Blog Entry - BrandHabit

Fake Tans

These days it is pretty P.C. to do fake tans. All the celebs are doing it so I am not embarrassed to say I do fake tans too, on occasion.

I have semi-olive skin and frankly I look green without some color. While I usually find a way to get some healthy sun over the winter months, this year I have been working so hard I have barely been outside.

So, I have been experimenting with fake tans. I have tried "Magic Tans" in the salons where you strip down, step into a booth and hold your breath while a cold spray of god-knows-what blasts your body. These work just fine but they cost a bit ($25) and fade after a few days. Additionally, I hate the cold blast and I hate holding my breath as I am certain that breathing in that stuff is toxic.

I have also tried a plethora of off-the- shelf products... which I now realize I prefer to the Magic Tans.

Here is what I have tried so far:
I tried "Jergen's Natural Glow,Daily Moisturizer" which slowly gives you color over a week or so. Not fast enough for me.

I also tried "Neutrogena MicroMist Tanning" which Claudia Ross swears by. I used the medium shade and didn't find that much of a difference. Claudia said she uses the Miami Beach shade.. (I need to track that one down) The nice thing about this product is that it is a witch hazel based mist and it dries fast. In other words, you don't need to wait to put your clothes on. I find this product is great to fill in missed areas from another tanning product.

The product I love the most; one that gives a nice color instantly is "Coppertone's Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion". They warn you not to get dressed for 30 minutes after putting the product on but I tend to use this product on exposed areas that will not hit fabric: My legs, sometimes my chest and face if desperate.

The bummer thing about all of these products is the smell. Apparently, there is there is no way around this. The smell is a result of the way the product interacts with the proteins in your skin that create the tan. I will be overjoyed the day that they come out with a product that doesn't smell. Don't you agree?

POSTED BY carla ON 04/30/07 02:04 AM

comments [3]

User Comments:

Jergens works really well also. It is inexpensive and goes on clear, and smells subtly tropical. You will need to wait a few minutes to put on your clothes though not because it is going to come off but because the stuff is somewhat sticky...but the best by far. My bridesmaids swore by it, and it lasts a long time.

POSTED BY Stef522 ON 05/01/07 22:05 PM

You have got to try Lancome-just for legs. Its not the cheapest but well worth the $. Its not sticky, it dries quickly, and depending on skin tone, you just apply more or less.

POSTED BY Peggy ON 05/04/07 18:05 PM

If you're in Europe any time soon, pick up the Garnier body lotion tanner. Like Jergens and Johnson's it takes a few days but it doesn't stink at all. As a matter of fact it smells GOOD. ;)

POSTED BY stylebites ON 07/03/07 10:07 AM