Thread: Favorite Sunless Tanner. "Orange" You Glad I Asked?

Let's move on to a lighter topic of conversation, shall we?

So, thanks to the wisdom of Tanya, Lauren, and other Fair Maidens of Bhuz, I've decided to lay off on the fake-bake.

L'Oreal Sublime Glow lotion, used daily, has been working out great! No odd smell, goes on smooth, subtle color....good stuff all around. Nature's Gate Upper Tanagement is also a favorite, because it gives a nice golden color that's similar to the color I tan naturally.

What are all of your favorites?

I've used the l'oreal spray on sublime glow, but that one's a little more tricky. I also found that the spray works better when I'm already naturally tan. When I'm kinda pale, it turns really orange.

(Recovering tanner and beach bunny here. =( )

Yes....I'm afraid of what will happen when my artificial tanning booth "glow" subsides and I'm possibly left with an orange mess. We'll keep our fingers crossed....

Or maybe we can both just take a cue from Dita Von Teese and bring the pale look back! I'm working up the guts.

I am really happy you decided against the fake bake in favor of the self-tanners. I like Jergens Natural Glow mixed with other lotion to cut down on the "baking bread" smell!

Originally Posted by tabitha

I've used the l'oreal spray on sublime glow, but that one's a little more tricky. I also found that the spray works better when I'm already naturally tan. When I'm kinda pale, it turns really orange.

(Recovering tanner and beach bunny here. =( )

I too, like this one very much. It gives an almost instant tan. It just needs to come in a bigger container.

I am super-pale ( think nickname albino in jr high) I like Jergens natural glow. It's the only one that doesn't turn me orange.

I am not naturally pale, nor overly olive, but what I am envious of is when I see the beautiful pale perfect skin of someone here at Bhuz, and their hair and eyes which accentuate the pale skin - it's gorgeous!! But I did buy the Loreal Sublime lotion today. A note of advice if you are younger - I am older and you can tell see damage to my skin from the sun (wrinkles and sun spots uggh). So now I have to pay big bucks to get rid of them.

I like L'Oreal Sublime Glow lotion. The L'Oreal Sublime Bronze is too dark for me and streaks, as well as other lotions I've tried.

It stinks, but it works.

It has been a while since I've sunless tanned because I'm just not into that much maintenance and I don't really care much if I look pale. BUT when I was looking into it, I found this website:

Sunless.com -- Your Sunless Tanning Guide
It has some reviews, application tips, etc. I'm not sure how up-to-date it is but figured I'd post the link.

As a naturally pale person, I'm embracing the inner glow. I fell in love with the look of creamy skin after seeing Shanna dance. Not that mine is ever that gorgeous, but I prefer to cover with costuming and stay pale. I do love naturally olive or dark skin of all tones as well, but worry when I see someone who's naturally pale doing the fake bake. I imagine the wrinkles, not that many years hence...

Vampires, unite!!!

We've been doing some experimentation (by we I mean me and some of the gals in my troupe--not just the crazy woman royal we....) Here are some I've tried:

MysticTan: it works pretty well, but its spendier than the DIY variety and it involves getting to a Mystic Tan provider. Also, I found I need to BE SURE the place I go to does NOT use the bronzer (some have a cosmetic bronzer that is supposed to make you look tan while your dha "tan" is developing, but I found it smells, is messy, and triggers my allergies!) It's good for getting an even, all over tan, though. Also, I found that at the places with two levels, if I wanted a darker tan it was better for me to get one lighter tan and come back a couple days later for a second one than to just get the one with the "boost". The boosted seemed to end up more blotchy in any places that wanted to absorb more, etc., and it didn't last as long/wear off as evenly. Mystic takes about 4 hours to start to develop (so do it AT LEAST 4 hours before you perform or sweat a lot), but comes in more fully after 8.

