Choosing the right tanning product

After my last post on how to tan, I could almost hear calls of "But Beth! I don't know what tan to use! Priceline is scary and there are so many!!!"
Thankfully I am psychic and have decided to help you.

This can be hard and really is about what works for you and how you like to tan. There are so many different options now and a multitude of different formulations. I'll try to tick off the pros and cons of each;

• Gradual Tanners
  These are the easiest way to dip your toe into the bronzed waters of tanning. They take several days to develop and the control of colour is easy to achieve. These are also the easiest to acquire with just about every man and his dog of supermarket skincare creating a gradual tan moisturiser . My favourite was always the Dove one, however I've hear the Olay one is pretty good too.
• Instant tanners
  If you are anything like me you are impatient as hell and don't have a few days let alone a few hours to wait to make sure you look good. Some "instant tanners" aren't really that instant and go on clear and develop over a few hours. Others have a colour straight away so you can actually see what you're doing. However it should be noted that these do develop somewhat over a few hours  This kind is always my preferred option as it makes flawless application that much easier.

Once you've decided if you're a impatient or all-good-things-come-to-those-who-wait kind of girl you can then choose how you want to actually apply it.

• Lotions
  This was one of the first types and just about everyone makes them. They tend to give a deeper colour and care a bit more moisturising. They do however require a longer drying time which may require longer hover times naked watching Gossip Girl, your call. As it is slower drying you can spend more time making sure its rubbed in evenly.
• Spray
  As you would know you can happily pay someone $30 plus to do this for you or you can be brave and buy a can of this yourself. Many people I know prefer the spray cans as they are instant and you can control the colour depth and they don't usually require being rubbed in. However, if you are paranoid about sticky orange residue all over your bathroom, this may not be your best option. This is how I ended up practically naked in my garage for my year 12 formal while my sister helped me tan to avoid the wrath of my Mother and her white bathroom.
  Personally I found these to not be very long lasting and were better for one night type things.
• MousseI left this last because I wanted you to feel like you had other options before meeting the love of your life.
  Once I cheated on lotions with mousse I never looked back. Not only are they super easy to use, they blend easily and quickly, colour is easily controlled and the best part is they dry quickly, so you're out and Gisele like in no time. It also means you won't destroy your sheets.However, the fast drying can be a problem if you're new to tanning and want to take your time. 

Which one now?!
Once you've picked your formulation, it can be hard to pick from all the options that exist. For years I used Le Tan, this stuff is great and not very expensive for its quality. I was a giant fan of the regular mousse but towards the end I found that I preferred the dark formulation so I only needed to do one coat and avoided the orange base coat.
However, if you are a regular tanner I cannot recommend enough spending more on St Tropez.
From what I've read everywhere, this is considered a classic for most people.
The difference is that unlike most tanners that are yellow based, this is green based. I know this sounds insane but hear me out.
Although I'm pale, someone in my family was once Portugese or something so I have the slightest olive tone to my skin. If you remember your colour chart, olive is green therefore using a green based tan is the way to go.
The best part about this is that even times when I accidently put too much on, it doesn't look very fake. Even my Mum praised me for getting out in the sun and getting "a bit of colour" when I saw her after applying. Please note said Mother, is not a strong advocate for the slip, slop, slap movement.

Realistic looking skin damage in a bottle!

Another giant plus of this is the scent. Normal fake tan has a hideous weird starchy smell that has been half masked with fake coconut If your boyfriend is like mine and HATES the smell of fake tan like the Omen boy hates churches, then you will love this. It still has a slight smell but its much more nicer and normal smelling than regular stuff.

Now that you're fully equipped with an arsenal of fake tan info, I wish you well in future tanning adventures!

B x