Tan in a Can
I am the palest person- really. The only color from the sun I get is in the form of freckles. And more freckles.
So every summer I embark on the quest to find a sunless tanner that 1. does not stink to high heaven, 2. dries in a reasonable amount of time (although Casey loves the naked time… haha) and 3. gives me a natural looking color.
I have tried many products throughout the years and when I saw the articles in Lucky (gawd-awful website warning!!) magazine this month all about different kinds of sunless tanner, I almost peed my pants. Wee!
I have never read Lucky but I needed something brainless to read on the plane to Seattle when I was trying not to have a nervous breakdown with all the turbulence. Anyway, I like the magazine a lot more than I thought I would!
They had a great series of articles, as I mentioned, that focused on a bunch of sunless tanning products. I happened to remember one, Neutrogena’s MicroMist Tanning Spray, when I was at the drugstore the other day and picked it up.
I decided to experiment with my legs last night and began, as instructed, by exfoliating and shaving my legs. I chose a scrubbie/ loofah thing I got at Target but you can also use a scrub too. (I paid particular attention to my knees.) After drying off thoroughly, I used a little bit of lotion on my feet, ankles, and knees because I read somewhere that can help make the tanner look more natural in those areas.
The spray comes out in a very fine mist, just as they say. It takes a little getting used to and, although it says you don’t have to do this, I did spread it around with my hand a little bit to make sure I got even coverage. (wash hands well with soap and water after)
This stuff seemed to soak in really quickly- I don’t know about the 5 minutes that they claim but I felt comfortable going to bed without worrying I would get it all over my sheets or Casey. 
The results? Not bad! Not bad at all! I think I would like it a little bit darker on the front of my calves (formerly blindingly white!) but other than that, I am very happy with the results.
I kept thinking though, while I was applying it, of that movie with Meryl Streep and Goldi Hawn, Death Becomes Her. Where they become immortal but don’t take care of their bodies and have to spray paint each other to not look dead? Come on- someone has to know that movie… I loved that when I was a kid. haha
The end.
*update: Real Simple magazine also has an article on sunless tanners this month, which seems helpful as well. They broke it up into categories and recommended products for light, medium and dark skin. Very cool! (They also had articles on flip-flops, hair remover products, and fans that I also enjoyed…)
June 9th, 2005 at 1:29 am
DEATH BECOMES HER!!! I TOTALLY remember that movie!! Sooo wack! LOL!
June 9th, 2005 at 7:55 am
I saw that movie in the theater with my aunt! I totally remember the whole thing. It freaked me out when they started to fall apart.
Good luck with that sunless tanning!
June 9th, 2005 at 8:45 am
I think I do remember that movie…but only after seeing it on TV or something when I was older. My parents never let me watch anything.:-(
I need some good sunless tanner. My legs refuse to tan, even as the rest of my body darkens a bit. Sounds like your recommendation might do the trick…
June 9th, 2005 at 9:00 am
I’ve seen Death Becomes Her twice – and both times it was in a hotel room during a business trip. It’s one of those freaky / creepy movies.
A friend of mine uses the new Jergens sunless tanning stuff. It’s supposed to be gradual. I have a tube of it but haven’t tried it yet. I’ve had some wonky sunless tanner experiences over the years. I’ll have to look into the Neutrogena stuff for the fish flesh…
June 9th, 2005 at 9:00 am
Lucky mag…I pick that up everyonce in a while…they have good stuff in there.
I loved Death Becomes Her…I always watch a little if I’m the only one home and it’s on!
June 9th, 2005 at 9:18 am
That movie is HYSTERICAL! But, I’m posting a comment because I, too, am the palest person I know, blindingly pale, see-through pale… and I am afraid of the self-tanner. I have never ever been tan naturally and I fear that a fake tan will look, well, fake on my super pale skin. Do you like it? Do you feel comfortable “tan” as opposed to pale? Could you show a before/after shot the next time you do it?
Thanks, from a pale-alike girl (but without the freckles).
June 9th, 2005 at 9:25 am
Of course I remember that movie! I’ll have to try the sunless tanner this winter when I’m feeling all pasty white.
