Self Tanning How-To With Brooke Stapleton

By Alexis BaldwinDecember 19, 2017

We asked our favorite photographer and self-tanning expert, Brooke Stapleton, to teach us how to get the perfect summer glow in the cold, winter months.

Your KJ swimmer + a bronzed tan? NAME A MORE ICONIC DUO.

Read below + watch the video for Brooke's best tips + tricks to a streak-less self tan!

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This.

This is my magnum opus.

If I die tomorrow, I will be okay knowing that I shared my knowledge of the sunless tan with people.

Here’s the thing, I have been self-tanning for nearly twelve years now. I am not actually sure what my natural, god-given skin tone is anymore and have wrecked far too many white towels with my sunless tanning mishaps. Over the years, I have nailed down a routine that ensures a practically perfect tan with minimal orange palms.

Here’s some of my tips :

Exfoliate well : You have the best chance to achieve a non-streaky, even-looking tan if you exfoliate well beforehand. I like to use a combination of dry brushing, shaving and a loofa.
Invest in a mit! : It is nearly impossible to get an even-looking tan and avoid orange palms when you use your hands. Find a self-tanning mit and apply that way. I like to apply my product directly onto my mit and then buff in, using small circles from there.
If you apply it on your face…: I like to self-tan my face. Some people shudder at the thought of it but I think it looks nice, especially if you like being makeup-free. I just tan the parts of my face that would actually get sun (i.e. my forehead, nose and cheeks)
Rinse lightly : After you self-tan, make sure you avoid water and sweating for a few hours. I like to shower after to avoid smelling completely terrible but make sure to lightly rinse and avoid heavily scrubbing.
If you make a mistake…: Don’t sweat. No really, don’t sweat. Just grab some oil (I use coconut or castor oil) and a citrus (lemon!) and scrub the spots that need to be erased.
Finally, experiment : This may sound overboard, but I like to try different ‘mediums’ of sunless tanner and see what works best on me. I find that a lotion holds best on my chest and lower legs while a mousse works nicely on my arms. Have I lost you yet?