With the fading light of summer, comes the challenge I always face. I want to extend the healthy glow I get even as the days are getting shorter and snow is probably only a month around the corner. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a tanner by any means in the summer, but I always feel about healthier and better if I have a little colour. Usually if I’m outside I have a healthy layer of sunscreen everywhere and a hat and sunglasses, but it doesn’t mean I don’t take full advantage of all the great self-tanning products out there these days.
I’m really impressed with the number and type of products available on the market these days. Gone are the streaky orange, horrible smelling items you find at the drugstore. And they are all gradual tanning products- meaning you can layer or add as much or as little as you like, so they work well throughout the year.
First up is Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster, you can add these bronzing drops to any of your regular skincare products that you use on your face. The best thing, you customize how dark you want to go and you don’t have to use another bronzing cream or gel in addition to your daily skincare to get a glow. They also have a glow booster for body as well… Also it may seem pricey at $30 but a little goes a long ways, I’ve had my bottle for over a year now.
A daily favourite of mine from the drugstore is #2- Jergens Natural Glow Firming. It’s an inexpensive body lotion that imparts a soft gradual tan and as for the firming part- the jury is still out on this one but for the price point delivers a decent tanner for everyday use in the summer. In the fall or winter I might space out uses and mix it up with a heavier moisturizer.
Another drugstore find that the smell alone makes me think about summer is #3- Australian Gold Sunscreen with Bronzer. You can get it in an array of SPF strengths (my preference is 30 or higher) and it adds a great bronze to give you a little colour boost, especially if you are hitting the pool and haven’t seen rays in a while. It’s also water resistant for about 80 minutes. I also have mine in my travel bag just in case, I noticed my legs were looking a little pale the other night before heading out to an event and I threw some of this on and voila, instant tan!
And last but definitely not least is the Vita Liberata 2-3 week tan mousse. And while yes it is pricey at ($65) a bottle, this lasted me the entire summer. Which when you compare to the price of one spray tan that is supposed to last the same amount of time seems pretty reasonable. The trick with this one is time. You need to go home and apply it about 2-3 times in one week at night and for best results go to bed and wash off in the morning. I know, I was horrified when I first heard this too, I pictured orange streaky bedding and clothing as per previous experiences. But once this dries (give it about 30 seconds) it sticks and does not rub off on clothing or fabrics. Also don’t panic when you use it because you look super dark when you initially put it on with the fun little tanning glove it comes with. Once you rinse it off (depending on how much time you gave it) it will deliver a nice glow that actually will last. I was very skeptical at first but I’m thinking I need another bottle to get me through fall and winter…
