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Right now, my skin is a nice shade of pale. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m looking to add a little bit of color to my skin prior to the wedding. Normally, I’d go about this in a “normal” way, like going out on walks wearing a tube top, but the weather here in Michigan is cold and/or gray.
So self-tanners, Mystic Tan, or tanning beds would be the way to go, right? The only thing is, I’m terrified with looking like this:
Jessica Simpson in 2005; courtesy of Go Fug Yourself and Daily Celeb.
She looks scary. Really scary. And not at all what I want to look like at our wedding.
Are you planning on tanning prior to your wedding? Anyone have a favorite product or technique they’d like to recommend (or advise staying away from)?
I have done mystic tan before and it was amazing! I think it looked pretty natural. In the winter, I use this aveeno lotion which contains some sort of self tanner… and it has been working well for me. But of course, these things turn out differently depending on your natural skin tone, so its probably best to try them beforehand.
being a “sometimes for special events mystic tanner”, I recommend trying it out a couple of times before hand to see if its for you… I sometimes dont apply the lotion they give you for your feet and hands very good and look like a streaky hot mess after a few hours when the tan develops. I recently started using the jergens tanning lotion, not sure of the name, but the one that works in 3 days instead of the usual week. I am going to buy stock in that stuff because it rocks!
I’ve tried Mystic tan and hated it — the results were somewhat great, but in spots looked terrible (that lotion for your feet/hands is tricky). Worse still was the smell — it (I) stank up our entire apt!
More subtle, but less streaky/splotchy and less smelly, are the gradual tanners by Jergens or L’Oreal. I also like the Neutrogena aerosol fake tan.
the new nivea lotion - i just bought it. i got the express kind and you can see results in one day. my fiance HATES fake tans and he admitted that it looked natural (begrudgingly). you really don’t get dark at all though, i’m on the fourth day and i already feel like i’m still pale!
L’Oreal Sublime is really orangy on fair skins like mine, avoid! I second Jergens! I also like the Olay lotion with gradual tanner (and it smells like vanilla, yum!). Neutrogen spray tan is good too, but you have to have a spraying buddy to help.
I became a tanoholic before the wedding! ha! But I really did like the L’oreal sublime wipes, they didnt come off on my dress. I am olive toned anyways so it really worked well for me.
I’ve been going to the tanning bed for a few weeks now. I wanted to just get enough color so that people didn’t ask where my dress began because I was so white! I’m up to 15 min and staying there to keep my color and only going 3 times a week instead of 7!
I like the Jergen’s lotion and some good natural sun, from exercising outside or layout out by the pool. But I need a tan so that I won’t look ghostly in a pale pink BM dress in May, and I also want a nice base tan for our own wedding/honeymoon in August, so I thought I’d give bed tanning a try. I chose a new, high-pressure bed that supposedly is a better alternative to the older models. After three tans, I’m already getting close to the color I want… just a warm, natural-looking glow! I’ve been told that it only takes 1-2 tans/month to maintain the desired tan, once I get it to the level I want.
i have used jergens before, but i hated the smell 
and it worked but the FI swore i looked orange after 7days…. so now not sure what route to take for tanning!
I was in a wedding 2 weeks ago and did Mystic tan for the first time. I was VERY afraid of being streaky and/or orange. I was pleasantly surprised, however, and thought it looked nice and natural! One of the other bridesmaids bought the Jergens (the accelerated one) lotion, and that worked really well too.
I personally think the mystic tanners are a big waste of money. I have done it twice and it has done nothing for me. I think the gradual lotions work much better. I would just be worried about it rubbing off on your dress if you sweat or have dry skin. I chose not to use any tanning methods for my wedding for that reason. I did not want to run the risk of ruining my dress.
I have had 2 surgeries this past month for skin cancer. I will have a scar that is 5 inches ACROSS MY BACK!! (I am going forward and going with a dress with a low back, anyway!) I could not stress skin safety enough. I would suggest using a spray on/lotion kind… before the fake-n-bake. The only thing is… how healthy is putting chemicals on your body?! In 20 years will there be some study out saying the self-tanners caused some terrible disease?!
I have to second the no-tanning advice. How aweful would it be that your beautiful wedding photos one day serve as a reminder of your journey to skin-cancer…. my vote is for the lotions (they get me through the winter months just fine)…
i hated the mystic tan. it was just like the friends experience (i had no idea when to turn), it was claustrophobic, the stuff smells gross, and you can’t breath when you’re in there. not good.
I will throw my support behind the lotions - not even necessarily the ones specifically for tanning. The Aveeno one is really nice - get something that is a moisturizer first, tanner second and it works great!
Please, please do not use a tanning bed!
Well, I mean, as long as people go tanning I will always have my job in cancer research…. but really, is the risk of skin cancer worth a little bit of color?
I’ll be embracing pale for my wedding… I think porcelain skin is gorgeous!
Oh I’m so glad that others had the same reaction to the tanning beds that I did– I was reading down the comment list in horror at the suggestions! I’m a lotion tanner all the way, and slather on SPF 45 when I go outside. And 30 on my face every single day. And I’m sure that when I’m 60 with no history of skin cancer and fewer wrinkles I’ll be very grateful. I know we all hear “it’s not about the wedding, it’s about the marriage…” and I think our health fits into that motto as well!
I’m very fair skinned, and I think that in general, tanning is ugly. What’s wrong with the colors we naturally are? In fact, I wish I could whiten a couple spots that are a bit darker than the rest of me.
I think fake tanning is even worse. I mean, who wants to look old? If you want to look tanner just use makeup, lotion, or spray-on.
When I was 18, we played guess your age on a family vacation. They guessed my mom 28. She was 40 at the time. Wear sunscreen, everyone!
I think I look older when “tanned” (in quotes because I would never, ever tan from the sun or a tanning bed- lotions only!), but I may do one pass with the lotion prior to the wedding. Definitely prior to my boudoir photo shoot this weekend!
That being said, the least stinky and most natural one I’ve found is Famous Dave’s Moisture Tan, bought online. I exfoliate completely in the shower, pat dry then don latex gloves and smooth it in totally- using only a tiny bit on tops of feet, knees and elbows. Then I take off the gloves and very lightly do the tops of my hands. Wait ten minutes, and you are dry and good to get dressed. I did this process before a cruise a couple of weeks back- it works. I’m extremely pale, and this wasn’t a horrible orange or anything.
Adding- I did airbrush tanning once before, too. That was good- no streaks, since a person applies it. The downsides: it has a temporary color in it for them to see where they are applying it (and that does come off on clothes), it smells bad AND you have to be completely comfortable in different states of undress in front of another person.
The Mystic Tans I see around here are all too orange. I guess that depends on your actual skintone.
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Ms. Dahlia, Detroit/Cleveland Age and Occupation: 24, PhD Student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, IT System Administrator Engagement Date: December 31, 2006 Wedding Date: May 2008 Blogging Since: September 19, 2007 Venue: United Methodist Cathedral & historic downtown hotel in Cleveland About Me: I enjoy cooking, dancing and swimming. I am a geek and apply game theory to my everyday life. Winter is my favorite time of year, especially when spent curled up with good coffee and a book by Madeleine L'Engle.
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