Trying to find the darkest self tan

glowgirl_2

I'd like to ask the opposite question, but didn't want to start my own thread... I'm very fair skinned and want a fake tan (preferably salon-applied) that won't be too dark or orange in any way! I've heard St Tropez is best as it matches your skin tone... is that true?

I usually use Dove gradual tanner on my legs, I like a really light colour to perk me up but am not interested in being extremely brown - I wouldn't go that colour naturally and do quite enjoy being pale skinned! But my mum is getting married in a month and I want to give a proper spray tan a go for that.

I would go have a try first but at £30 a go and only a month 'til the wedding, I'm going to wait and hope for the best. Do you tanning aficionados recommend St Tropez, or something else for fair skin?

Thank you!

Hi, the Dove one you mentioned can be used anywhere, I used to use it all over but didn't like the colour on me. Regarding the spray tan I would go the salon you have chosen and ask the therapist which product they use and what strength it is, if they don't know change salons, if you want a light colour don't go higher than a 6% maybe even a 4% would be enough, the dove you use is roughly 2 or 3% if not less and the spray tan will come out darker. The depth of colour will also vary according to your skin tone, yellow tones seem to need a lower % to get a good colour pink tones seem to need a bit more, remember that the colour will be more uniform and probably a bit lighter once it has developed and the colour guide been washed off the next day, I would also have to say that spray tans are noted for being darker so it might not be right for you however if you do decide to go ahead its really important that you check the % and that the salon knows what they are doing. Have a hunt around mse as well for 2for1 offers and discounts, you never know you might get lucky:).

St Tropez is a great product, I have had it applied in a salon and also used it myself, the salon application was dreadful, really streaky, I seemed to do a better job myself but still didn't like the way the colour guide was sooo streaky and once washed off it seemed to be a strange greeny colour:eek:now that I know a bit more about self tans I can see that it was green because I am so pink:rotfl:and the % wasn't high enough for me to achieve the colour I wanted, I think this product is more suited to yellow or neutral toned skins but thats just my experience/opinion:)

In your position I would seriously think about getting my own product and you and your sister could practice together using the application tips on this thread, Celebrity Secrets do a low % and so do Siennasol I believe, it wont cost you more than a tenner for the product but beware:eek:this type of tanning is extremely addictive;), if you have any more questions please ask:)

GrammarGirl

glowgirl wrote: »

Hi, the Dove one you mentioned can be used anywhere, I used to use it all over but didn't like the colour on me. Regarding the spray tan I would go the salon you have chosen and ask the therapist which product they use and what strength it is, if they don't know change salons, if you want a light colour don't go higher than a 6% maybe even a 4% would be enough, the dove you use is roughly 2 or 3% if not less and the spray tan will come out darker. The depth of colour will also vary according to your skin tone, yellow tones seem to need a lower % to get a good colour pink tones seem to need a bit more, remember that the colour will be more uniform and probably a bit lighter once it has developed and the colour guide been washed off the next day, I would also have to say that spray tans are noted for being darker so it might not be right for you however if you do decide to go ahead its really important that you check the % and that the salon knows what they are doing. Have a hunt around mse as well for 2for1 offers and discounts, you never know you might get lucky:).

St Tropez is a great product, I have had it applied in a salon and also used it myself, the salon application was dreadful, really streaky, I seemed to do a better job myself but still didn't like the way the colour guide was sooo streaky and once washed off it seemed to be a strange greeny colour:eek:now that I know a bit more about self tans I can see that it was green because I am so pink:rotfl:and the % wasn't high enough for me to achieve the colour I wanted, I think this product is more suited to yellow or neutral toned skins but thats just my experience/opinion:)

In your position I would seriously think about getting my own product and you and your sister could practice together using the application tips on this thread, Celebrity Secrets do a low % and so do Siennasol I believe, it wont cost you more than a tenner for the product but beware:eek:this type of tanning is extremely addictive;), if you have any more questions please ask:)

Glowgirl, that's so helpful, thank you so much!

One of the main reasons I wanted a salon to do it is I'm really nervous of doing my face! I'm very fair on my face as I always wear foundation with SPF so rarely tan there.

Your advice about the % levels is really useful. You're right, my sis and I could buy a product with the right % and have a few goes before the wedding!

Would you recommend buying a specific facial tanner, or will a body one be ok? I also have quite oily skin and don't want to use something that will clog my pores and cause a breakout!

I might take a look in Boots tomorrow, maybe buy a mitt as well. Again, thanks for your help, you've been great! :T

glowgirl_2

Hmmmmm, the facial tan is a difficult one, my personal experience is that the cream based tanners like your dove one or stronger seem to turn out better on the face maybe because they are weaker so less chance of a mess up, however I have stopped tanning my face because the quality of my skin is not great, this is important because the product sinks into pores, not great if you have large ones like me, and highlights any blemishes or dry patches, I too have oily skin and tried my 16% on my face and it was like the nightmare from hell:rotfl:never again, but, lots on here do use the spray tan product very successfully on their faces, I think if you do decide to buy your own a very light layer of a low % would be worth a go and see how you get on from there. Salons bug me, they don't give you enough info and charge too much money imo.

