Ever wonder why there are people who call themselves tan specialists? It’s because achieving the perfect glow is not as easy as smothering your skin with the next DHA-filled product you see on the shelf. In fact, just choosing the appropriate shade takes a bit of trial and error, and a keen eye to tell one hue apart from another – something that typically requires tanning experience.
Fortunately, there’s no need to call in those tanning experts just yet. Here’s our quick guide to know which of our tanning mousse shades would work on your complexion like a charm.
One last thing: be totally honest about where your skin tone lies in the bronzing spectrum. Failure to do so will almost guarantee a disaster striking upon you.
For the pale skin tone
If you’ve shied away from fake tans because you think you’re too pale, we’re here to reassure you there’s a right tanning shade for everyone. Adding a bronze wash to your normal hue is not only flattering, but it will also help even out any redness in your skin tone.
We would, however, caution you from getting too excited. Jumping too many shades away from your natural tone may look unnatural, and is also no place for a rookie self-tanner to be in since splotches and streaks will be harder to conceal. Remember that darker shades contain more of the tanning agent DHA, which may leave you stuck with an oompa loompa orange tan for a few days.
Our recommendation:
Bronze Bliss Medium Tanning Mousse.
We also suggest mixing the Skinsation Gradual Tanning Lotion or Afterglow Tanning Drops (or both) to your favorite skincare products for a gradual glow.
For the olive or medium-skinned
This is perhaps the least tricky skin tone to self-tan with, so rejoice if you fall under this category. This skin tone is flexible enough to reach for either side of the spectrum: you can go from medium to deep bronze and still be able to get away with it. But just because you are blessed with a less-fussy skin tone doesn’t mean you can go to town with the self-tanning shades. We still suggest doing a patch test just to make sure that the shade you chose is actually one you are satisfied with.
Our recommendation: Bronze Bliss Medium Tanning Mousse, Choc Coconut Dark Tanning Mousse, or the
Decadently Dark Ultra Dark Tanning Mousse.
For the naturally dark skin tone
If your skin tone is already naturally bronze, donning a self-tanner is great if you want to even out pigmentations, conceal cellulite, or blur general skin imperfections. Not to mention, our tanning mousses are chock full of natural ingredients that are good for your skin.
Don’t forget to prep your skin by exfoliating. Make sure you focus on areas that tend to be dryer than others. Dry skin is a magnet for DHA, which may result in an awkwardly uneven tan.
Our recommendation:
Choc Coconut Dark Tanning Mousse, or the Decadently Dark Ultra Dark Tanning Mousse.
Check out our cheat sheet for prepping your skin for self-tanning here.