There are a few things one should never do in the last few minutes before leaving the house. The first is apply liquid liner – you will manage to smudge it under an eyelid. Call it Mercier’s law. The second is guzzle the last inch of your cappuccino before running out the door – beware the curse of the white shirt. And the third, and perhaps most capricious of them all, is the last-minute bathtub spray tan.
It seems innocent enough, right? Just a quick misting before tugging on your outfit, giving you an instant I-woke-up-poolside-like-this glow?
Fast-forward an hour or two and your face is about three Pantones darker than your neck, your back has more spots than a Sophia Webster sandal, and your palms have turned a delightful shade of default-emoji. And to top it off, the Sharpie-esque indelibility of the stuff means you’re stuck like this for at least two days. Joy.
Wish we could moral-of-the-story it here and say we learned our lesson the first time, but we have had our fair share of botched fake tans. And with summer just a month away, we’re already fighting the urge to slather ourselves in St. Tropez. So we decided to turn it over to the experts – we’re talking the people who give the Victoria’s Secret Angels their runway glows and celebrities the DHA treatment pre-red carpet.
Here’s how to un-botch a fake tan.
When You Spot the Dreaded Arm-Stripe
“Always have Neutrogena makeup removal wipes and St. Tropez self-tan remover handy,” says Jimmy Coco, the man behind Ariana Grande and Victoria Beckham’s year-round Vitamin D ish. “Pump the self-tan remover onto a makeup wipe and rub over the darker area. This will remove the topical bronzer and soften the appearance of the darker areas. Or, you can rub some ketchup (that’s right, ketchup!) on the area to help remove the mishap.”
When You’ve Missed a Spot (or Seven)
“For a few small areas, a spot touch-up would be most efficient, and the tool to use depends on the size of the areas,” says Katie Quinn, who has tanned and toned the Victoria’s Secret Angels. “For larger areas, use your hands to blend self-tanner into the pale spots, and blend the borders into the tanned skin as best you can. For small spots caused by water drops, use a Q-Tip or cotton ball to transfer product on, while blending the borders into the tanned skin. If you’re in a big hurry, and you don’t have time for the attention to detail that self-tanner can require, bronzing powder can be a great temporary quick fix!”
How to Avoid Telltale Tangerine Palms
“Make sure when you are choosing your self-tanner you pick up an applicator mitt,” says Fiona Locke, who has bronzed the likes of Kim Kardashian, Olivia Wilde, and Chrissy Teigen. “This is a must-have. Also try and choose a self-tanner that has a tint or guide color as you are applying product. This will help you to see any areas you may have missed.”
