Gradual tan or spray tan?

[flyingwingsabove]

We have a 4 night stay in the South England at a sporting event soon. I am hoping for dry sunny weather, particularly as we are camping! If that happens I’d like a bit of colour and have been considering either a spray tan professionally or giving a gradual tanner a shot.

I have done neither. Do you have any tips. My legs are milk bottle white thanks to living in the North of Scotland.

How do you do your neck and face and ears yourself? May be the spray tan would better? Thanks for helping.

If you've never tanned before definitely do a gradual tan so you can control how dark you go.
Apply like a moisturiser but make sure you exfoliate before hand. And really rub it in everywhere - don't just slap it on. If you're anything like me focus on backs of your arms and all the way around. When you do your legs start at your thighs and go down towards your feet so you don't end up with loads of product with nowhere to go around your ankles.
Wash the palms of your hands afterwards and rub in between your fingers and thumbs (not the back of your hands).

Dove summer body is good.

I'd go for an express spray tan which you can shower off before bed.
Get the smell over & done with in one go!
Maybe ask for a light tan if you've not had one before. They will get more even coverage than you can get at home & won't miss anywhere.
If you use deodorant containing aluminium stop using it a few days before - I ended up with green armpits!
They're great though. Mine comes to the house so it's minimal faff.

Blue legged Scot here too. Currently sporting the "sprayed look" prior to bed time wash off. Also a devotee of gradual tanners. I currently like Bondi Sands foam less streaky and stinky than some of the lotions. If time is on your side try a gradual one to see how it goes. If not prepare to bare and shiver.

Thanks. I’ll try a self tanner but book a spray tan just in case. If I have a spray tan, how many days does the colour last?

I get 4 - 5 good days but if I swim or spa ,learned the hard way on holiday before, it can be reduced a bit. I moisturise lots and avoid vigorous towelling, until I'm ready to get rid and scrub like mad!!!

I have tried topping up with gradual tanner from day 4 and it got me through till day 7 . Wasn't salon perfect but stopped the blue shining through

My dove gradual tanner is really good! Works really fast and I notice a difference within two applications. But the smell does put me off.

Does anyone have any tips to reduce the smell ? Does a professional spray tan also smell ?

Question pls; I am going on holiday to France and will be in and out of pool, sea and playing with toddler in sand. Do you recommend building a tan with a gradual tan and topping up whilst away or do a spray tan before and do top up with gradual over holiday? Thanks

I use Garnier summer body, I've put it on twice and have a nice colour (and have orange palms as I forgot to wash it off my hands last night, worst thing is I've been fake tanning for 30 years 🤦‍♀️). You can get either light or dark, I do dark because that works best for my colouring (I tan easily).

I've used all sorts over the years, St Tropez was good but turned my sheets yellow, Bondi Sands smells the best but went patchy on me.

They all have the telltale smell whilst they're developing unfortunately, it's the active ingredient in the tanning lotion.
At least with a spray tan you can wash it off quickly whereas you end up smelling it every night with the gradual tanner.

With the gradual tans, are you ever supposed to exfoliate the whole lot off and start again? I've only ever had the odd salon spray tan, and any time I've had two relatively close together I've had to scrub hard to get the old one off before next one goes on.