Well, while I'm waiting for the "O" (see previous post) I should be productive. In my youth, I was a tanning queen... tanning beds, self-tanner, and the sun were my friends. In the beginning, I mainly enjoyed the sun, spending summers poolside sans-sunscreen spraying afro-sheen in regular intervals (it gave the most gorgeous tawny brown color). In my late teens and early twenties, I worshipped the tanning bed, dutifully attending to my tanning ritual at least three times per week. This kept my skin clear, and made me feel beautiful. At my wedding, it's possible I had close to the most perfect tan I've ever had, achieved by tanning every day for the week prior to the wedding in a stand-up tanning bed that didn't give any lines. It was divine. Post-wedding, however, Frank is not a tanning-fan. He begged me to forego my tanning addiction, and I relented. I have not been to the tanning bed since the day before my wedding, and doubt that I'll ever go again. I was not willing, however, to completely give up my quest to have a gorgeous year-round tan, and succumbed to the self-tanner aisle as a result. I have tried no less than 10-15 different types of self-tanner, and here are my results:
The winner. These tan towelettes are super easy to use, and give believable color. Not orange at all, and the result is buildable. I can use the towelettes for three days in a row, and achieve a nice brown color with no streaks. And it lasts for several days. They are cheap too, and easy to travel with because there's no liquid. And the best part, no sponge to wash at the end, no yucky rubber gloves to deal with, and no chance of spilling the tanning cream or liquid on my bathroom rug. Best yet, they dont smell bad, and don't leave you walking around with the aroma of frying chicken. They are available everywhere, from CVS to Walmart.
The runner-up. Jan-Tana gives buildable bronze color that goes on easily without streaking. The key to Jan-Tana application is a good pair of rubber gloves, and the self-tanning sponge. If you slightly dampen the sponge, the color glides on easily. The lotion is brown in color, meaning that you have a color-guide that helps you to avoid streaks. Buildable color that looks realistic and isn't orange, and is immediate - but develops more over the next four hours. The smell is the only downside, it's a bit chemical and once used is unmistakable. I think the color may be a little dark for most self-tanning novices, and would only be really believable during the summer months when most people (at least in the South) have a slight tan anyway. May be purchased at http://www.jantana.com/ Only the fast tan works well, the competition tan is too dark and streaks terribly.
LOSER. I heard people rave about St. Tropez before I tried it, and I was extremely disappointed with this product. You have to lather it on thickly the night before, sleep in it, and wash off the color guide in the morning. Thus, you get self-tanner stained sheets, pajamas, and undies. YUCK. Smells funny, and when the color guide is removed - the color was gone. Plus, it's super expensive, $40 for this little tube, and just isn't worth the money. There are much better products on the market, don't waste your dough on this junk.
When Frank and I began TTC, I ceased all use of any tanning products whatsoever. So, for the first time since I was about 16, I know the true color of my skin. And it's p-a-l-e. It's not even the pretty pale, either... it's just yucky pale. I've read conflicting stories about whether it's ok to use tanning products while TTC and pregnant, but I honestly don't think I can make it through a summer without using something to cut down on this frosty mess I call skin. So, for those of you who are either TTC, pregnant, or are mommies, did you use tanning products?
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