In these hard times, we know not everyone can afford to take a vacation, but that doesn't mean you can't look like you've had one!   Musk has you covered, there are some wonderful self tanners on the market, so follow these tips and give yourself a chic healthy tan-without the wrinkles and skin cancer!

Preparation

Yes folks, like everything in life, preparation is the key.  If you want to have a even, long lasting tan, your skin has to be ready for it.  Firstly you need to exfoliate your skin.  By exfoliating, you'll get rid of the dead cells that are going to fall off in a few days, leaving the layer of skin that's going to be around longer to absorb the dye-hence a longer lasting tan.  Remember to especially hit those rougher areas, like knees and elbows.  We like St Ives Apricot Scrub ($3.99).  It's cheap, gentle and does the job well.    Try to start to exfoliate a couple of days leading up, so all those dead cells are off providing a nice even surface and a nice even tan! To maintain the health of this top layer, make sure you moisturize your skin as well, this keeps it healthy and will help keep your tan for a few extra days. Now I know there are 100's of different moisturizers on the market and there is a lot to consider, but if you want a moisturizer that's consistent, easy to find, and always highly rated, then go for Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion ($8.99, most major pharmacies).  It's best to wait an hour or so after your exfoliation and moisturizing (so your pores close) and then let the body bronzing begin!

Side note:It's best to get rid of that unwanted hair a day or so before or a day or so after, if you shave or wax too soon it will shorten the life of your tan.

Picking Your Color

Most people are tempted to just go for the tanning lotion that gives them the darkest (or deepest) tan.  This is a mistake!! If your darker/olive skin, then this is ok to do, but if your skin tone is lighter, you should first experiment a bit.  Go for a lotion/foam with a lower amount of DHA (this is the chemical that works on giving you your tan), and apply a coat and check the coloring, then apply more coats over a few days until you are satisfied with the color you want.  Then when it comes time to get your tan-you'll know how many coats you need to do.  If your not happy with the color, you can get rid of it by

a)getting in the shower and washing it off (usually require soap and scrubbing)

b)going into a pool (the chlorine helps to get rid of it)

c)use a self tan remover (St Tropaz makes a self tan remover for $17.00 most drug stores) 

Finally....The Body Bronzing Itself

I personal find that if you have someone to help it's always better (it's faster and they can voice an opinion as to whether it looks even), but it you don't, just remember to take your time and work a little slower to make sure you're putting on an even amount to each area.  Tanning  lotions give you more time to work with than foam tanners do, so if your a beginner, try to work with those (if your experienced,  foam or a spray on tan are much faster, just remember to apply evenly).  Lotions are also pigmented, so that makes it a little easier to see when your applying.  If your using your hands, try to keep your fingers tightly closed together when applying (this will prevent gaps which lead to the treaded streaking).  Pick an area and concentrate on getting an even amount of lotion on, then move on to the next.  For darker areas (like your knees or elbows), we suggest doing these last, since you will need to dilute the tanner with moisturizer (half and half), so it will match the rest of your body.  To avoid flaking and blotchiness in these areas, remember to be moisturizing these areas beforehand, dry skin is what tends to cause those problems!

A key thing to remember is the WASH YOUR HANDS (remember those palms and nails) while your doing this, at least a few times, or your hands will look like you've dipped them in chocolate for a few days! To do the back of your hands, you may want to use a damp sponge, to give you the color your want.

Our favorite body tanners:

Sprays: Lancome's Flash Bronzer Airbrush ($28.00 US/$35 CDN).  With a multi angled applicator, it gave a lovely, even natural looking tan, while leaving your skin soft and smooth all in an hours time!

Lotions: Clarins Lait Auto Bronzant ($21.99).  Easy to use, and gives a nice natural looking tan, it takes a longer time for your tan to develop (at least a few hours in reality), but you'll be happy with the results

For fixups or for the woman who needs a tan NOW, try Urban Decay's Baked Body Glow ($25.00).  This solid stick glides on smooth and leaves a natural looking tan with a little shimmer-a few strokes and your done!  Best part, it washes off very easily with soap and water!

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