Bronze Beauty

If you aren't using self-tanner and are still going to the tanning bed, please, I'm begging you, stop! There are so many amazing self-tanners out there these days that there is absolutely no reason to go to the tanning bed. Not only does it cause wrinkles, but it can lead to skin cancer!! We all know this by now, but some of us just can't break the habit. Ok, now that I've gotten today's lecture out of the way...

Whether you're trying to break the habit of going to the tanning bed, don't have time to tan in the summer, or are naturally fair-skinned, I have the most amazing self-tanner for you. I used to get spray tans in the summer and spring...I can't even count how many I've gotten over the course of time, but that stuff is expensive!! But that was when I was working. Now I'm a full-time student, so I had to figure out a more economical way to get my tanning fix.

I have tried Jergens and Tan Towels, but found that they gave me more of an orange color, and after getting used to my instant tan from spray tanning, I was getting impatient with these products waiting for the tan to build. One of my sisters introduced me to St. Tropez, and I have to admit I was a little reluctant at first because it was a mousse, which I thought could get messy and I was worried it could potentially be streaky. Luckily, I was wrong. This stuff is amazingggg (with four g's). So what is so great about it? Well number one, the color. It is the closest self-tanning product I have found to the bronze color that a spray tan gives me. In fact, I cannot tell any difference between what I look like when I have St. Tropez on vs. a spray tan. Not orange at all.

Also, I can literally put this on the morning of the evening event that I am trying to get tan for and by the time I shower I have my tan. It works so fast and you don't have to build it up the way you do with other products. Additionally, a little bit goes a long way. With tan towels, you normally get about 10 in a box and have to use at least 3 or 4 to get to the color you want. Then you're almost half way out of tan towels. With St. Tropez, you can choose how much mousse you want to use so it's up to you how fast it runs out. Last, it does not smell bad. If you have ever self-tanned before then you know how weird that stuff can smell. I can't describe the smell, but it's unpleasant until (and sometimes after) you shower. St. Tropez has developed Aromaguard, a new fragrance technology, that replaces the aroma that the other self-tanners can have. It's more of a fresh scent and never bothers me, if I even notice it at all. So now you want to try it, right? Here's how...

St. Tropez Tanning Essential - Mitt

How to Use: For best results, use the night before and morning of the event you are tanning for. You could even go as far as two nights before and morning of, but I never normally find that necessary. You'll need to buy an application mitt which is $6.00 or less. 

I would also buy a pack of small makeup sponge puffs to use for facial application. Make sure you have exfoliated both the skin on your face and your body, and do NOT put any lotion on, except for on dry areas such as elbows and ankles. Unlike Tan Towels and Jergens lotion where it is hard to tell which areas you've covered due to the solution being clear, St. Tropez mousse is brown so you can see exactly where you have and have not covered. So now you will just squirt some mousse on the mitt and cover the areas of your body that you want to be tan, rubbing it in with a circular motion. For your face, you will need much less. Just a little squirt should about cover your entire face. Be sure to get your neck as well. For best results, wait at least 4 hours before showering. And always shower between applications (i.e. if you apply at night and want to re-apply the next morning, I would wash my face and rinse off, but I don't exfoliate this time because I don't want to take off the tanner from the night before). After you have showered at least 4 hours after your final application, it is imperative that you use lotion. Keeping your skin moisturized is the key to keeping your tan, whether it's a self-tanner or a tan from the beach. 


Where to Buy: Sephora, Amazon, Nordstrom, QVC. Price of a 4 oz. can is $27-$35. Price of an 8 oz. can is $40-$45.