Nothin boosts my mood quite like a good tan! Luckily, you don’t have to wait to lay out for a natural looking glow. Thanks to a few good products you can now have that sun kissed look all year long! Today I’m sharing my current self tan routine + what I use, but if you want another peek– check out my ‘self tan’ highlight saved on my Instagram feed!

How I prep my skin:
It’s super important that your skin is prepped in order to have an even tan! The night before application, I exfoliate + moisturize. I use THIS gentle exfoliator in the shower to get rid of any dryness and residual tan, I shave using THIS razor and THIS cream (for the closest + most gentle shave) then moisturize with THIS once I get out. **PS: use code ottestyle20 for 20% off Kopari products HERE!

If I want a gradual glow:
THIS body butter has been my go to lately, it leaves you glowy + sun kissed, while still super natural! It’s darker than your average gradual self tanner, but lighter than your average mousse self tanner… if that makes sense. This is the perfect product to use a few times a week since it lasts without streaking but is also buildable (i.e. the more often you apply the darker you will get if you don’t wait for it to wear off each time between application). For me, I love the shade this makes you so I apply it every three nights… that is the perfect amount of time for me to not be too dark but also not fade. If you wanted the body butter to be darker after a single application, you could always add a few drops to your palm before adding in the lotion. The lotion itself I super hydrating and good for your skin– it uses natural ingredients and is vegan + cruelty free!

I also love THESE drops to add (about 3 drops) into my facial moisturizer every other night! This helps my face to be a similar color to my skin when applying the body butter without having to worry about a breakout from a thick product messing up my skincare routine. Medium is a super natural color for me if I use three drops, but if you wanted to be darker then you could add more drops (less drops for lighter) or you could even go with the light or dark shade that this product comes in.

They are currently on sale HERE! Right now you can snag the body butter + drops together for $44.98… if you bought them separately it would be $138.57!!

If I want an instant beachy tan:
Now you can definitely get that beachy tan with the body butter, but if you want something INSTANT and a little darker without multiple applications… then THIS is the mousse that I use. I apply this the night before a beach trip (or any trip that I was a darker tan for) and sleep in it, even though it’s technically two hour express (so you could wash it off after two hours). But I think the longer you leave it on, the darker it gets (but that could all be in my head). This color is so pretty and bronze, which I love and think helps you look super natural like you just got back from a week long beach vacation. I will warn you though, this will transfer a little until you shower that initial layer off… but it’s the best bronze color for a mousse to it’s worth it to be careful initially. You could maintain these deeper tan with THIS body butter for a little boost of color every couple of nights.

If I want to perfect my skintone:
I’m a firm believer that everything looks better with a tan… but sometimes I need a little more coverage than just self tanner. I use THIS when I want to cover up any imperfections, bruises, veins or just an instant tan that I can wash off afterwards. I have used several like this before but I recently tried THIS one and prefer it because it ‘s waterproof… meaning you could wear this with your swimsuit and not worry about it washing off in the water or transferring to your towel and coverup. I also love this for a last minute tan if you have something that requires you to show a little leg and you forgot to self tan before (or your self tan is looking a little splotchy), such a quick little fix! It’s also on sale HERE so hurry hurry!

How I maintain my tan:
Now that you have your tan going strong, you want to maintain it so that it lasts longer and when it does start to fade, it faces evenly and not streaky. I use THIS moisturizer to keep my skin hydrated and soft. If I’ve been in a lot of water and feel extra dry or uneven, I’ll apply THIS for added moisture.