Yesterday on The Stylish Planner, I shared my thoughts on pantyhose/stockings.  Oh, and did anyone else know about “mantyhose” before the post yesterday?   Strangely enough, the only comments on yesterdays post were from men – both of which were encouraging women to continue wearing them and recommending their favorite brands.  Hmmmm…

But, I digress.  To bring you up to speed if you didn’t read yesterday’s post, I LOATHE pantyhose and prefer to simply go bare legged when I can.  Tights and fishnets are ok – but don’t work with every outfit, hence my preference for bare.  However, one of the issues I have with bare legs is how pale I am in the colder months of the year.  Of course the obvious solutions for that would be to tan or use a self tanner.  I have done both in the past, but as I have gotten older and wiser, I’ve completely decided against tanning beds.  I do tan in the summer in natural sunlight, but I limit my exposure to increments of 30 minutes at a time and always use a sunscreen with a high SPF and reapply frequently.  So in the colder months, I’m left with only the choice of a self-tanner.  Which brings me to today’s topic – I can’t find a self tanner that I like.

www.glamour.com

Maybe it’s the smell.  All the products claim to have a great smell, but I can pick that smell up every time and I smell it all day long.  It is very distinctive to me.

Maybe it’s the fact that I must apply the smelly stuff for days before I even notice a difference in my skin color.

Maybe it’s the streaking or the orange knuckles or the way my ankles end up looking filthy dirty – no matter how carefully I apply.

Maybe it’s the fact that I end up looking so ORANGE.

Maybe it’s the fact that I feel the need to hang around in my bedroom completely naked until my skin feels dry.

Maybe it’s the fact that self tanning products can be expensive.  And of course, I need two different products – one for my body and one for my face – $$$!

Maybe it’s the fact that I feel I can only apply self tanner when I’m not leaving the house because #1 – the smell and #2 – I’m afraid wearing normal clothes and makeup will counteract the application of the product.

Anyone else have these problems with self-tanner?  I need to get through another couple of months of questionable weather before I can tan naturally.  I’ve got places to be and people to see.  And I’d like my legs to have a little color – is that too much to ask?

For anyone who still uses a tanning bed, please stop.  In addition to being linked to an increased risk of skin cancer, it is incredibly drying to your skin and will age you terribly.  Maybe not noticeably so now, but it will catch up with you – in the form of age spots and fine lines.  If you still insist on tanning indoors, you’ll want to increase your tanning budget by 10% starting July 1 due to the “tanning tax”.  Read more about that here:  http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/24/news/economy/tanning_tax/