non orangey self tanners

[mysterygal]

Now that the sun is out and in full swing (well, for most of us anyways), for those who avoid the rays, does anyone have recomendations on a good self tanner? Right now I"m using Jergens Body Glow, and having pretty good results, it just doesn't tan very dark.

[Rosie]

I've never tried a self tanner, I have however used a bronzer. I have a friend who is fair skinned and red headed, she likes Dove, I think Neutrogena makes a good one too. Oh, Loreal is supposed to be good.

[DancingSweetie]

I am fair so the Jergens self tanner does the trick for me. I also like the one that Avon makes, it is darker and does look natural.

[fortworthgal]

I am very fair-skinned. I use the Walgreen's knock-off of Jergens Natural Glow. It is slightly less expensive, I think it is called "Paradise Glow." I really like it, but don't expect it to give you a "tan" per se. It just gives you a slight hint of color, which is usually enough for me. If I want something more dramatic, I use L'Oreal Sublime Bronze. It gives a nice color and is not orangey. Just make sure you exfoliate well beforehand and apply it very lightly and evenly (I use a large cosmetic sponge.)

[magneto]

I have been using the L'oreal Sublime Glow (in Medium as I am, er, medium), and I have been satisfied with the amount of color--noticibly darker after a few applications and not orange. It does seem to fade quickly (pretty gone after 4 days of non-use). I coat my hands with moisturizer to help blend better; was told this prevents streaking and seems to work! Also make sure to apply lightly to elbows/knees/ankles as they seem to soak up more color than regular skin.

((corrected: the product I have is "Sublime Glow" not "Sublime Bronze"))

[Raegan]

I use Shades of Darkness by Fiji. It's actually a tanning lotion on one side of the bottle and a self-tanner on the other side. You turn the dial at the top to select how dark you want your "tan" to be. If you turn it to 0% it's straight tanning lotion and if you turn it to 100% it's straight self-tanner. It really seems to work well, and it looks very natural. It smells really good too, like a cappucino.

[mysterygal]

I love great smelling stuff! Magneto: isn't it funny though, how it says the tan will last for a whole week...I'm glad I"m not the only one..but for me too, 3 days later and I'm wondering where in the world it went!

[RetroMom]

I like the Coppertone "Endless Summer" gradual tan, and I also just bought the Loreal Sublime ( in fair).

[BettyValentine]

I've had good results with the Mystic Tan spray booth. It's the only way I've never turned out blotchy. I come out a good, light brown color, but that could be because I start out very fair. My mom turned orange, but that's because sshe was layering them. I never had trouble, but I waited till one use was gone before getting another one.


BV

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Mystic Tan does do a good job but it's very much a LOOK I HAVE A TAN look. If you want something more subtle I would go with the Jergen's Natural Glow or any gradual moisturizing tanner. They give a slight tan, so you don't look TANNED, but you don't look winter pasty pale.

[mysterygal]

I've also learned to look closely at the cans/bottles! I bought this air brush spray stuff (can't think of who made it though) anyways, just got done spraying myself and decided to take a look at what they put in it....I see a warning lable on it...it said that some of the ingredients in that can had been clinically proven to cause cancer I don't think I"ve ever rushed to the shower so fast!

[Daisy Buchanan]

I used the Jergens, and found that it wasn't getting me dark enough, so I bought the next level up, the one that says it's for darker skin tones, and it worked pretty well. How long have you been using it? It's supposed to darken your skin over time, not immediately like the other stuff on the market. It took me about a week to notice a real difference. Once your at your desired tone, only use it every three days or so, or you'll keep getting darker, and might take on an orangy tone.
I've also used the spray on neutragena, and that works well too. It's also much easier to apply, since it's a spray. Works faster than the jergens.
OK, just one more: My mom swears by Lancome's tanning cream.
But, the best way to "fake bake" is the spray on tanner at the salon. It's a little more expensive than a tanning bed, but totally worth it. No orange hands! Even tan, and lasts a lot longer than the creams. Living in New England I'm very fare, and this method worked the best for me. It's bad enough I have to put on a swim suit at the beach, I certainly didn't want to scare anyone with my pastey white skin! It gave me a nice, even tan for a base, and it's not bad for you like the beds are.