I'm getting vibes through my comp that your already getting the tanning bug..........:rotfl:

Mutter_2

delain wrote: »

hopefully none of you look totally orange... what happened to the natural look? and if you do feel the need to paint yourself orange, don't wear florescent tops, you'll look like a packet of highlighter pens:rotfl::rotfl:

D'ye know this orange look in the press has got me puzzled. When pictures appear taken in daylight, the tan looks good. Pic them in dark mode, entering a club say and they look orange.

Could it be then that flash photography in the dark results in orange?
I can't believe that some of the most famous women in the world would carry on using a product that makes a mockery of their colour.
(Sophia Loren, looks very orange in pics, though as the Countess of film, no one would dare say so.)
Also, a natural tan depends on whether your skin is ash or red. If red, the natural result will always be golden, not the grey dark look.

Lily Allen came back from sunning herself, the paps pic'd her and the resulting headlines were " She's Orange ".

My legs aren't orange, where are all these orange people in real life?

I think maybe cooked up by jealous journalists who being hunched over their computers all day, never get to see sunlight or meet with the beauty editor.

You all keep at it, but what happens come Winter? Does whiteness descend or do you keep it going in a lesser mode?

glowgirl_2

Hi Mutter, its a good point about the orange do you suppose they photoshop the pics cos orange and stupid looking sells more than a nice looking colour? I lived in a part of London for most of my life where you would regularly see celebs in the flesh and I have never seen anyone look orange but I did notice the celebs often looked much slimmer in real life, they do say the camera puts on 10lbs could it also not give an accurate colour? not sure sounds a bit far fetched doesn't it?

Some products do become different shades on different toned skin but I really think the orange days are long gone because of the advance in the sciency bit and like you say who would continue to use a product that looked wrong?

Interesting question about the winter, the words less fake tan mean nothing to me:rotfl:I don't even let it fade, I top up every other day or so and in the winter I am the same colour as I am now, I am sure that this is psychological, I actually fell sad and down when I am not as brown as I want to be, I know I'm not the only one who feels like this:) Even if I didn't feel bad about beig pale I think I would still wear the same amount of product I do now during the winter because I still walk about indoors in shorts etc and I still go out in the evening in strappy tops/dresses so still want to look what I feel is my best:)

FelinePrincess

Hi all!

Just to update, my 18% la tan has arrived today and I have just applied a layer onto my lizard skin.. The colour guide is nice and dark which I like, will report back later once it has developed!

Fingers crossed!!

Feline Princess

glowgirl_2

Looking forward to hearing how you get on Feline, would you also let us know if it fades patchy or quicker than 16% on it own, if you can remember what 16% is like:rotfl:;) Also let us know, if you don't mind, how your friend gets on with the same product, does she have similar skin to yours?

I have been thinking about the couple of questions on the few posts above this one, the only time I thought I have had an orange tint was when I applied the 16% to my face, apart from the problems I have of large pores, blemishes etc I wonder if the fact I have oily skin made the dha react in some way and have a different look to the rest of my colour, I guess not many people have oily skin on their bodies, not that I've heard of anyway, please correct me if I'm wrong:) what does anyone else think?

glowgirl_2

Hi again everyone:) This post is really aimed at the people who are trying out the spray tan products for the first time or thinking about it, just in case you haven't waded through the whole thread I would remind you that once you have the product on I advise you not to use a moisturiser that contains any oil which is probably most of them, Fake Bake do an oil free one and oilve oil, weirdly, works well as a moisturiser. The reason behind this is a mosituriser that contains oil seems to make your colour patchy and lift off more quickly and unevenly so not only will your colour look rubbish but you will of wasted it as well.

I haven't tried the fake bake one yet but I will do once I can actually remember to buy it:rolleyes: and although the olive oil worked beautifully, even enhancing the colour, I got bitten so much I can only presume something thought I was dinner:rotfl:

FelinePrincess

Hi all!

I applied 2 layers of la tan 18% on friday and it seems to be a nice dark colour, hard to give a fair review though as I already had a few layers of siennasol on and that was already a bit patchy and scally when I applied the la tan so I am going to try and scrub it all off and apply the la tan from scratch so I can make a proper judgement. Although considering I was very patchy to begin with it seems to be fading very evenly.

I received my £10 voucher off la tan this morning through the post, think they must send it after you have ordered.

Will report back in a day or 2 once I have scrubbed it all off and started again!

Feline Princess

esmecullen

How did the LA tan go Feline?? Dying to know

My Seinnasol 10% came yesterday but I cant do much at the mo with strapping on knee and wrist ......... but come the day its off I shall go on a tanning spree:j

last lot has faded and I look very pale....... have smoothed on a bit of the Johnsons Holiday Skin just to extend what I've got ........ apart from skin being soft it dont seem to be extending....... debating whether to rip the strapping off......... doing the self tan and then when I've showered off the guide put some more on