It’s officially May which, for me, usually means 2 things. One, it’s getting warmer and I can finally whip out all my mini skirts and dresses that have been hibernating in my closet. And two, that with mini skirts comes the inevitable ghost pale, sun-reflecting whiteness of my legs. And trust me when I say, it’s not pretty.
You could probably Kira Kira my legs and they’d sparkle I’m so pale at the nascent of summer.
But alas, a solution exists! Praise be the self tanner!
So, for the last 7 days, I’ve been usually Jergen’s Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer with firming. It creates “fabulous natural-looking color with a subtle skin-darkening complex. In as little as 7 days you’ll experience visibly firmer skin with less noticeable cellulite and improved elasticity.”
Essentially all I had to do was apply daily moisturizer, and I’d get tanned and reduce cellulite. Seemed pretty simple to me. And for the most part, it was.
Below I’ve compiled some pros, cons, tips and tricks that I accrued over the last week of this challenge.
Application Process
PRO: This was fairly easy. It follows the same general process as any other moisturizer would, so I didn’t notice too much of a difference here. Except for…
CON: Luckily for me, I’ve been dancing and doing yoga my whole life and am fairly flexible and can reach that elusive spot between my shoulder blades with only slight discomfort, but if you struggle to do the same, you might have some difficulty ensuring that you’re applying the moisturizer everywhere. No one wants a streaky back.
TIP #1: Do a little stretch beforehand. I know this seems like a weird thing to suggest, but even I get stiff in the morning and the last thing you want is to miss a chunk of your back and have no idea you’re walking around looking like a tanned zebra from behind.
TIP #2: I’m a fairly active person so I timed applying my lotion around my workouts. Nothing is worse than applying a self tanner and then sweating it off 30 minutes later. Schedule your workouts in advance so you can figure out what time of the day you want to apply your moisturizer.
Waiting to Dry
Because the moisturizer is a bit thicker than my normal lotion, it took longer to absorb, and I didn’t want to risk it rubbing off or transferring onto my clothes.
PRO: I started waking up a bit earlier, getting to work earlier and got more tasks done in the morning.
CON: I had to account for drying time in my daily schedule. I’m a pretty busy person, so I had to actively set my alarm earlier in the morning to make sure I had enough time to apply the moisturizer, wait for it to dry and then get dressed.
TIP: Apply your moisturizer first, right after you wash your face in the morning. That way it’s the first thing you do and gives you the drying time to complete your other morning tasks like brushing your teeth, styling your hair, making your bed, packing lunches, etc all while the lotion dries.
The Colour
PRO: This is probably one of my favourite self tanners, mostly because it actually moisturizes your skin while giving you subtle colour, but also because it doesn’t make me look orange (a worry I often face when turning to tanners). The fact that it gradually builds colour also gives the illusion that it’s a more natural tan. If I went from white to dark overnight it’d be much more obvious that it was fake, and I’d risk coming off too orangey.
CON: Honestly, I don’t have any cons about the colour. Sometimes I find the “Fair to Medium” tone too light and will use instead the “Medium to Tan” one when I want it a bit darker, but even when I do that it’s a gradual colour and still looks natural. The only con I can think of for others is that this is not the self tanner to use if you’re looking for an immediate noticeable change in colour.
TIP: Make sure to apply the moisturizer in an even layer to avoid dark splotchy spots and scrub your ankles, knees and elbows after applying to avoid over saturation.
The Scent
PRO: As someone in an unrequited relationship with the sun (I love the sun and being in it but it does not love me back-hence lobster Kyra), I spend a good portion of the summer months smelling like self tanner and sunscreen. So I’ve compiled a few brands that I love that don’t make me smell like an amalgamation of rubber, alcohol and yeast. And thankfully, this is one of them. I liken the Jergens Natural Glow scent to that of Hawaiian Tropics sunscreen. It’s fruity, floral and the scent subdues over time which means I just smell like I switched up my perfume for a while.
CON: Again, I don’t really have a con about this one. It’s one of the better scented self tanners I’ve found.
Overall
All in all, this is one of the better self tanners I’ve ever used, and I’ve used quite a few. I received compliments from some coworkers (who didn’t know about the challenge), and even one of my friends who usually gets very tanned said I was darker than her. So, I consider that a win, because I don’t think I’ve ever been more tanned someone before, until now!
