Help with first time fake tan

[carrottopper]

In February I bought St Tropez tan and a mit. Still haven't used it due to lack of time and fear! I'm feeling like I should try it whilst lockdown is on. Is it a case of shower, moisturise and apply? Any tips? Thank you!

Shower. Whilst in their shave and exfoliate really well. Make sure to wash off any deodorant, the tan will turn green if it mixes with deodorant.
Usually I do my prep the night before tanning otherwise the tan can stick in your pores and leave little black dots where you've shaved.
If you want to do it straight away then finish off with cold water to seal pores.
Don't use any oil based shower gels. Bar soap is best.

Get out, dry off fully and lightly moisturise ankles, knees, elbows and anywhere you've particularly dry skin. Wait for it to sink in properly.

Use the mitt and start, with sweeping motions, from the bottom up (legs, torso, back, chest, arms..)

Lastly, I use a makeup brush to apply tan to my feet, hands and face. It adds a lighter coat. If you use the mitt be very careful, it could add too much and your hands and feet tend to really cling to tan. Makeup brush is definitely a better idea.

Wait until your tan is dry, wear loose clothes to bed and wash it off in the morning.

To build colour you're better off doing several light coats of tan, instead of one 'heavy' coating. It can end up smudged if you use too much.

Also use the makeup brush to apply it to my neck. It makes it look much more natural than using the mitt on places such as the hands, feet and face

Thank you for all this. That's brilliant

ActuallyItsEugene, ooh, interested in your advice re. bar soap? I know that oil-based products are a no go with fake tan, but why is bar soap best? And any recommendations for particular soaps?

@Starfish83 Most shower gels contain oil of some kind which can leave a film on the skin, preventing fake tan from coating evenly.

I use Pears soap and find it works a charm. Gets me clean and leaves no residue.

Avoid Dove at all costs. The bar soap contains some sort of oil that causes fake tan to 'pool' on the skin and end up streaky.

Oh God, flashback from my teen years when I experimented with fake tan, and ended up orange and streaky. I've not been brave enough to attempt it since! I did buy some stuff a year or 2 back and am thinking of giving it a go while we're on lockdown and no-one can see how odd I look til it fades.

Brilliant, thanks @ActuallyItsEugene!

And go for it, @Pickles89! 😊

The tips already given are great however I prefer using thin latex gloves to apply. Much more even, however more fiddly to do hands then (although using a makeup brush might fix this!). Also if you are very pale, use a tan for light-medium skin, the darker ones will streak more if you're a novice

I've used loads of fake tan products over the years but now only ever use Skinny Tan. No streaks, no matter how uneven it goes on. They're always doing some kind of offer.