Have you ever seen a bride walk down the aisle in the most beautiful gown only to have the moment ruined with a botched up tan? The messy marriage tan situation can get very real, but we’re here to make sure that bride isn’t you.
We’re answering common bridal tan questions and sharing our foolproof tips to ensure you get that photo-ready glow on your wedding day.
“Which self-tanner shade should I get?”
Wedding crunch time is no place for bridal tan guessing games – make sure you know how bronze you want to be on your big day beforehand. The process of picking out how dark you want to go is just as important as picking out flowers and table napkin colors early in the wedding preps: it should be decided upon after much thought and consideration.
Bondi Bodz offers three shades of tanning mousses: Bronze Bliss, Choc Coconut, and Decadently Dark. Just remember not to jump to many shades away from your natural color so it won’t look unnatural.
Not sure which hue looks best on you? Try the gradual tanners Skinsation and Afterglow Tan Drops to see where you lie in the spectrum. Just mix them into your favourite moisturiser, apply, and allow to develop for at least six hours. Keep adding more to build up to the shade that you want.
“Should I do a trial run?”
We highly recommend that you do. If you’re like most overly excited brides, it’s easy to reach for the deepest and most decadent shades, only to make a disaster out of your skin tone. Make sure to do a trial run several weeks before your wedding so you have time to recover from a tanning crisis (should it occur).
We suggest scheduling this in so that it coincides with your dress fitting day so you’ll be able to picture the look you want better. Just make sure to allow ample time for the tan to develop before fitting day for accuracy.
“When is the best time to self-tan before the big day?”
Now that you’ve settled on how golden you want to look on your wedding day, you’ll need to sort out when your self-tanning day should be. Our recommendation: schedule your self-tanning session around 2-3 days before your wedding to allow it to develop to the fullest. Self-tanners continue to develop up to 48 hours after application, so we do not recommend last minute wedding tanning.
“What do I need to prepare before my self-tanning session?”
Tanning products are best applied to clean, smooth skin, so make sure to do your proper prep work before your tanning session. Do your hair removal and exfoliation at least 24 hours before tanning to allow your skin to settle down and for your pores to close (nobody wants a bumpy tan). When exfoliating, be gentle but thorough to avoid skin irritation. Pay special attention to dry areas such as your elbows, knees, and ankles. Tanning products tend to absorb better on dry skin, which may result in an uneven tan. Make sure to exfoliate those areas thoroughly.
After exfoliating, make sure to keep your skin hydrated except on your tanning day. On that day, you’ll want to keep your skin free from any kinds of lotions, perfumes, deodorants, or makeup. For dry areas, use a pea sized amount of moisturiser and lather on. This layer of moisture acts as a barrier to prevent color build up in said areas.
(Part two here.)