self tan tips needed

[yajorome]

I'm going to do my legs tonight as I've got an odd tan going. My forearms and some skin exposed by decolletage have a tan. I'm not going to expose more of my body for a while except my lower legs, but they're fluorescent white/greenish and need something.

Any suggestions before I get going? Am going to exfoliate and then apply (it's Tan Airbrush in a Can by ModelCo).

Be careful around the ankles and feet! Oh and be prepared to make a second or third application before you have a deep enough colour to show your legs off confidently...Good luck!

did you get on ok? I have tried that tan in a can before and found it quite streaky so would like to know if it was just me and my useless application!!!

No, no I did not get on ok. My feet look like they have some weird disease and I won't be able to wear sandals until it wears off. Gemy, I read your advice too late, sob. But I think even if I had been super careful it wouldn't have gone on smoothly.

I exfoliated, showered, did everything they said to do. Maybe it just takes practice? I don't want to practice though. I want to wear my new sandals now that it's stopped raining....

I'm sorry to hear your fake tanning experience did not go according to plan....

Fake-tanning is a definate minefield. I used to use St Tropez (the original one) and that gives excellent results (even when I was a total fake tan beginner) but while developing comes off everywhere and smells strongly. After that the St Trop mousse didn't come off everywhere but was more of a "guess work" application.[still good though]

Now I use Make Believe spray on tan and have been very happy so far.

First applications are very rarely good enough to do the job (even with the fantastic Make Believe stuff) but if you think it'd just be worse with another application, best to wait for it to fade - with the help of some regular exfoliation - and try again.

Don't worry - once you have the hang of it - it's a skill you can use every summer without a worry.

The most important thing is to exfoliate - most viciously around ankles and knees. Then dry. Then moisturise ankles, feet and knees (back and front).

Then apply fake tan (I like St Tropez original best)

Then take a flannel or kitchen towel and wipe around ankles, tops of feet and toes and around backs and fronts of knees.

This give a natural look I find. It is technique I have perfected over the last 6 years.

I am a fan of st tropez too, and am a seasoned fake tanner (I look half dead if I'm not tanned - but I now have a weekly spray tan!!!!! I am glad it wasn't just me that found that Modelco one terrible, count yourself lucky you didn't use it on your face (like I did ). I felt a right idiot for a good few days!!!!!! My tip is apply fake tan a good few hours before you go to bed (if you can do it in the morning and stay at home all day even better). Although in the sunday times style mag today there was a thing you sleep in like a sleeping bag for when you have put your tan on and so you don't get it all on the sheets. It was £30 but it's a bargain considering even bleaching my sheets hasn't helped after constant fake tan abuse, LOL!Good luck for next time

Thanks for the tips, encouragement and lack of piss taking. I think I'm going to try the St Tropez original next. But that will be in a good long while... and after some massive exfoliation. I'm loving the Ren scrub stuff for that and my feet are going to be as smooth as humanly possible when the tans fades at least!

Have just tried the st tropez everyday airbrush and its brilliant

Oooh the protective sleeping bag idea is a good one - I will have a look at that

And also the Ren scrub - have been looking for a really nice one for ages and Ren stuff always smells devine.

Best of luck with the St Trop original - the box has a leaflet that contains very good instructions and tips (It's their method I still use now)

To Gingermonkey - we've all been there. I did the St Trop mouse on face and was in a rush - well everyone knows rushing and fake tanning is a recipe for disaster - I had this really dark forhead and two round patches on my cheeks