a completely shallow thread about leg shaving and fake tans

[Countingthegreyhairs]

OK, so left to their own devices, my pins resemble raw chicken legs in colour. I've wasted precious minutes of my holidays applying fake tan to my legs (which takes ages to dry and I hate all the palaver) only to then have to shave it all off every two days (yes I'm a bit hairy). It's a pointless merry-go-round.

Does anyone have an obvious solution pls?

What do you all do?

Wax or veet legs first to reduce regrowth, scrub and then fake tan - or is the regrowth still too much? If so then keep shaving and use one of those "holiday skin" creams to top up the original fake tan.

I guess I should re-try both those methods PasturesNew - thanks

Last time I tried waxing I came out in a horrible rash and I don't particularly like the chemicals in epilatory creams - but have to confess haven't tried either method for a decade or more

Are the holiday skin creams the tinted moisturisers you get nowadays? Sorry to be v. ignorant about all this. If so I have a Shieshido (sp?) version which I thought would be the rolls royce version but it takes ages to dry and it advises you shouldn't dress until it has because of possibly staining of clothes ... so one is either hanging around waiting to go to bed or hanging around waiting to get dressed ....a complete bore and hassle ....

bumping for any other ideas ...

get yourself some holiday skin cream as suggested. Dove does one. you don't get an obvious tanned look for a couple of days but it goes on like a normal moisturiser so no faffing about.

just use it a day or so before you want it. shaving doesn't make much of a difference if used daily or even every other day

I was thinking of the Johnson's one and the Dove one which are both tinted and self-tanning if that makes sense?

Doesn't sound like waxing suits you but I think the sensitive epilatory creams you can get nowadays are much gentler than they used to be (unless my skin has toughened up over time and that's why I find them better).

Completely shallow? I'm in...

I use an epilator to do legs, I find they only need doing about once a fortnight that way. There's a bit of regrowth but so fine you wouldn't notice.

Then I just put the Johnson' Holiday Sun type gradual tan moisturising lotions on after a shower.

Ta-dah!

LOL PuppyM might try epilator ....

Thanks for all the recommendations and links everyone - that's brill.

Great that the Johnson's one doesn't cause spots when used on the face too.

Can you get dressed straightaway after applying the gradual holiday-tan type moisturers ? Sorry to obsess about this but I have ruined some bed sheets and a much loved pair of cream capris recently . Also they are only a recent phenomenon in the shops over here ....

Takes a minute or two to dry tbh. Not a slong as St tropez etc. I put a short dressing gown on and go and have me brekky... or a cuppa in front of Corrie if in the evening.

as long.

arf at a slong.

epilator and much sun exposure for legs - 3hours running a week in knee length tights gave me an actual tan by june.

i am dreadfully pale naturally so those fake ones always go wrong and i hate shaving stubble.

PuppyMonkey: you only epilate every two weeks? I have to do it about every second day during the summer. Damn, maybe I'm very hairy.

I do recommend it though, also from a cost point of view. Mine cost about £30 (on sale) 6 years ago, so it has cost me £5 a year so far. Buying razors/getting waxed is much more expensive than that.

I have the same problem with hair - I swear to god I practically get a 5 o'clock shadow, such a bore. And I only get a few extra days grace with waxing, so fuck spending ?40 on that.

Anyway, I rate the St Tropez everyday moisturiser. It absorbs more quickly than the others, does a better job of tanning and moisturising too

Yep - only every two weeks for me. Maybe my standards arent as high as yours. But I find the hairs don't grow back as bad, they are so fine you'd not see them. And I am generally a hairy type too.

Thanks everyone - that's really useful info.

Same here Bleh and Sazisi - am definitely descended from a Yeti

lol (again) Puppy ... a slong might just be the answer ....if it's full length ...

professional wax then weekly sprays .. very indulgent but love em!

where do you find the time (and the money)?!!

waxing is about an hour every 6 weeks, spray tan takes about 5 mins max each time.

The mere mention of epilator made me cringe in horror. I bought one yonks ago, only to give to a colleague after several screaming sessions. For me its waxing (every four weeks - am obviously hairier than MABS) and St Tropez -one of the more gradual ones like 'everyday' or the mousse - less danger of the dreaded streaky ankles.

Are there any 'deep' threads under this Topic?

Search hard enough on here Bellissima and I'm sure one could be found . The societal and tribal ramifications of the female daubing of lips and toes in the 21st century? The relative impacts and effects of differing epilatory techniques on the environment with particular reference to cetyl ethylehexandate and benzyl benzoate?

Thanks again everyone. I may re-visit waxing but think re-growth will be too quick ...

MABS your solution sounds great but a bit too high maintenance for me .. (is your spray full body btw or just leg area?) Sorry to be so ignorant - haven't been near a beauty salon in 20 yrs!!

Will definitely pick up a jar of St Tropez (if I can find it over here) as a result of this thread

Fully body spray for me Countinggrey - i'm very shallow

LOL - wow just 5 mins for an all-over spray? You must be extremely lithe.

I think they may have to commandeer a fireman's hose for me, or the type of high-pressure hose they use to wash down elephants at the zoo. Would take at least 40 mins I reckon ...

Last question (promise): um, do you inhale? [seriously always a bit worried about breathing in the particles and tangoing my lungs]

hold my breath when they do the face, apart from that i do breathe! I'm not particularly big but qqite tall, if you have a good 'operator' mine's a marvellous gay guy, they can do all in 5/6 mins honest.

I just shave my legs and re-apply my fake tan every couple of days. Mind you, I'm a bit cavalier with the stuff - I just splash it on before bed or before I head off to work and trust it won't go too blotchy

Mind you, if you put enough coats of fake tan on, it's like paint - all the uneven patches get faded out

Crikey - a bloke MABS - er, are you in the buff? (Oh dear just realised that was another question)

Thanks SteamedTreacle - I'm probably making much more of this than necessary - will be a bit more slap happy in future with the tanning cream. I'm still thinking of the days when fake tan was very new on the market and then they really DID streak and blotch and you had to exfoliate and smooth in for aeons.....

depends where we are in the month Countinggrey sometimes yes, but he's gay so its ok. rather than than a slim tiny female beauty therapist personally!