Hi loves!
I'm sorry I've been a little MIA on the blog, but the last couple of weeks have been craaazy busy. Which is good though! I was invited to so many amazing events and I've met so many inspiring people (had a friendly chat with Quentin Tarantino last week and walked the red carpet with Nicole Kidman and Paris Hilton omg). But I'm back in full force sweeties, and first of all I wanted to address a subject that so many of you have been asking me questions about on insta.
As most of you probably know, I'm a big believer in taking good care of your skin. You only have one, and you'll have it for the rest of your life. Btw, did you know that skin is our largest organ? Crazy right. So we'd better take good care of it.
That's why I'm more than happy to be an advocate for self tanning. It's much safer and healthier than spending hours in the sun to get that perfect tan. And don't even get me started on tanning beds. Those are pure horror for your skin! The World Health Organization says they are as damaging as cigarettes when it comes to cancer risk. Some tanning beds emit UVA that's 3 times more intense than natural sunlight! Both sunlight and tanning beds damage your skin, but what matters is the intensity of the radiation.
I'm not a crazy person that runs inside at the first ray of sun light, but I do protect my face daily with an SPF 50 in my make-up. When my body is out in the sun I always use sunscreen like this amazing one by Coola.
That being said, let me tell you how I do get that summery bronzed glow. 'Cause let's be honest, pretty summer dresses and crisp whites don't look that good when you're Snow White.
I hope I'll be able to answer all of your questions in this post! Show me some love through a comment if you found my tips helpful!
Happy tanning babes!
xoxo
Roos
My tanning routine
First of all, many of you have asked me if I spray tan as well. Well, I don't. There's nothing wrong with spray tanning, it's the same way of getting a fake tan as you would do it yourself. I personally just don't like going to a salon to get my fake tan. I like being in control and apply it exactly when I need to. Sometimes I self tan a couple of hours before a photo shoot because I notice too late that my legs are like milk bottles. Having to plan a visit to a salon is just very inconvenient for me. But whatever you guys prefer, both are safe ways of getting a tan!
Apparently what scares many of you are the horrifying images of self tan gone wrong. An orange streaky result, stained hands and feet, or even forgetting a part of your body. We've all been there. Me as well. But I think I can say that my long period of trial and error is now over, and I can call myself a self tan expert without bragging about it.
The first step to the perfect golden tan is to prepare your skin. When I'm self tanning, I shower and exfoliate my skin an hour in advance. I apply a light moisturizer all over my body like I usually would, with paying extra attention to feet, knees and elbows.
When the moisturizer is completely absorbed (I just walk around and get some stuff done until I don't feel it on my skin anymore) I start applying the self tanner with a mitt, starting with my legs. I like to use a mousse that's already tinted, so you see where you apply it. More on my favorite products in a sec.
When I've applied it all over my body, I take an old fluffy make-up brush and lightly blend some product onto my hands and feet. This will give them some color without looking blotchy.
I NEVER self tan my face. You can safely do that though, but I've experienced some breakouts after doing that, so I prefer to just use bronzer on my face.
Then I put on some dark comfy clothes and wait 6-8 hours before I shower it off. The darker and looser the better, 'cause the self tanner can transfer slightly onto your clothes. (I personally prefer my hubby's Iron Maiden tee lol) The key is to try not to sweat or get water on your skin when you're developing a tan, 'cause that will leave you with unflattering stains. I like to self tan when I'm getting my administration done, or spend the day behind the computer to write. Like now in fact haha. Sometimes I apply it before I go to bed, but be prepared to wake up in self tan snow angel traces on your sheets. But I'm gonna try something to prevent this soon, stay tuned!
This pretty golden tan will stay perfectly for 5-7 days if you're gently with showering and don't forget to moisturize after. I actually self tan twice a week, 'cause I like to stay bronzed all the time. But you can do this once in a while when you're going to an event, or right before you leave on holiday. This way of tanning is completely 100% safe, so you can do it as often as you like!
My favorite products
I've you've followed along on my insta stories lately, you've probably seen that I'm OBSESSED with the Australian brand Loving Tan. And to my European followers, yes, they ship internationally!
I've literally tried all of their products, and they are all uh-mazing. What I like the most about LT is that it gives me that perfect olive golden tan, no traces of orange at all! And you might not believe me on this one, but it doesn't have that weird smell! Even the hubs doesn't notice it when I'm self tanning at night. (except for the snow angels in the morning lol)
My favorite products are the Deluxe Bronzing Mousse and the Bronze Shimmer Cream. This cream instantly enhances, illuminates and bronzes your skin for the perfect glow. You can wear it on its own or over your tan to give you that perfect golden shimmery skin.
I apply all of these with the Deluxe Applicator Mitt. This is a must-have when you're applying self tanner. It helps you apply the product smoothly and prevents your hands from getting stained.
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