In the DIY category, tried Loreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelee streak-free, quick-dry (empty tube here...) it comes in shades from light-medium through deep. Light-medium works on one of our lighter gals (nothing on me...) Upsides: going on, the gelee has an almost baby oil type of finish, so you can clearly see (and feel for those hard to see places) where you've put it and it spreads easily--that meant no streaks. Downsides: "quick dry" made me laugh. You need to be prepared to wander nude through your house for about 20 minutes before you put your clothes back on if you want to be thoroughly dry (which you do...for the sake of your clothing AND because it will mess with the development of the tan. You'll start to see *some* darkening around the 4 hour mark, but it really takes more like 6-8 hours for this one to come in. But, it wasn't orange, and the application was even.

Another one that's working pretty well...the Neutrogena MicroMist Tanning Sunless Spray. I've not liked the way some of the other Neutrogena sunless products looked on people (color...) but this one seems good. You spray the mist on. It dries fairly quickly (maybe within 5 minutes) and the coverage is pretty good. Also...you can spray more lightly if you like and then go back over it later when it comes in to "fix" spots if you need to. Upside: Easy application, easy to fix, easy to "feather off" (no hard lines like you can get with gels and creams), quick development (start to see darkening in 2 hours, well developed in 4, totally developed in 6) Downsides: can be hard to tell if you've applied everywhere/evenly, better do it standing in the shower because, well, it's a mist! :-) This one also comes in a couple of shades. One of the paler ladies used the "2" and had a really nice warm skin tone after one application--not a dark tan, but a little "healthy glow."

I read about the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze from Lauren (I think) and bought the tinted lotion to give it a shot. It's worked great for me! I tan easily, but can get very pale if I'm out of the sun for a long time.

So far, it gives me a good color without the orange. The slight tint helps me avoid streaks as long as I'm careful, so it's been good enough to tide me over until it's warm enough to be outside.

Thanks for all the tips, guys. It seems like sunless tanners are coming a loooooong way over the years, especially with all the melanoma scares. I'm glad the beauty industry is catching on to the fact that we all want that healthy glow without the risk, and is starting to make some great products.

Our site manager at work just found out that his wife has a very difficult to treat case of kidney cancer, which started out as melanoma ,f:: . I always used to think skin cancer was just like getting a mole that can get scraped off in a quick trip to the doctor - seeing something devastating happen to somebody I've met has really caused me to think twice about what I do to my skin.

Not to mention, the "Exotic" thread I created generated some insightful replies about diversity in all skin tones. Maia and Emma, you're right on about pale being quite beautiful and striking on its own.

Hannah Nour of BDSS is such a beautiful role model for alabaster skin. I had the pleasure of taking her workshop this December and she is radiant in person, with milky skin that just pops against her dark, dark hair. She looks like she plays up her fair skin: she even had RED lipstick on at the workshop. So diva!

For the summer, it's always fun to have a little glow, but all other times of the year, I'm not gonna sweat it anymore. My parents both have great wrinkle-free skin in their 60's, and I don't want to tempt fate into making me look otherwise!

Looks like Sublime Bronze is the way to go. Saint Tropez mousse is wonderful, too, and used to be my favorite. Anybody know if you can still get this at Sephora?

~Lisa

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Yes....I'm afraid of what will happen when my artificial tanning booth "glow" subsides and I'm possibly left with an orange mess. We'll keep our fingers crossed....

Or maybe we can both just take a cue from Dita Von Teese and bring the pale look back! I'm working up the guts.

We could start a therapy group and a rehab clinic when we just reallllllly need to lay out in the sun for a few hours...

I guess I should know better though. Last summer in Oahu I used Maui Babe tanning lotion and fell asleep in the sun on our first day there. My chest was so blistered it made me physically sick for a few days after, not to mention it gave me a new mole. .p:: .p:: But do I still get the urge to go tan? YES! Can it be a real addiction???

