Well, I lie. She spray tanned. I watched, giggled, and sipped a martini.

The truth is, I was scared. Have you ever seen a pale white-as-snow girl with a fake tan? Generally, it looks like she bathed in pumpkin juice. As we were an hour from going to a fashion event, I was not about to subject myself to that risk.

Allie, though, was braver.

The spray tan was administered by one of the fashion week sponsors, Xen Tan, who set up a tent in the middle of the ballroom at the Lumiere Hotel, where they airbrushed instant sunless tans onto soon-to-be bronze bodies of the event guests.

As you can see – it worked really well! And, despite my fears, it did not drip or streak at all after – including a time we were front row at a runway surrounding by hot lights!

Allie reports it actually stayed unblemished until she showered – when it all came off at once. I am now a believer!

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Dera Enochson, Tanning Expert and creator of the Xen-Tan self-tanning collection, shares her tips on creating the perfect, natural looking self-tan -

• Gently exfoliate the face by using a scrub or even a cleanser and a washcloth to slough off dead skin cells
• Apply face tanner in a circular motion to skin on face and throat. Daily self tan works best on the throat area if you have trouble with self tan blotching.
• For blending self tanner into your hairline, apply self tan lotion onto fingertips and use an up and down motion to feather into hairline
• For instant bronzing or contorting the cheek bones, add a little extra tanner to cheek area for additional color

Tips for body: (Remember, a good tan is like your favorite dark pants…it makes you appear slimmer!)

• Exfoliate first. Yes it makes your skin more smooth, but most importantly, it also makes your tan last longer. Self-tanners are absorbed by more drier skin, so make sure you focus on the extra dry areas such as knees and elbows
• Apply to clean dry skin and always work from the bottom up, remembering to wash hands with soap and water in between applications. Use a circular motion to blend. If you are looking for instant color, self tan with Xen-Tan’s Deep Bronze that also gives you a natural color guide so you won’t miss spots
• Don’t forget your back! Take a long flat folded strip of saran wrap. Dot some self tan lotion in the middle. While holding the ends, smooth over areas on your back that are out of reach
• If you are afraid you applied too much self-tan to your wrists or back of hands, just rub a little moisturizer to those areas and blend with arms

Tips for Swimming:

• If you want your skin to be tanned and beach ready, apply self tan at least one hour before you leave (preferably the night before). Then apply your sun block as soon as you get to the beach. Give your self tan time to develop before you jump in the water
• Self tan does tend to fade the longer you swim. Keep dips in the pool or ocean to fifteen minutes or less. Use your towel to gently pat dry instead of rubbing to preserve your tan. You can even apply a daily tanner after swimming to keep your self tan from fading

Flabby buns or tummy?

• To give the illusion of toned buns or abs or any troubled areas for that matter, add a little extra tanner to add depth where you feel you need it
• To fake a fuller bust line, apply more self tanner in your cleavage area to give the illusion of depth

For sandal ready feet:

• Use a light amount of self tanner and blend carefully. Also blend some of your regular body moisturizer around the edges of toes and ankles to prevent dark spots
• If you are afraid you applied too much self-tan to ankles and tops of feet, just apply a little moisturizer to those areas and blend with legs

Any Mistakes?

• If you forget to wash your hands, the best thing to do is put a little dishwashing liquid is a bowl of warm water and soak hands for 20 minutes. Dry hands and use rubbing alcohol with cotton balls to see if you can get any excess off. Then use a scrub.
• If you missed a spot, use a self tan with dark instant color like Xen-Tan’s Dark Lotion to fill in. The instant color will disguise the spot and the tan will develop within three hours
• Always remember to apply SPF every day – self tanning products do not take the place of sun protection

Image: Xen-Tan

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Lancome’s Flash Bronzer – I LOVE the spray – it gives great, non streaky coverage and is super long lasting, but, unfortunately is WAY too warm in color for my skin.  Very unnatural color – for me. 

ModelCo Tan Airbrush In a Can – Just didn’t work for me at all.  The color is good, but the spray is a little too strong, which is wasteful, messy and it really leaves me blotchy and streaky.  The tan fades quickly and unevenly, and I could never make it look even a little close to normal. 

So back to Xen-tan – they have some new products out this year that look really nice, most especially their new Transform.   This is a subtle product that you use as a daily moisturizer without the fuss of application, as it is a time released, very gradual tan builder.  Very nice if you don’t need a tan NOW.   My usual purchase is the Dark Lotion – it is really perfect.  Not orange-y at all, does not stain your hands or streak, and it doesn’t have a bad smell or leave a sticky feeling on your skin.  I think that this, along with the daily use of Transform, might be a really perfect way to keep up my tanning up this year. 

As a reminder, here are some tips for applying self tanners from my archives – I know I have more in there, but this one is pretty general, but thorough – I hope you enjoy it!  And if you need a reminder as to why baking in the sun is not the answer, read about my lovely skin cancer experience. 

Post from: eBeautyDaily