Halloween has come and gone, and for all of my fair-skinned friends out there (myself included), that means were running out of excuses to look like Casper the Friendly Ghost. If you live in the Midwest, youve likely lost your post-summer glow and are getting a glimpse of what your skin will look like for the rest of winter. Theres nothing wrong with rocking a lighter shade than your normal skin tone, but if youre like me, winter skin means a dulland dry exterior that leaves others asking, are you feeling OK? Yes, Karen. Im sun-deprived, not seasick, but thank you for your concern!
Ive always been a huge proponent of the term look good, feel good, and for me, the saying extends past rocking my go-to cool-girl outfit or taking the extra30 minutes to curl my hair for the day. My version of feeling good starts at skin level. No matter how cute my chunky knit sweater is or how bomb mylockslook on any given December day,the value is lostif I otherwise look like a dementor sucked the life out of my soul. Theres something aboutglowingskin that tricks me into feeling bright, shiny, awake, and ready to take oneven the gloomiest of days.I think that we can all agree: radiant skin is the ultimate pick-me-up.
Afteran obsessive history of bed tanning and sorting through loads of self-imposed guilt, Ive finally said goodbye to tanning salons and hello to self-tanning products and bronzers that provide me sun-kissed skin sans risk for skin cancer or premature aging. When I was 16 years old, attempting to achieve a straight from the beachspray tanwas synonymous with orange, saturated palms, splotchy ankles, and stained pillowcases. Over the years, the self-tan industry has grown, and options forluminous skin are more evolved and expansive than ever. Whether youre looking to bronze a light complexion orare seeking a deeper glow to an already dark skin tone, there is a range of products that will help you achievea self-tan ofyouve been dreaming of. Whether you get your fix via an oil, mousse, lotion, or wipe, theres never been a better time to experimentinfinding aself-tanning regimen that works for you. You dont need summer skies to rock the bronzed skin of your dreams.Bring your ownsunshinewith these 23 products to help you to fake sun-kissed skin, year-round:
Before you start:
First things first: if youre going to start self-tanning, youll wantto have agood exfoliating tool and a tan applicator mitt on hand (both figuratively and literally).
Korean Exfoliating Mitts
Exfoliating is a crucial step to prep your skin in the shower to create a smooth, even canvas before applying your tanner.
Tan Applicator Mitt
The applicator mitt is the key to evenly spreading and blending your product and will help prevent the dreaded orange palms/blotchy skin situation.
A lasting tan:
When I think ofmy go-to self-tanning products, my mind automatically fixates on the tanners that take some prepwithlongevity as a payoff. If you moisturize and avoid exfoliating your skin until youre ready for your next dose of sunshine, thesetypes of tanners can last fromthree to seven days.
Source: Jessica Camerata | @mystylevita
A last-minute tan:
If your schedule doesnt allow for much self-tanner prep and you need to look bronzed RIGHT NOW (hello, spontaneous date nights), try these lower commitment products that will have you looking sun-kissed in no time flat.
Source: @tantowel
For when youre traveling:
For all of the times youoverestimate how much prep time youll havebeforeyourflight takes off, self-tanning wipes have your back. Theyre portable and ideal for any on the go situation where portability and ease take priority.
What holy grail self-tanning product do you swear by?
The post The Products You Need to Fake Sun-Kissed Skin this Winter appeared first on The Everygirl.