The Best Fake Tan –At Home

I hear it’s officially fall, but here in the south that doesn’t hold much weight… We’re still in full swing of summer weather and I’m often asked what self-tanner I use since I always wear sunscreen and am as fair as they come. I promised y’all a short blog post sharing what I use, and what’s even better, how you can have it all delivered to your house tomorrow! I found all my favorite tanning items from Walmart’s Next Day Delivery. It’s free and no membership needed. Just enter NextDay Mode on your phone, and everything you see will be available for NextDay Delivery. I linked my FAVORITE Self-Tanning items below!

6 Steps For A Flawless Healthy Tan

1. BODY PREP IS KEY. Shave. Exfoliate. Moisturize. I always shave and exfoliate with a great sugar scrub the day before I apply a self-tanner. Every time I’ve applied a tan to skin that hasn’t been exfoliated, the tan is splotchy and fades much faster. I use THIS SUGAR SCRUB and it does the trick! A good scrub will help slough off dead skin cells to create an even base for a tan. I follow up with THIS OIL to moisturize and prep my freshly shaved and exfoliated skin for the day night before I tan. TIP: Grab a bag of frozen pees and rub it back and forth across your legs right before apply self tanner. This will minimize your pores to avoid those pesky pin-size tan dots that can seep into your legs! Cold can’t close pores (pores don’t open or close), but it can minimize them. TIP #2: Actually prep a day in advance if possible! Again, for whatever reason, the tan doesn’t “take” as well if you prep your body a couple hours before applying the tan.
2. USE A MITT FOR FLAWLESS APPLICATION. First things first. Don’t use your bare hands to apply the tan unless you want oompa loompa palms. Use THIS MITT to make sure your tan looks streak-free. Use THIS SELF TANNER. It’s simply my favorite one. I’ve tried cheaper brands that have a similar color to this one, but they stain my clothes DAYS after I’ve showered. Not cool. I’ve also used the “Classic” bottle from this brand and it works great too. I like the darker and quicker tan that I get from this “Express” bottle. I might actually try this DARK TANNER next time to see how it stands up to the dark Express bottle. I use long strokes. If I see an un even area, then I continue buffing and blending it with the mitt. Use light, sweeping motions on elbows, knees, wrists, and ankle bones since the skin can over-absorb in those areas. I always apply tan to my hands and feet last. I use leftover product on the mitt to lightly brush over these areas. TIP: An hour before I apply the tan, I’ll use a little lotion to moisturize all those areas. Too much lotion won’t allow your skin to pick up the tan. As for my face, I use a TINTED SUNSCREEN so I usually don’t apply tanner to my face. I also use facial products, such as retinol, that speed up cell-turnover. Self-tanner doesn’t last on my face, but I could use THESE TANNING DROPS and add them to a moisturizer!
3. TAKE YOUR TIME. Double check your work in the mirror. A good tanning job can’t be rushed. I promise it looks awful when it’s applied in a hurry, haha. I let it dry for 15 minutes before putting on loose, dark clothing. I’ll usually wear a dark loose dress and stay home for a few hours to allow the tan to develop. Most often, I’ll wear it over night and shower it off in the morning. No workouts or washing my hands while the tan is developing. I’ll use hand sanitizer on my palms as needed.
4. SHOWER IN WARM WATER. I always shower off the “color guide” in cooler-than-usual water. I never take a hot shower or shave for the following 2 days. This will help your color last longer!
5. MOISTURIZE! Follow up with moisturizing every day. This will lock in your tan and help it fade naturally over the next week. You should also lightly use the SUGAR SCRUB every few days to help the color fade naturally. Voila! Enjoy your beautiful, glowy skin!
6. SKIN HEALTH. I take THIS COLLAGEN POWDER every single day for my skin and nails. I mix 2T into water and have noticed the biggest difference! Y’all know I have been taking hydrolyzed collagen powder for the last full year and I’ll never go back. Even though it’s tasteless, I prefer to add a few drops of flavoring. You can try THIS WATER BOTTLE and this cute KIDS WATER BOTTLE! So darling and helpful to carry around. Avery loves this bunny bottle but there are tons of others to choose from! TIP: I always use the 10 sip rule. Every time I pick up my water bottle, I’ll take 10 large gulps.

How Long Does it Last? If I follow these steps, my tan usually lasts for about 7 days, depending on if I’m swimming, how often I’m shaving, etc. And to me, it’s so worth it! I get tan, glowing skin, without damaging it in the sun.

Thanks Walmart for partnering with me on this post!