The Art of the Tan: Application

Self tanner virgin? Or, just can't seem to avoid streaks, splotches and those telltale orange palms? I've been hanging on to this how-to guide for a rainy day and, well, it's raining...so here we go!

First check out The Art of the Tan: Prep, then read on for some foolproof application tips.

You will need:

- A bottle of your favorite self tanner
- Non-greasy body lotion
- Hand soap
- Self tan

Fake Bake Month: St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse

St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Bronzing Mousse is like the original St. Tropez's more refined, more sophisticated little sister. It makes less mess, smells better...but also delivers a lighter tan than the good old shiny brown goo in the pump bottle.

Still, Whipped Bronze is so much easier to work with that I won't really fault it for the decreased depth of color. As you know, I like the texture

Fake Bake Month: Famous Dave's Moisture Tan

Back by popular demand...Fake Bake Month! (Maybe we should call it the Summer of Faux Tan?)I had never heard of Famous Dave's tanner until I posted asking for suggestions of tanners to review. When several readers suggested it, my first thought was that someone was trying to play a trick on me. The only Famous Dave's I knew was barbecue sauce!But alas, there is a Famous Dave's tanner, and I made

Fake Bake Month: Victoria's Secret Bare Bronze Daily Glow Moisturizer

And...we have a winner in the scent category! Victoria's Secret Bare Bronze is the only self tanning product that has ever garnered compliments FOR THE SMELL. I've been using the Daily Glow Moisturizer, a gradual tanner, and it has this amazing, beachy, coconutty scent. It's fantastic layered with my new favorite warm weather scent, Creed Virgin Island Water.Bare Bronze Daily Glow has the texture

Fake Bake Month: Estee Lauder Body Performance Golden Naturally Radiant Moisturizer

Estee Lauder Body Performance is certainly one of the higher-end gradual tanners tested this month, and I came in with very high expectations. I've always found Lauder products to be exceedingly well-formulated and on the mark.Body Performance Golden Naturally Radiant Moisturizer delivers on all fronts but one: the smell. It has a light, pleasant floral scent, but something is lurking underneath.

Fake Bake Month: Lancome Flash Bronzer Glow 'N Wear

Last time we talked about the Lancome tanning mousse, which received a dismal rating of 17/30. I still can't figure out why Elle named it one of the top 5 self-tanners!?

Lancome Flash Bronzer Glow 'N Wear - a 2007 CEW Beauty Awards finalist -is a FAR superior product. It claims to be "Virtually Transfer Free," and guess what? It is!

Glow 'N Wear is a tinted gel, available in Shimmer Tan and

Fake Bake Month: ModelCo Tan Airbrush in a Can

OK. We've done gradual tanning lotions, tinted tanners, mousse tanners, and spray tans in the booth. Now it's time for the "airbrush" category.Or, if you prefer, the "tan in a can."Tan Airbrush In a Can was the first ModelCo product I tried; I've since become addicted to their other "in a can" offerings, like the moisturizer.Tan in a Can (I know the word Airbrush is in there, but doesn't "Tan in

Fake Bake Month: L'Oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer

L'Oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer was another popular reader request for Fake Bake Month, and I was embarrassed to admit I hadn't tried it yet! I picked up a tube at CVS and got to work.Overall, Sublime Glow has got to be one of the best gradual tanners on the market. It has a terrific texture that feels like a good body lotion instead of a sticky self tanner that never dries. It has the

Fake Bake Month: Bare Escentuals Faux Tan

Honestly, I wasn't aware that Bare Escentuals even made a self tanner, but after several reader requests to review it, I headed to Sephora to pick up a bottle.

Bare Escentuals Faux Tan isn't cheap - $22 for only 4.5 oz - but after testing it out I'm convinced it's worth the price. The texture of this tanner is similar to St. Tropez; it's a somewhat thin lotion that spreads easily and evenly.

Fake Bake Month: Mystic Tan

Mystic Tan has become somewhat iconic over the years as a means of describing someone who glows as only an Oompa Loompa can; it's most closely associated with the likes of Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton, who seem to relish overindulging in the fake bake.I tried Mystic Tan a couple of years ago and my experience was laughable; not by any fault of the product or machinery, but as a direct result

Fake Bake Month: Lancome Soleil Flash Bronzer Tinted Self Tanning Moisturizing Mousse

Flash Bronzer Tinted Self Tanning Moisturizing Mousse is one of Lancome's many - and varied - self tanner offerings. On the whole, the Lancome tanners are quite good; a few of them will be covered during May Fake Bake Month, starting with the mousse.The Flash Bronzer mousse - housed in a can like mousse for your hair - has a lovely, creamy texture that allows for smooth, even application. It

Fake Bake Month: St. Ives Healthy Brilliance Renew & Glow

St. Ives Healthy Brilliance Renew & Glow is one of the newer entries to the gradual self-tanner market (seems like every brand is coming out with one these days!).

I was initially skeptical of all the marketing gobbledygook and product claims ("age-defying anti-oxidant complex of grape seed, olive and green tea extracts that fights free radicals that damage skin at cellular levels and cause

Fake Bake Month: St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Bronzing Lotion

I first discovered St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Bronzing Lotion the summer of 2005, when I was in Greece for my friend M's wedding (note: back then it was called Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion). After a summer of tanning, M had a patch of skin on her shoulder that peeled 2 days before the big day. I was fully expecting her to panic, but she just whipped out her bottle of St. Tropez and insisted she

Fake Bake Month: Official Rating System

Each self tanner reviewed this month will be rated across four categories, on the following scale:1 = very poor2 = poor3 = satisfactory4 = very good5 = excellentAnd the categories:Scent, ranging from gag-inducing (1) to heavenly (5). DHA is so foul that I doubt any of them will score a 5, but we shall see!Color. Tanners that show up orange (or not at all) get poor ratings; those with good depth

The Art of the Tan: Prep

The sun is shining, the weather is warm, the beach beckons...and you're white as a sheet. But before you reach for that bottle of sweet tan salvation, some quick preparation is in order, lest you emerge looking more like a striped animal than a bronzed goddess. You'll need:

- non-oily body scrub
- a loofah, or loofah gloves (NOT a net sponge or "pouf")
- a razor and a non-oily shaving aid
-

Fake Bake Month Begins!

Time to get tan, friends. Fake Bake Month will kick off with a post on Self Tanner Basics: Prep.Stay tuned!