How to Apply Self Tanner or Fake Tanner and Not Look "Dirty" or "Fake"

With Memorial Day Weekend fastly approaching I thought I would give some tips on applying self tanner.  Well that and my cousin asked me to do a post about applying self tanner.  The self tanner that I prefer is by Clinique.  I use the medium-deep, but they also have a light-medium.  It has a really good color to it.  It doesn't have that "orangey" look that some tanners have.  Often you can come off looking "dirty", but follow these steps and you can look gorgeously tan and no one will ever know it's fake.

• Shower, Shave and Exfoliate.  You can either use an exfoliating scrub, which I definitely recommend for your face, or for the rest of your body you can use one of those shower puffs and just scrub really hard.   You can buy these at Wal-Mart or Target.  If you want a really good quality one you can buy it at Bath and Body Works.  I love mine from Bath and Body Works, they are just a little tougher and fuller than the ones from Wal-Mart or Target.  Aren't these Bath and Body Works "gauze sponges" sooo cute?!?! 

• Make sure you are completely dried off and not sweating.
• Now what I do is take regular lotion and put it on my wrists and the area leading up to my palms and back of my hands. Now put it on your elbows, knees, ankles, heels, and edges of the feet (not completely rubbed in so it will mix with the self tanner and the self tanner won't collect on these rougher parts of your body)  
• You are ready to apply the self tanner now (FINALLY!!!)  I always apply in sections and wash my hands between each section. 
• First, I start with my face.  You don't have to do this, but I have found great success applying tanner to my face this way.  I mix the Clinique self tanner (a squirt a bit smaller than a marble) with 2-3 pumps of Clinique face moisturizer.  I just mix it in the palm of my hand with my finger.  Then make sure to use plenty so you don't miss any spots.  Make sure to get behind your ears up to your hair line and the back of your neck.  Just blend right below your jaw line.  Now wash your hands.
• Second, I apply to my neck and chest.  Start at the jaw line and blend and work down to the collar bone.  Get some more tanner in the palm of your hand and blend from the collar bone down, making sure to blend into the armpit front and back.  Then apply to your stomach and blend to the sides of the back and try to reach in order get the entire lower back (below the bra line).  Also make sure to get the top of the shoulders and top of the back as much as possible.  Now wash your hands.....again!
• Now it's time to get tan arms.  This will require more tanner than the previous body parts, so go ahead and squirt plenty into the palm of your hand.  I start with the portion of my arms above the elbow, blending into the shoulders where I just applied tanner in the previous step.  Remember it is key to alway use plenty so you are less likely to miss a spot.  Now you are ready to apply to the elbows and forearm.  Remember you should have regular lotion already heavily applied to your elbows and wrists.  So you should be sure to use a blending motion in these areas.  Now blend down to backs of the hands.  I always avoid my fingers and just blend a small area at the base of my fingers.  Now that you have applied tanner to the back of the hands make sure that when you wash your hands this time, to hold elbows higher than the hands.  I hold my hands in a way that I am not wetting the back of them but just scrubbing the inside of my hands and rinsing downwards so the water runs down off my fingertips (never wetting the back of my hands).  Then I pat dry my hands.
• Finally, we're almost finished, let's tan our legs.  Go ahead and get plenty of tanner in the palm of your hand.  I start with my calves, so if I have any excess I will have plenty of room on my thighs to use the rest.  Start below the knee and blend down into the area you applied lotion to the heel and edges of the feet.  Now move to the knee and use a blending motion in order to blend the tanner with the previously applied lotion.  Now just blend up the rest of the thigh.  Finally, just wash your hands again, inside only,  using the same method above that we used after applying to our arms and back of hands. 
• If you need your back tanned also, the best thing to do is to get someone to apply it for you.  If not there is a great little tool that you can buy.  Just click on the image here for details.

• It is good to wait 15 minutes before putting your clothes on.   If you must cover up, a loose fitting robe would be your best option.  Now just make sure not to get wet or sweat for at least 3 hours, and do not bathe for at least 8 hours.

Enjoy your beautifully applied "clean" looking tan!!!!!