[Paisley]

One of the women I work with uses a self-tanner. It makes her so dark that a coworker asked her if she'd coated herself with shoe polish.

[CherryRed]

I guess self tanners have come a long way since good ole' QT. Remember that? I used to use it when I was a teen ager. I have shyed away from self tanners since about 1997. The last thing I used was by Neutragena. It wasn't soposed to make you orange but it did, and I had to scrub my palms so they wouldn't get orange. I don't care if I get real dark so maybe I will try the Jergens since you ladies seem to like it. Does it make your palms orange or can you just use it like a moisturizer? We are going camping/swimming this weekend and it would be nice to not be white. Yes, I am fair too, and burn/freckle, never tan.

[Miss Neecerie]

Rather then continually trying to embrace the dark side...either naturally or artificially, I have just decided that the powers that be, intended me to be pale and burn.

I thus avoid sun, use sunscreen, and don't worry about not having a bronze tone to my skin even in summer. If other people think it looks less then attractive, fine. I might not like things about them that they can't change.

Embrace the pale, I say.

[JustJen]

Originally Posted by Miss Neecerie

Embrace the pale, I say.

Amen! I, however, turn yellow without a tan. Rather, I turn that sallowy sickly color that we half bred Hispanics tend to do. I've used all the self tanners on the market just about and cannot abide the smell they leave on the skin even after showering. I do go in the sun but in marked doses. I also slather horrific amounts of sunscreen on my face-must be a streak of vanity.

[Fleur De Guerre]

I'm all about embracing the pale! Sadly, My arms tan really well after years of sun holidays, and it's been pretty sunny the last few weeks. My face does not tan at all, it just burns. My legs are pasty white after 4 years with no sun at all, and my stomach is, as well. The top of my back is an olivey colour - it tans well and last year I wore a lot of bandeau tops to avoid strap marks. I look like a pasty patchwork quilt. Argh!

[mysterygal]

Miss Neecerie..you're too funny! I've been embracing the pale all winter! It's just scary when you put on some shorts for the first time!

[Miss Neecerie]

It wasn't meant to be funny.

I suspect that there is a holdover in 'what's fashionable' in terms of being tan, from the days before we knew all the damage it was doing to our skin.

Fashion and what's 'in' is the only reason that self tanning products exist. The fact that it is so ingrained in our society now that its almost unforgivable to be pale, just attests to how much we all beleive what the magazines and tv tell us about how we should look.

Why is having naturally skin coloured legs in any season, scary? Its you. Its how you were made by the Creator, if you subscribe to that, and if not, its how genetics have determined that you should and will look.

Who has determined that a 'healthy glow' looks good? Other eras have had other ideals as far as skin goes, it has not always been tan is nice and white is 'scary'.

Denise, the scary white one.

[fortworthgal]

I just wanted to add something onto this. I'm very pale as well, and for the most part, I have embraced it. I no longer try to get a tan, and I personally think that the alabaster skin of Dita von Teese is far, FAR more desirable than the tanned brown skin of say, Pam Anderson.

Now, that being said - there are times when I do feel that I need a little something. My body hair tends to be dark, so even after I shave, I sometimes have those obnoxious little black follicle dots all over my legs. If I'm going to a wedding and wearing a nice dress, I don't need polka dotted legs! So, that's when I use a self tanner or one of the "glow" lotions like Jergens. My favorite right now is the Jergens "soft shimmer" lotion, it just gives a very faint glow to your skin but no color per se. It reflects light and makes your skin look very smooth and nice. It is like a very faint gold shimmer lotion. I generally use that instead of anything else.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Generally I prefer fair skin, but I will say there are people who just don't look healthy when they're pale (and there is a difference in being a pale fair-skinned beauty and being pasty fish-belly white!), so I'm an advocate of self-tanners.