Bronze Medal
Applying bronzer or self-tanner can be a tricky task, that can leave undesirable results when done incorrectly. Never sport oompa-loompa-orange skin again -- read our guide to getting bronze the right way.
Clean Up
The first step is to start with a good scrub. In general, there are two kinds of scrubs, sugar and salt. People with sensitive skin should use sugar scrubs, they do a great job with cleaning the skin but aren't overly abrasive like salt ones. Sugar scrubs also leave behinds a slight residue that moisturizes continuously.  Cake Beauty Sweet Cheeks Sinfully Smoothing Brown Sugar Scrub is one the yummiest-smelling scrubs ever and it does a fabulous job of getting rid of the dead skin. Salt scrubs are for people with oilier skin, they dry up excess moisture and leave skin dry and smooth. The Bliss Hot Salt Scrub is one of the best salt scrubs on the market, the aromatherapy attributes will put you at ease while the sea salt sloughs away rough patches.
Face Time
The scrubs we mentioned above are great for the body, but NOT the face! Exfoliating your face is super-important, even if you're not applying bronzer or self-tanner to it. You have to get rid of the dead skin regulary to ensure for flawless makeup application.  Fresh Appleseed Brightening Exfoliant does a fab job of cleasing and exfoliating the face. You should exfoliate every 2-3 days to ensure a fresh face, but don't overdo it, especially if you have sensitive skin. Too much exfoliating can leave skin dull and dry.
Bronzing Powder vs. Self-Tanners
In the world of bronzing products there are really only two kinds to choose from -- self-tanners and bronzing powders. Self-tanners come in cream and gel forms and typically stay for days. Some even have active ingredients that leave you instantly bronze. The ones that leave a bronzing tint actually make for an easier application as you can see where you're applying them. Also the bronzing bonus leaves you with an instant glow so you don't have to wait for the color to develop.
Bronzing powders come off daily but they also leave you instantly bronze. There's a couple of tricks to bronzers, beware of ones that only come in one shade, especially if you have fair skin. We love multi-colored formulas like  Cargo BeachBlush, which come with four complementary tones that add a natural-looking sun-kissed look to a face. Best of all they come in several different shades to ensure there's a set for just about everyone.
Get Cheeky
Start with your clean face and then apply whatever make-up you normally do and then get ready for the bronzer. If you decided to go with bronzing powder you will need the compact and a brush made for applying powder. Sweep a light dusting across the apples of your cheeks and then your forehead and nose. This will give you a sun-kissed glow. Do not apply too much as it will only appear fake and turn orange.
Body Check
 For the body, your best time to apply self-tanner is immediately after the shower. Towel dry your skin and then rub in a generous amount of self-tanner, paying special attention not to apply too much to knees, elbows or ankles as the product can "sit" in these areas and leave your "tan" looking unnatural. You also want to select a product that's suited to your skin tone or can be applied in layers for darkening. Neutrogena's Build-a-Tan is great at starting light and layering on, we also like Aveeno Continuous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion because you can customize it to the shade you need.
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