Spring officially arrives in less than two weeks and soon the skin you've been hiding under long sleeves and pants all winter will be revealed! Local 4 style editor Jon Jordan joined host Tati Amare on set to show us the new ways to make your skin look healthier overnight, no matter what your complexion.
He brought in a plethora of self-tanners, bronzers, and self-tanners combined with bronzers. Now many self-tanners used to get a bad reputation for leaving your skin orange and smelling bad, but technology has come along way. While you can still get that Dorito-chic look if you apply too much, or the wrong tone of self-tanner, many allow you to get a nice subtle sun-kissed look.
First Jon talked about bronzers. These differ from self-tanners in that they are purely cosmetic and will come off after a wash. Bronzers come in liquids and powders and vary in tones. If you don't want those unnatural sparkles that are often found in bronzers, you can always use a pressed powder that is slightly darker than your usual foundation.
Then there are products that are bronzers with a self-tanner in them. These will slowly build a tan that will not wash off while giving you some instant color.
If you are worried about going too tan too fast, there are products that build up naturally over time, like Neutrogena's Build a Tan. This product can be applied daily and will darken your skin a little more each time. Jergan's also has a similar product that is a self-tanner mixed with a daily moisturizer.
Michelle Oliver then came in to show off an experiment she did with a self-tanner from NKD SKN. She applied the lotion the previous night to everything but one arm, by the time she woke up there was a noticeable tan on the part she used the lotion on.
"It's believable color and that's the point," said Jon.
The NKD SKN Gradual Glow self-tanner is not animal tested, certified organic and costs about $15. Michelle liked the product, saying it worked way better than she thought it would, but mentioned it was slightly difficult to apply since when you initially put it on, there is no visible color, so it is hard to make sure you are applying it evenly. In fact, there were even a couple of noticeable spots around her ankles where she missed. To fix this issue, Jon recommended you blend a liquid bronzer or darker foundation into the self-tanner so you can see where you are applying it. Michelle also says a thin even layer is key and recommends applying it a day or two before you want to show it off so you can make sure it is even since it takes 4-8 hours for the color to fully develop.
Another hot tip from Jon Jordan was to mix a little bit of self-tanner into your daily moisturizer to counteract ashiness.
Follow these tips and your skin will have a nice, healthy glow without any damage.