High School Formals

Tan debate: fake it or forget it?

15 June 2011 by admin in Beauty, Fashion, Homepage, Latest, Uncategorized

Guest post by: Madeline Drew

Before your big night you will no doubt be deciding whether you should or shouldn’t have a fake tan applied. Fake tans aren’t for everyone; they’re a very personal decision and something everyone feels differently about.

There are many reasons why you might not want a fake tan; you might be afraid of being orange on the night of your formal, or you may already have beautifully naturally tanned skin.

However there are many reasons you might want to get one. Perhaps your skin’s naturally lighter than all of your friends, or maybe you think a glowing tan would compliment the dress you’re planning to wear.

Whatever reason you have for wanting a fake tan, there are a few ways you can go about it for your big night.

Option one is to visit a spray tanner and have it applied professionally. This method often involves being naked or in a bikini so you must be absolutely comfortable with the idea of another person seeing you in all your glory. This normally costs anywhere from $50 to $150.

It’s probably a good idea to do a test run with this style of fake tan a month or so before the formal, that way you can see if you’d rather go darker or lighter, and if you actually like the tan. It’s also probably safer to get the tan applied two or three days before the formal even if you have tested it, just in case.

Next option is to purchase your own spray tanning kit from a supermarket or big department store. Most of the home spray tanning kits come with a sponge or glove which you use to evenly spread the tanning lotion over your body. This option boils down to skill, and whether or not, you or the person who will be applying it can get that tan on your skin in a perfectly even, and non-blotchy way.

A final option may be to purchase a moisturising body lotion with built in tanning ingredients. These types of products are simply used as a moisturiser which you apply daily or twice daily to your skin to slowly build a gradual tan. This method could take a month or so to get it looking great. Dove puts out a great tanning product that is great for your skin and which is available in most supermarkets.

Basically, if you’ve decided a fake tan is the way to go then make sure that you test whichever method you choose - perhaps even a few times - and ensure you apply it at least three days before your big night. You'll definitely get the best tan quality by using a professional, but in the worst case, if you do have a fake tan incident on the night of your formal, don’t stress about it too much. Just exfoliate your skin to remove as much of the tan product as possible and remember to moisturise your skin afterwards.