and thought I had died and turned into Edward Cullen (except more shimmery). Oh, and the glitter rubs off all over the place.

Because I'm a bargain hunter (read: cheap), I decided to buy the Walmart brand Equate Healthy Glow Daily Firming Moisturizer instead of my usual Jergens Natural Daily Glow Moisturizer. Gradual tanners take weeks to really show their true colors.and I was very disappointed to see the results of the Equate Healthy Glow. My advice to you: If you like Jergens, stick to it. Walmart's Equate really does not equate. The moisturizer wasn't awful, but the tanner turned my skin rather orange. And the self-tanner smell lingers for way too long. Jergens Natural Daily is a few bucks more and totally worth it.

I've done a full review of the St. Moriz Tanning Mousse before and I still believe in it just the same. It's an instant tanner that gives color right away while being buildable over several days. Great quality stuff (very similar to the St. Tropez Tanning Mousse) for a very affordable price. The only fault? It's not readily available in the States. From what I know, it's sold in a lot of Boots stores in the UK. I still get mine from Ebay. ;)

Something I've been wanting to try for a while now is the Miracle Skin Transformer BODY SPF 20 - a 3-in-1, protecting, hydrating, natural body lotion that contains natural color minerals and is without parabens or self-tanning ingredients. Wow, that sounds good!

5 comments:

  1. It's all in picking the right product :)

    I was in my sister's wedding this past summer and a self tanner really worked for my legs.

    Visiting from BSN.

    http://www.multitestingmommy.com/2012/02/hey-bloggers-join-februarys-i-heart.html

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  2. Thanks for visiting. I love self tanners for the legs since my legs are always the palest. :)

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  3. Thanks for sharing these tips!! Now that I finally was able to lose inner thigh fat its time for me to get all glamoured up...

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  4. Stopping by from the I Heart Blogging Blog Hop! http://queenofsavings.com

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  5. I am in search of a good sunless tanning lotion..Now I think I had found it here..I will try Miracle Skin Transformer BODY SPF 20 for this time and see what's the result..

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