Having been raised in Venezuela, being at the beach and getting a tan was something that I always enjoyed. Years later, getting a tan in Canada required sitting under the sun for countless hours during the summer, only to have it disappear as the winter months came around. Self-tanners completely changed the game. Not only did they allow me to get a perfect looking tan at any point in the year but to do so without the harmful effects of the sun. But before I get into it, I do want to say that using and wearing self-tanners are by no means necessary. For me it’s no different than makeup. Some will love it and some will hate it, and that is totally okay. What matters is that whatever it is that we choose to wear makes us feel like our best selves!

Here in Canada self-tanning is a conversation that simply never comes up. Maybe people use it but didn’t talk about it? Regardless, after hearing various digital creators from around the world speak so highly of self-tanners, I took the plunge. In all honesty I was mortified. Mortified that I would come out looking like Emma from Bride Wars. So I did what every normal person would do and went to Youtube. I watched how-to videos, what not to do, and so on. I exfoliated, applied a full layer of the St.Tropez Self-Tan Purity Mousse, and went to bed. When I woke up I was amazed. I woke up with a natural, flawless looking tan. It was nothing exaggerated nor was it that noticeable. I was shocked. My next thought was, why has no one in Canada ever mentioned self-tanners?!

The more I used it the more I loved my self-tanner. I no longer had to wait for the summer months to get a tan, nor did I have to spend hours under the harmful sun. Because, ladies (and gentlemen) we have to take care of our skin. After all, it’s the only one we’ve got! With that, I wanted to share with you two of my favourite tanners which are perfect for beginners and long-time users of self-tanner.

My Current Favourites:

1. St.Tropez Self-Tan Purity Mousse

   The first tan I ever used and quite frankly the perfect self-tanner for beginners. This is described as a no-rinse, transparent, and wearable tan that can be applied day or night. This was my go-to tan all winter simply because it was so natural. One of the things I love about this is that there’s no need to rinse it off. This made it really versatile because I was able to focus on learning the basics of application without worrying about when I had time or when I had to rinse it off. The St.Tropez Self-Tan Purity Mousse really is the perfect tan, perfect for beginners or for those looking to top up their current tans!

2. St.Tropez Sel-Tan Express Bronzing Gel

   If you’re like me and love a deeper tan then this is your product. The Express Bronzing Gel is a light-weight hydrating gel with a wearable tint (guide colour) that gives you a customizable tan dependent on when you rinse it off. Compared to the Purity Mousse this does require a little more maintenance simply because you do have to wash it off and is more prone to transferring if you haven’t rinsed. Despite it having a slight guide colour (unlike the Purity Tan) it is more of a tint which means its wearable. My favourite part is that it only takes 3 hours to develop, perfect for those crunch time situations. If you’re a first time tanner and want to test out the waters with something a little lighter, leave the tan on for an hour and then rinse! Despite Express Bronzing Gel being a little more work it has become my absolute favourite and looks as flawless as a tan can look.

The Essentials:

Have more questions? Let me know in the comments if you want to see self-tanning routine blog where I can get into all the nitty gritty of self-tanning.