Dummies' Way to Apply Fake Tan With No Streaks
Tips on How to Get a Healthy, Natural Looking Suntan From a Bottle
Jun 2, 2009
Choose your product carefully. The new generation of moisturizers with added fake tan, which are designed to be built up over time, are much more forgiving than the traditional, single use creams.
Those older-style fake tans can produce a great effect, but if you make a mistake, it is less easy to correct. Firstly, the tan is usually darker than with a moisturizing product, so streaks are easier to see. Secondly, with a moisturizing tan, there is the chance to even out mistakes on a second application the following day.
While the idea of a really dark tan can be tempting, a lovely effect can be created with a lighter tan which is likely to look more natural.
Be Prepared
The most vital step is in the preparation. Take a bath or shower and exfoliate using a loofah, mitt, or body scrub. Pay special attention to knees, ankles, toes and elbows, where the skin tends to be wrinkly.
After drying, target these problem spots with a regular moisturising cream or body lotion. This will help the tan glide over the area smoothly. In addition, apply cream around the base of the neck, on the inside of the forearms, and the back of your wrists to allow for an even blend.
Apply moisturizer all around the bottom of your feet and to your toes, as this is a real streak trouble spot.
Don’t rub in the moisturizer at this stage; simply apply it to the right areas.
The Gloves Are On
Gloves are essential when applying fake tan – as embarrassing ‘monkey paws’ are a real giveaway. Latex gloves can be picked up in chemists and supermarkets and are sold in packets of between ten and 100.
Apply the fake tan to your legs first. Squeeze a fair amount of it on to your thighs and calves and massage it in, using varying motions to avoid hard lines. It’s best to use a good amount of tan, so it doesn’t run out at a crucial bit. If you find you have applied too much, simply keep working it up over your buttocks and belly.
Fight The Tide
Take extra care at the problem areas, blending the tan into the ordinary moisturizer. At elbows and knees, try to glide across just once, so as to avoid too much tan being trapped here.
Next, apply to the upper half of your body, being extra careful at the base of your neck. What you are trying to avoid is a tide mark. Work upwards to this area from the chest, then wipe the gloves on a towel and blend the regular moisturizer downwards into the tanning cream.
The insides of the forearms don’t tan naturally, so that’s why you apply moisturizer to this area, as a barrier. Blend carefully and as an extra precaution, brush lightly along the inner forearms with a towel.
Pull gloves up to expose your hands and using fingertips, blend carefully over the back of the wrist.
Face Facts
You will notice we have left out the face completely. That is because making a mistake here is much more drastic than on the body. An excellent result can be achieved by the clever use of make-up, which of course, washes off. Simply dust the cheeks and neck with a bronzing powder or similar product.
However if you must fake tan your face, buy a good, light, facial tanner from a cosmetics counter.
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