June 9th, 2005 at 10:31 am
I know what you mean about feeling comfortable, Megann… I think that if you use a tanner that is subtle then it can look really good. That is sorta why I like this one… it made my skin a few shades darker but if I put my skin next to someone who really tans, it would barely look tan. But for me, it is just enough to take the edge off, you know? Just having a little color makes me feel prettier and I think makes me stand out less in the summertime.
I’d recommend trying on on your legs and then if you like it, you can try it on the rest of your body. Maybe try your upper thighs or your butt or something so you can test the color and see what you think?
I actually haven’t ever done my face because I think it might look weird… who knows. I am going to experiment with this bronzing powder I have instead first. They do make tanners specifically for your face that I might try but then all my makeup will be the wrong color… such a quandary.
I will take a picture tonight because I am going to try to do the rest of my body with the Neutrogena stuff. Hopefully, I will be able to get a good picture… sometimes color can be hard to capture but I will try!
June 9th, 2005 at 10:57 am
I saw the commercials for that stuff and wondered if it was good. I tan easily, but I get so pale in the winter that I have to “pre-tan” before I go out in shorts the first time so I don’t scare myself and others. I LOVE Death Becomes Her, such a great movie
June 9th, 2005 at 11:20 am
I’ve used some of the sprays before, but I always hated the smell that stuck around for five days and the sticky-ness. Thanks for the recommendation!
June 9th, 2005 at 12:37 pm
I love Neutrogena tanning stuff! I use the foam, though. I had never had luck with it before because, for some reason, I always felt compelled to put it on in the morning–so I was always frustrated waiting for it to dry and worried about streaking and stuff. I’ve recently started putting on a light coat before I go to bed, and it works SOOO much better! And if you put on a bit every night then any streaks or blotchiness tend to work their way out. My suggestion to anyone who is contemplating it? Start on a Friday evening, and apply each night over the weekend. By Monday, you’ll have a nice, even, subtle tan.
June 9th, 2005 at 1:26 pm
Hi there! Relatively new to your blog, but I hear ‘ya on feeling pale. I’ve tried the Nuetrogena and it is pretty darn good. But you know what you should try that is AWESOME- Jergen’s Moisture Glow. If I didn’t use it I certainly wouldn’t be wearing shorts/skirts this summer : P!
June 9th, 2005 at 1:42 pm
I totally just used some Nuetrogena stuff the other day. Being so pale…I noticed the difference even though no one else could. I always recommend it to people.
I love Lucky magazine. Some of it is so horrible, but sometimes I look at stuff and think “I could make that!”. It gives me ideas.
June 9th, 2005 at 3:10 pm
Oh, I definitely enjoyed Death Becomes Her when I was younger. Kind of creepy, lots of fun.
And I tore out the Lucky spread on sunless tanners too. Monkey tried some tan in a can we’d toted from Chicago last week. No joke, it was like he spray painted black in spots on his leg. I said, oh my gosh, what is that, and he said, I don’t know; something I picked up in a dollar store maybe. Ha! It did look ok once he spread it out, but it was so alarming at first.
June 9th, 2005 at 4:31 pm
Thanks for the tanning info! One thing I always wished that I could thank my mother for was keeping me out of the sun. And if I was in the sun, I had to wear bullfrog or a large hat. So, now, I feel guilty when I get any real type of tan
I am SO going to try that stuff. ‘Cause having a tan makes you look skinny. Right?
June 11th, 2005 at 9:40 am
Thanks for the sun-less tanning info! If you are the palest person, then I am the second palest person. My husband calls me ‘whitey’. I always just burn, and then get pale again – besides, I’m scared of skin cancer/wrinkles and all that other fun stuff that goes along with tanning. I’ll run out and try that spray tanning now that you’ve given us a review. Yippeeee!
June 11th, 2005 at 8:42 pm
I saw that movie, Death Becomes Her, just like a month ago for the first time…I love Meryl Streep. Anyways..I just tried self-tanning for the first time today! In fact, I just put another coat of the stuff on 5 minutes ago..it’s Neutrogena Build-A-Tan… and it worked pretty well! I am pale and freckled, and always burn! This stuff gave me a nice color, but I have some blotchy parts I have to fix up
. Good luck with your wedding!
June 14th, 2005 at 10:25 pm
Real Simple rocks… I saw that article.
I’ve had luck with Lancome’s product…