Welcome to week two of my little Makeup Monday series! This week I wanted to talk all about self-tanning. I feel like I’ve tried a billion different tanning mousses, lotions + creams but always disliked something about them. This past year, I started using the Isles of Paradise dark tanning water and it’s been the best product I’ve purchased in a long time.
WHY I LOVE THIS PRODUCT:
There are a million and one reasons why I love this product, but I’ll try to sum it up as short as possible. As a mom, I have to be careful about the products that I put on my skin, because I don’t want any of the harsh chemicals transferring to my kids. This tanning water is cruelty-free, 100 percent vegan, organic, and made using certified organicingredients, actives at low pH levels, non-sensitizing ingredients, hypoallergenic ingredients, and pure oils. It doesn’t have a harsh smell, nor does it rub off on your clothes/sheets.
It’s also been the most forgiving self-tanning product that I’ve tried, so if you’re new to self-tanning and haven’t quite mastered how to blend it in evenly, this product will be your best friend. It gives your skin the most natural looking, bronze glow. Basically, if you can’t tell, I’m COMPLETELY OBSESSED with this stuff!
DOES IT SMELL WEIRD?
Nope! It goes on with a really nice, dainty smell, but does develop a little bit of a tanning lotion smell if you’ve kept it on for 5+ hours - which is one of the reasons why I would recommend doing it at night. However, there have been several days where I’ve worn it out + about all day and not even noticed the smell.
DOES IT RUB OFF ON YOUR CLOTHES/SHEETS?
I have never had this stuff stain or rub off on anything. That’s one of the main reasons why I love it. I used to use the St. Tropez tanning mousse, but it always stained our sheets.
HOW TO APPLY:
About ten minutes before you decide to apply the tanning product, moisturize the dry areas of your skin such as your ankles, hands, feet + elbows. Make sure that you rub the lotion into those areas really well and that the rest of your skin (like your stomach, arms, legs, etc.) is free from any lotions or oils.
Once you’re ready to start tanning, spray a generous amount of the product directly on your body and blend it in, in a circular motion.
Because everyone’s skin is different, it may take you a few times to figure out how much to apply to your skin based on how your skin absorbs the color. I usually use 8-10 squirts on each arm, 10-12 on my legs and 8-10 on my stomach, chest, neck & back. When applying the tanning water, your skin should feel moist but definitely not wet.
Once you’re done applying the product, wait about 10 minutes and apply lotion to those same dry areas mentioned above. See the “How to Tan My Hands/Feet Section Below” for more specific instructions.
HOW DO I TAN MY FACE?
I apply the tanning water to my face the same way that I apply it to the rest of my body and I think it works just as good on my face! With that being said, Isles of Paradise does sell tanning drops that must be mixed with your moisturizer when applied to your face.
HOW LONG TO LEAVE IT ON:
Personally, I prefer to tan at night before I go to bed. You CANNOT get wet after applying the tanning water. There have been several times where I’ve applied the tanning water on my skin in the morning and then had water splashed on my arms, which washed away the tan in those areas and left my skin looking blotchy. Tanning at night guarantees that the product will stay on my skin for 6-8 hours and I can wake up + wash off the product.
HOW DO I TAN MY HANDS/FEET?
Tanning your hands and feet is the absolute worst part of this entire process and will definitely take some practice to master. I can’t tell you how many times I wake up and my hands look dark because I wasn’t careful enough with the product. With that said, lotion will be your best friend when it comes to tanning your hands + feet. These areas tend to pull the products 10x harder than the rest of your body, so it’s important that they’re hydrated.
HOW DO I UPKEEP MY TAN?
You can tan anywhere from 1-2 times a week to maintain a nice bronzy tan. However, you might reach a point where you feel like there is too much of a tan build up and you’ll want to skip a week of tanning, let it fade, exfoliate and then apply a new tan.
PRO TIPS:
Wash the bottom of your feet when you’re done tanning. I can’t tell you how many times I have forgotten to wash the bottom of my feet and then had black feet from product build up.
Apply the tan in the shower so that you don’t get the products all over your floor. Plus, it makes it 10x easier to clean up – all you gotta do is just turn the water on.
SHOP THE PRODUCTS:
If you have any other questions about self-tanning, please don’t hesitate to ask questions! I’m always here to help. Otherwise, happy tanning, friends!