Get Sun-Kissed Skin Without the Burn With Mystic Tan Self-Tanning

Posted by Pamela King on May 5th, 2010

The last time I delved into the world of self-tanning I was about to attend my junior prom. I had just spent a week in the hospital, and my skin was ghost-white. Normally I embrace pale skin, but I had a yellow dress for the big dance, and I wanted a little color to avoid looking washed out. Since then I’ve had a love-hate relationship with tanning lotions. I liked the quick color, but even after it dried, it would turn the cuffs of my favorite white jacket orange, and I could smell that tell-tale scent of self-tanner.

I was therefore excited to try Mystic Tan‘s system. I figured if someone knows how to make a great self-tanner, Mystic Tan would be it. It turns out, I was right. The coverage was always consistent, never streaky. The smell of the tanner faded quickly, and I had no stains on my clothing!

I used the build lotion for face and body and immediately got a faint glow all over. Check out the picture of my legs!

Even though the lighting in the photo isn’t great, I think it’s easy to see which leg has a bit of that sun-kissed look.

An interesting aspect of this product line is the applicator mitt. It’s essentially a foam mitten you can slip over your hand while you’re applying the tanning lotions. I found it useful when I was tanning my legs and even my arms, but once I got to my face, I wanted more control than the mitt allowed. To keep my fingers from turning orange, I washed my hands after each application, and I kept a slice of lemon nearby to rub on my fingertips to keep them clean. If you’re going to use this trick, just make sure you don’t have any paper cuts!

Speaking of the face, the Mystic Tan set includes a shimmer lotion to boost your facial tan. It’s a shimmery lotion that looks a little overwhelming when it first comes out of the tube – it was so glittery! When I rubbed it on my cheeks, I thought I was going to be bright orange, but the color sank in and left me with beautiful bronze skin. After a while I couldn’t even see the flecks of shimmer on my face which had initially scared me.

Mystic Tan’s self-tanning lotions can be found at various locations, including Sephora. Most individual bottles are priced between $20 and $50. To find a Mystic Tan retailer near you, use this locator tool.