Moving on to todays topic, sunless tanning brown girl style! My hubby and I are one day away from a long planned birthday beach vacation and other than researching ways to waterproof my cast I'm also getting a head start on my tan. Yes I'm one of the sista's that adores the glow! To be honest, being that I'm already brown I was hesitant to admit to "tanning" but it is what it is, I have a great appreciation for dark skin to the point of getting creative to achieve my summer time glow in the off seasons. Having darker skin allows me to cut down on the amount of make-up I apply, after all who wants to worry about perfect application while on vacay? Glowing dark skin makes me feel better in less clothes and most importantly darker skin minimizes the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. To compare the final effect of my sunless tan here are two pictures of me, both taken outside, one with my normal Midwest winter skin tone and one taken on our first day of arrival in Miami last year. Now keep in mind when viewing these side by side pics that I go a bit light in the application of sunless tanner on my face as opposed to my body and legs, which are a few subtle shades darker.
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| My Miami "sunless" kissed skin vs my normal winter skin tone |
I have two products that I reach for that guarantee great results with no streaks and provide me the look of dark sun kissed skin. I begin this process about five to seven days before we are scheduled to depart for a beach vacation. First, I begin with a good exfoliation with Tree Hut Shea Sugar Coconut Lime Body Scrub, exfoliation allows for a good, streak free application and this stuff smells delish! Once I'm freshly showered and dry I apply a thick layer of Banana Boat Self Tanning Lotion in Deep Dark Color. I avoid my elbows, knees and ankles as instructed and wash my hands after applying. I like to apply the Banana Boat lotion about two to three days before I move on to phase two of my two step process.
The second phase of my transition comes in the form of an at home spray tan by PHD Skincare. The PHD Body Mist in Dark is just amazing, I love this product! I happened upon it on HSN one evening, after viewing the live demonstration on air I had to get my hands on it! I purchased two bottles prior to our anniversary vacation last year. I sprayed myself and my sister with excellent results. The only mishap I did experience with this product is the evening I tried to apply it directly after a shower on dried, dewy skin which I later learned was a spray tan don't. Be forewarned that showering and applying this product before your completely dry (I'd wait and hour or so) will simply cause the spray to run down your body in a puddle of brown droplets. I apply PHD evenly on dry skin with the applicator aimed about 10 inches from my body. Once applied you cannot bathe for 6 to 8 hours and of course no clothes until you're completely dry. The appearance of darker skin is instantaneous and it deepens as the color sets. I'll continue applying one layer each evening for three nights prior to our departure. Now if you read the reviews on HSN they're not so great, all I can say is those ladies may have aimed the spray bottle too close to their bodies or they made the aforementioned post shower error, for me it works like a charm!
I've found that the combination of these two products not only has incredible staying power but also gives me the beach body confidence that tanned or darker skinned offers. All my mommy marks and womanly lumps seem to be a lot less noticeable with a deep dark skin tone. To be honest, I wish I was consistent enough to maintain my fake and bake all year long but I reserve that level of commitment to my healthy lifestyle. I really hope someone benefits from my fool proof steps to great summer skin at anytime of the year. The countdown to sun, sand and mojitos is just days away and this gal is ready to go, glow an all!
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