a self-tanning adventure
Breakouts lead us to do desperate things, sometimes.
I decided to have an adventure.
I always hear friends and clients alike chattering excitedly about summer…not for the patio dining and fabulous vacations, but for the break their skin gets from makeup. They say they use less while they’re self tanning in the summer months. I thought, “My! What a perfect solution to my blemish issues!”
If you’ve met me in real life, or heck, even seen my picture in this byline, you know I’m not a self tanner. I’ve never had a tan a day in my life, manufactured or otherwise.
DAY ONE: I decide to patch test. I put a pea-sized dollop of gradual tan lotion on the inside of my wrist, a spot I think is inconspicuous but might show me an accurate result. It goes further than I anticipated, and now I begin to regret my spot check placement. Oh well, that’s what Bronze Buffer is for. I guess.
DAY TWO: Last night I decided to throw caution to the wind and slather the gradual tan lotion all over. I love my happy glow when I wake up, but I get to work only to find that I was not as careful about my application or exfoliation as I’d thought. I attempt to remedy this with a Jack Black glycolic wipe, furiously scrubbed over the heels of my hands and that one dratted spot test on my inner wrist. This proves to be a largely fruitless effort. It looks like tonight I’ll be digging out the Bronze Buffer that inexplicably lives in my beauty case. (I’m nothing if not a Boy Scout, I guess, always prepared.)
DAY THREE: Round two on the full body application–post exfoliation, this time–was last night. I told my boyfriend, who’s on a business trip, that I’m self tanning. He only responded with a texted, “…really?” and I’m pretty sure he is expecting to come back to find I’ve morphed into the Tan Mom. I’m not entirely sure he’ll be wrong. My skin has a noticeable glow now, which I’m actually rather liking. I think I’ll do one more application tonight, and then stop for the next couple days. But really, who knows? I could have awakened a self-tanning monster.
DAY FOUR: I sent a picture of the Tan Mom to my boyfriend and told him to get ready. He is now terrified that I look like leather. (I don’t. But this teasing is much too fun to stop.) Last night’s application went on pre-shower. The smell of gradual tan isn’t unpleasant, but it does linger more than I’d like it to, and frankly, I’m a bit tired of my sheets smelling like they’re in need of a bronze sheen. Today I feel like my tan has plateaued, but that very well may be because I showered too soon after application. I find that this self-tanning thing is a bit addictive…I might do it again tonight.
DAY FIVE: I did it again; I couldn’t resist. This self-tanning adventure has really brought out a darker side of me. (Ha! I didn’t even plan that one!) I’m going to need to break this habit before I really do start turning orange. Balance! Life is all about balance. Good and evil, dark and light (ha! I did it again!), stop and go, to and fro….
DAY SIX: I’m done for real now. I like the overall glow, but I also just noticed that there’s a dry patch on my nose that’s taken on extra color and looks like an age spot. So much for trying to cover these durned blemishes! My gentleman saw me in person yesterday and determined he couldn’t tell a difference. His relief is palpable. I determine that I find this amusing.
DAY SEVEN: I had to stop myself from reaching for the tan lotion again. It’s just so satisfying! But I know eventually I’ll get sick of having to keep applying, so it’s better to quit while I’m ahead, I think.
MY THOUGHTS: Self-tanning is fun. It’s nice to wake up to a glow, whether it’s truly sunkissed or not. Would I keep it up? Probably not through the whole summer, but I might do a bit of pre-vacation color. Would I ever try anything more powerful than a gradual tan lotion? I’d like to say yes, but I am also pretty intimidated by the prospect. I asked the amazing Christen from The Shoe Hive her advice as a seasoned self-tanner to a novice; however, because she knows all the ins and outs of self-tanning, she’s writing her own piece on the topic, and I’ll let her share her [vast] wisdom in her own words.
I had fun with my little experiment…but I think next time I’m upset about blemishes, I’ll just stick to some good ol’ fashioned concealer.
