Okay, so, I wanted to get that sun-kissed look without, you know, actually baking in the sun. I decided to try self-tanner. First things first, I exfoliated like there was no tomorrow. I used a body scrub and just went to town, making sure to get every inch. I mean, nobody wants a patchy tan, right?
Then, I shaved. I figured this way, the tanner would go on smoother. And I read somewhere that it’s good to do it at least a few hours before the tanning thing, so that’s what I did.
Once I was all smooth and ready, I started applying the self-tanner. I picked a mousse formula ’cause it seemed less messy than a lotion. I got a mitt, too, which is apparently a must-have to avoid orange palms. I put some of that mousse on the mitt and started rubbing it all over my body. It was kinda like putting on lotion, but I was extra careful to blend it in well, especially around my ankles, knees, and elbows.
After I was all covered, I just stood there. It felt kinda weird, and I was definitely sticky. I set a timer ’cause I wasn’t sure how long to wait before putting clothes on. The bottle said it dries fast, but I didn’t want to risk it. I think I waited around 30 minutes or so, just to be safe. Some people said 5 to 30 minutes are ok, so I thought I hit the sweet spot. It’s like playing roulette, you know.
- Waiting Game: This is where it gets tricky. The bottle said the color would develop over the next few hours. Like, 4 to 8 hours, maybe even longer. I checked after an hour, and nothing. Two hours, still nothing. I started to get worried, but then, around the 4-hour mark, I started to see a little something.
- The Reveal: By the time I went to bed, which was like 8 hours after I put the stuff on, I definitely had a tan. It wasn’t super dark, but it was there. I was pretty happy with it, to be honest. No streaks, no weird patches, just a nice, even glow.
Maintenance
Now, to keep this tan going, I’ve been moisturizing like crazy. I heard that helps. And I’m trying not to scrub my skin off in the shower, though I gotta stay clean. It’s a delicate balance. But hey, so far, so good! If this starts to fade too fast, I guess I’ll just slap on some more tanner. We’ll see how that goes. All in all, though, I’d say the whole self-tanning thing was a success.