Anyhow, Michelle,

Yes, those little bottles are so puny! And I've learned not to use it right after a shower or before gettin' sweaty. ..g.:

Tabitha, I think tanning can definitely be an addiction!

I forgot that a few months ago I got Fake Bake spray from Ulta. I put it on before my photo shoot but decided against it for fear of being splotchy, so I immediately scrubbed it all off, lol! I will say that it seemed to go on very evenly but there was a lot of overspray so you HAVE to do it in a shower stall or somewhere that won't stain. I think I'm gonna try it tomorrow to see what it looks like.

Tabitha, you're right on. Chemically, tanning is addictive because the UV rays trigger all sorts of feel-good hormones in the brain, in addition to the mood-enhancing vitamin D. In fact, this is why some naturopaths even recommend occasional tanning as a mood-booster for those who suffer from S.A.D. and seasonal depression.

I actually got hooked on tanning during a nasty bout with seasonal depression last winter. Perhaps, I should take fish oil or get more sleep, if I need a mood boost.

My name is Lisa, I'm 25 years old, and I am a recovering tan-a-holic.....c::

~Satin

I have two fave fake tans-San Tropez airbrush spray for when i've not got much time to get brown and L'oreal Nutrisummer mist which is a moisturising spray tan that takes about 3 goes to get a decent colour.I never go orange because i have an olive skintone and i look so much thinner,younger and feel better when I'm browner not just for bellydancing but for real life too!!

I do tan in tanning beds, yes I know cardinal sin!! Although I keep my face and neck covered with a towel, that's the biggest sign of aging!! I'm 1/2 native American, 1/2 Irish, so I have a weird mix of olive skin and yellow!! Anyone ethnic mixed with a Caucasian ends up with yellow it seems, but the loreal sublime gel works great for my skin tone, I use the medium/dark I don't turn orange or too red, which is always a concern with my Indian heritage, people will ask me are your sun burned, it's "Ah no, I'm an original American",r:;


So thumbs up to the Loreal sublime!

Love love LOVE Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelee. No nasty smell and it did not turn orange on me.

But I do second the above mentioned drying time issue...

I had to be nekkid for around 30-45 mins before getting dressed.



Side note...

What is the difference between naked and nekkid?

Naked is when you simply have no clothes on.
Nekkid is when you have no clothes on and you are up to sumthin'!!!..l;,

Originally Posted by Aradia

Anyone ethnic mixed with a Caucasian ends up with yellow it seems, but the loreal sublime gel works great for my skin tone, I use the medium/dark I don't turn orange or too red....",r:;

Ahh, amen my yellow sister! I'm a mustard-covered banana myself.
I've found the gelee'--in either medium-dark or dark--works fine on my crazy-mixed-up skin without too much orange or other weird tone.

Originally Posted by meena_oasis

...But I do second the above mentioned drying time issue...I had to be nekkid for around 30-45 mins before getting dressed.
What is the difference between naked and nekkid?
Naked is when you simply have no clothes on.
Nekkid is when you have no clothes on and you are up to sumthin'!!!..l;,

..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;,

Originally Posted by meena_oasis

Side note...

What is the difference between naked and nekkid?

Naked is when you simply have no clothes on.
Nekkid is when you have no clothes on and you are up to sumthin'!!!..l;,

CLASSIC, Meena. You truly do learn something new every day.

*takes notes*

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Tabitha, you're right on. Chemically, tanning is addictive because the UV rays trigger all sorts of feel-good hormones in the brain, in addition to the mood-enhancing vitamin D. In fact, this is why some naturopaths even recommend occasional tanning as a mood-booster for those who suffer from S.A.D. and seasonal depression.

I actually got hooked on tanning during a nasty bout with seasonal depression last winter. Perhaps, I should take fish oil or get more sleep, if I need a mood boost.

