I have a fair complexion. As a blond-haired, blue-eyed child, I tanned shockingly well. If I look back at pictures from my childhood summers, I am tan, tan, TAN. My mother also has a fair complexion, and I can remember teasing her (along with my older brother) about her "blindingly" white skin. As a teenager, I was thankful that I had inherited my Dad's ability to tan easily. Well, dear friends, time seems to have not been my friend and I appear to be getting my come-upppins for all of that teasing because as an adult I seem to be getting fairer and tanning is a touch more difficult. In fact, I would say that for at least the last four summers my Mother has easily been noticeably tanner than me.
A couple of months ago I was at the Clinique counter getting my beloved bamboo-pink lipstick and I also received a sample of self tanner. I didn't think much about it because being fair means it is tricky business finding a self tanner that doesn't make you look nuclear orange. But as our San Antonio trip approached, I wanted a touch of color (you know, so I wouldn't be blindingly white) and I remembered the bottle. Well, the instructions were long gone, so I googled and found good reviews. Everyone loved that the lotion was tinted, as it aided in the application. I decided to give it a go, and as I applied the lotion, I didn't really notice a tint, and I assumed it was the re-formulation that some of the reviews had mentioned. The next morning I was very pleased with the color, it was great! Not orange at all, and a very natural look. I continued to use up the sample until I was afraid I would run out without having enough to have an even application over my arms and legs. Yesterday I made a trip with the kiddos to the mall and while I was in Sephora (getting my beloved Dior mascara) I remembered the self tanner. I was in a bit of a hurry, and was rather pleased that I remember to pick up a bottle.
Tonight I got out my sample to use up the last of the bottle, since I had a new bottle as a back up in case I ran out mid-application. Sure enough, one leg in, I ran out. I opened up the new bottle, and imagine my surprise when bronze lotion oozed out of the tube. I quickly scanned the bottles and much to my dismay, my sample is light, and my new full sized bottle is "medium/dark". I am not "medium/dark", not even close. Perhaps at the end of summer I could use it, and it would only make me look slightly oompa-loompaish. But now? I think not. Needless to say, I will be returning to the mall (much to Hannah's delight) to return it. But that still left me faced with the difficult decision of how to continue as I was done with one leg in the light, and all I had left to work with was the dark. I decided that I was already too far gone to stop, and continued mad scientist style. I mixed it with some regular lotion to tone it down a few notches, (ha, still seemed pretty dark to me) and I am not so sure what I am going to look like once the color "sets". All of this to say, if you see me this weekend and I look like a stripey, day-glo orange tiger, you can understand. Now I can completely relate to Ross and his tanning debacle.
