BEAUTY Skin

Self-Tanning My Face… A Real Experiment

Written by Bryce

Self tanner for the face… the verdict you might not expect.

Last Friday I had lunch with a famous doctor that specializes in skin cancer, and over a plate of lobster he basically scared the holy bejesus out of me. He asked me point blank, “do you wear sunscreen every single day?” And I know that my job in the beauty industry would probably make most people assume that my answer would be something along the lines of “always!” or “um, obviously…” but that’s just not the case. In fact, I try to work sunscreen into my morning moisturization routine just about every day, but the truth is that screaming babies, ringing phones, hunger, and all sorts of other stuff can occasionally get in the way. And that’s not even touching the fact that my skin is ghostly white if it doesn’t get some sun action.

Lunch with this doc convinced me that I have no intention of battling any type of cancer (ever), and that I’d have to find a new, easier solution to my occasional need for a minor amount of face glow. Luckily, the people at Beautisol had just sent me a little care package of face tanners to try out. Normally the idea of a self-tanner doesn’t bother me on my body- but the idea of schmearing war paint on my face when I live a pretty public life just irks me. It took a lot of bravery this weekend (when I had a wedding to go to, Ashley’s birthday party, and the return of my boyfriend after a week away) to strip off the makeup, exfoliate, and rub the deep-hued cream into my face.

What happened actually shocked me (pardon the no-makeup picture, kids). The self-tanner was easy to see and manipulate, which made me somewhat less skeptical, but I was still nervous that I’d end up looking like a pro football player with streaks below my eyes or an insanely overdone Jersey girl with a real love of the color orange. I worked the cream into my face gradually, and about 3 hours later- voila!- slightly tanned skin that didn’t look overdone at all. It was smooth, streakless, and just sort of a touch or two deeper than my natural skintone. I didn’t look like I just hit the 40 yard line, the Jersey Shore, or those pockets of Long Island where everyone is over-tanned and over-accented.

The verdict? Would totally apply once a week for a healthy glow that cuts down on morning makeup time. I recommend trying out the formula for oily skin so it’s sure not to clog pores. Check it out here.

Next up… testing if it works to cover imperfections on my legs.

About the author

Bryce

Bryce Gruber is a Manhattanite mom who can be found jet-setting off to every corner of the globe. She loves exotic places, planes with WiFi, summer clothes, & Sucre brown butter truffles. Bryce's aim is to do to luxury what Elton John did to being gay. Follow her on twitter @brycegruber

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