Blogs

One of my most embarrassing junior-high memories came at the hands of sunless tanner. I mean this literally, as failure to wash my hands after applying left them stained an Oompa-Loompa orange, and the boy who sat in front of me in Spanish class made sure everyone knew about it. This was the late ‘80s and self-tanners had just hit the market. I couldn’t wait to finally be a golden goddess like my classmates; my pale skin had never once seen anything resembling a tan. And it didn’t on this occasion, either. Not only did my legs have an unsettling orange glow, but my palms bore the mark of shame that I actually tried to fake my bake—something that was not yet accepted by most people, let alone seventh graders.

Tanners have since improved immensely and gained widespread acceptance as a safe alternative to the sun, and I’ve tried loads of them. Yet, there’s only a handful I’d recommend to my closest friends, and St. Tropez Whipped Bronze Mousse is right at the top of the list. Dispensed as an easy-to-control foam, the formula bestows a deep bronze color instantly, which means you’ll never miss a spot. The bronzer portion rinses off once you shower, revealing your actual tan. Ingeniously, it comes with water-resistant application mitts that keep hands free of the tanner—because while tanners have made great strides, they do still stain your palms, so you’ll want to wear some sort of glove or wash your hands immediately after application (make life easy and stock up on extra mitts (A323362) when you order the mousse).

Once applied, a totally believable, streak-free, deep tan will develop in about three hours. The results are true to nature (read: non-orange) and because it’s a mousse, it dries in just 60 seconds, so there’s no waiting to get dressed. In fact, I know a QVC staffer who uses it on her legs almost every morning for just this reason. You can even use St. Tropez on your face, which is a definite plus.

Before I go, here’s a little self-tanning 101. First and foremost, you’ll want to exfoliate from head to toe so you’ll get an even result. You can get the job done with a scrub like bliss vanilla + bergamot body buff (A241527) or let the Clarisonic PLUS for the Face and Body (A91964) do the work for you. To keep thicker and rougher areas like knees, elbows, and ankles from looking darker than the rest of you, massage in a thin layer of lotion right before applying your tanner. You’ll also want to protect your hairline and lighter eyebrows with a barrier cream. Afterwards, avoid sweating or showering for at least four hours so color can develop. To keep your glow going strong, moisturize daily—St. Tropez Tan Optimizer Body Moisturizer (A178627) is specially formulated for this very purpose—and refresh your tan a few times a week.

—Vanessa