My name is Lisa, I'm 25 years old, and I am a recovering tan-a-holic.....c::

~Satin

Hi Lisa (we all chime in)

I go to tanning beds probably 2-3 times a year in the winter due to SAD. However, I've used the L'Oreal products in the past and liked them. I think I'll try the Neutrogena if I get the urge. But really, I love pale skin! It's beautiful and can pull off a few costume colors that tan skin can't. Not to mention that in the world of belly dance, pale is rare and to me exotic. So long as it isn't blue

Hi Malia,

Welcome to Fake-Bake-Aholics Anonymous!

Yep, SAD is totally what got me hooked. I worked in a health food store at the time, and several of the naturopathy students that worked in the vitamin department actually recommended it. (I figured, if somebody in a health food store advised me to try it, it can't be bad.....w.: ).

There's actually some mounting controversy over the anti-tanning school of thought. A dermatologist whose name totally escapes me wrote a manifesto a few years back about how some UV exposure is good for you, and he got the boot from the American Academy of Dermatologists. Also, there are some figures that point to countries with higher sunscreen use having higher rates of skin cancer....but you've gotta question whether that's a direct correlation, or merely a coincidence.

I think there's enough evidence that tanning causes wrinkles and can cause skin cancer to make me want to stay away....or at least save the Fake Bake for photoshoots and gigs, and use sunscreen on my face like Aradia does ..c:: *insert tan-a-holic twitch*

Pale skin can be gorgeous on BDers because it's kind of outside the box...and not to mention, a lot of Eastern countries view pale skin as something aristocratic. Who knows, they could very well think we look like princesses when we're feeling all kinds of midwinter gross and pasty!

Hannah Nour and Princess Farhana always look amazing to me, with their white white skin and dark hair. I've seen some older pics of myself, before I started tanning, and my meticulously-cared-for fair skin that I used to hate actually looked quite stunning!

We all need to chill out and love what we were born with, methinks.

Lisa

I'm a Dutch/French/Indonesian mix and have a quite light skin color. I color quite slow and burn easily, but eventually do get quite a nice tanned skin, though with a slight yellow undertone.

Mohim, I've used both Dove Sunshine Body Lotion (normal to dark skin) as Loreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelee (can't find a specified shade on the tube: Mirah how can you tell which shade you've got?). They both work nice for me but I do have to wash my hands thoroughly 3 or 4 times or else they will get orange.

I put it on before I go to bed, that way it has all night to work and my clothes don't get dirty.

B

I'm glad I'm not alone! Usually by mid-winter I start to crave sunshine, almost like I can crave sweets or carbs.

And the spray on stuff, yes, you DO have to use it in the shower where it wont stain, and if you get it on hard wood floors it can be a mess too.

I'll have to try the Ulta brand (ha! just an excuse to go to there!).

As far as skin colors, I love pale skin too but tan on me seems to hide all the jiggly parts better.

I hear ya! I've got cellulite on my bum and a tan definitely helps cover it...that and my legs can get transparent in winter. I've used other spray tans and they haven't had nearly as much spray as the Fake Bake. It was unbelievable! This just reminded me that I wanted to try it out, so I'm off...I'll let you know if it's worth it!

Safiyah (and other pale gals) Some of the ladies in my troupe are very fair and I know a couple of them were looking at self tanners not to get *tan* but just to take that "See-through, glow-in-the-dark edge off the fish belly white." (Minnesota winters can turn some gals here almost blue....) I think one of them was trying one of the lighter shades of Neutrogena spray, and another had something else she was trying.... We have rehearsal tomorrow night, so I'll try to remember to ask them what they thought of what they used. :-)

Rakasa Barbara...hmm, it's quite possible the packaging may be different in the Netherleands (or maybe they even only sell one shade?) but the tube I'm looking at says "SUBLIME BRONZE" then "Self-Tanning Gelee" and "Streak-free". Right below the "streak-free" there is a little colored box that says Deep (or Medium-deep, or Light...). So, it's on the front of the tube, about half way down.