so i am on horrible pills for my crohnes disease that apparently make me more suceptible to skin cancer- lovely! this means i cannot try and get a sun tan and am in fact to try and cover up as much as possible.

unfortunately it's my bf;s graduation then my graduation this summer and i am faced with a dilema- to spray tan or not to spray tan? i fear the orange streaks!

so should i bite the bullet and look like death or can any of you reccommend a way to make me glow but not in a radioactive you've been tangoed way?

Hi Astarte.  Spray tans if done professionally are so good.  I have had many done and never ever had orange streaks.  Ok....they are a little costly , around £25 but they look so natural.  Am going to have one at the end of the month....daughter is getting married, so have to look my best.  I do also use one of the moisturising gradual tan lotions also and that also works well.  Good luck and have fun at the graduations.

How long do the spray tans last???
Astarte, have one done now to see if it works and you are happy with it. If it doesnt and you are not you have not made a boo boo on the big days LOL
Lea :)

i had a spray tan before and it was ok but ran like mad on my legs. it was done in a booth though and not by someone with a gun so i image that would be better- not sure how i feel about stripping off in front of a total stranger though!

Hi Astarte
Why dont you try one of the moisturisers with self tanners in them.?. A friend at work has lovely brown legs and she has just been using Dove Summer Glow, so I have bought myself a bottle. Think it gives a more natural looking tan, but you have to keep using it which is not a problem as it is a moisturiser as well.!

I'm pale and do not tan at all just go lobster red and burn :-D

Anyway i'd defo try one of those self tan moisturisers or Lancome Flash Bronzer, it's brill but i do mix it with ordinary moisturiser so it doesn't go to dark ;-)

Agree with cardy.  I feel ill sitting out in the sun, so I go around looking like death warmed as the norm!  Last year used the Dove and it was great, no streaks, and a nice warm colour.  Not orange at all.  Would recommend it.l

I'm another Dove fan here!  Started my legs a week ago as i started wearing skirts without tights due to the lovely weather!!! :D  Nice and brown, just remember to moisturise rough area's first such as knees and elbows to prevent them becoming darker (I forgot first time I applied this year an I had dark patches on each knee...Used the exfoliating gloves like MAD that evening! :-D

I hve had a spray tan before, and it didnt go streaky. If you do get one, you could have a practice one a few weeks before to see if you like the result. I found they suggested two applications, but on my first one I opted for just one, for a more subtle tan. Dont worry about the stripping off bit...its really nothing to them cos they do loads in a day, and will have seen worse bodies than yours. Thy will let you wear knickers if you want.....but make sure they are old ones cos they will be ruined. Same with a bra, but you will obviously get white marks. A tip for avoiding streaks is to make sure that you exfoliate your skin well prior to getting it done.
Most of the time, to avoid the cost of spray tans, I use a tanning moisturiser, Johnsons holiday skin. You can just apply it repeatedly until you get the result you want...and again, dont skip on the exfoliation.

I have been on antibiotics of the last 3 years, they make me sensative to sunlight, I blister at the mere sight of the sun.  I have tried lots of creams and potions but never a spray tan.  I have now given up on trying to look brown and just go 'au natural' pale and interesting ;)

im naturally very pale, with freckles (typical scot) and never tan. i had a spray tan done several years ago for a big event, and it was amazing. cost £25 then, and was done by a beautician, bit embarrassing just me in my knickers, but only took ten minutes. was good because it works with your own skin colour, so meant i didnt go too dark, just a lovely sun kissed golden colour, people kept commenting on how healthy and glowing i looked. also no streaks, very natural, including my face hands and feet.
i was told it lasts from 7-14 days but it lightens every time you wash. problem is i work in a vets, and wash my hands every few minutes so by end of monday i had white hands and a tanned arm, so went home that night and exfoliated like mad! would def get it again.

Johnsons Holiday skin all the way, it's cheap & really does work! They also do one for the face now! Brilliant!

Self tanning moisturisers are good and if you want to spend more than St Tropez is also good done professionally or at home, but it is very very important to exfoilieate and moisturise your skin before applying any of these.  That way you will get an even tan and mix with a fragrance free moisturiser if you want a lighter tan. 

itgives me terrible streaks! how is it possible i can streak with a tinted moisturiser!

i might be brave and get my kit off then... need to see if i can afford it though, tis a tight month with bf moving in, both graduations, robe hire etc... sigh!

They give you disposable pants and a bra to wear in the boothes if you don't want to be all over tan :)

St Tropez is good too if done professionally - was impressed when I had that done a few years ago before heading off on holiday and not standing out with my whiter than white legs!!

lol that sounds charming! always loved the idea of paper pants lol. ok, will defo give it some thought

I know - very sexy they are too :)

sounds it!

Have you tried Rimmel's Sunshimmer? I think that's what it is called. I don't like the tanning products as I seem to get a spotty rash AND streaks - not a good look. The Sunshimmer is brilliant because if you make a mistake you can wash it off and start again. The darker you want to go the more you add. I've used it on my face too and it looked natural, even though I'm very fair skinned. Give it a try :-)

Johnsons Holiday Skin here!  Bought the new facial one last week, it was on offer in Sainsbury's. Works a treat! 

I'm a big St Tropez fan - I use the mousse as its really light and doesn't leave you feeling sticky. It has a guide colour which is helpful in avoiding streaks - infact, I would say its almost impossible to streak with St Tropez if applied correctly. I get the big 240ml bottles for £15.49 off ebay which does loads of full body applications.

I love St tropez as well. I absolutely swear by it. I exfoliate before hand, have a good shower, apply the st tropez mousse and wash it off in the morning. Always leaves me with a natural looking streak free tan.

ok, this st tropez business sounds alright... might get some now and start practising...

its great. Have a practise with it defintely but you really shouldnt suffer any problems. I got a huge bottle for £30 which sounds a lot but when i think how easy it is to apply and can do myself and with the great effects it's far better than wating money on lotions that dont work or paying "25 every time you want a nice tan to go out with.
I put m,ine on for going out. Wouldnt recommend outting tan on top of tan. I.e using it every couple of days as thats when you get the orange look!!!
Good luck :-)

Freds mum, the huge bottle that you get for £30 is what I used to buy before I discovered the same sized bottle is 1/2 the price on ebay than it is in most retail establishments - I pay £15.49 inc postage.

well i bought a ludicrously wee bottle for a small fortune as it turns out i;m going out this weekend, i figured i'd have a test run nw and see how it goes. i also bought an application mitt as a friend (whos fake tan looks amazingly natural and never orange) says that thats the secret to success. she says it's horrible looking when you put it on but comes in beautiful when its washed off.

also bought a good exfoliator and bf has been roped into exfoliating the bits i can't reach :) so we're on! working tonight though so not got time... next few days though...

I like Dove gradual tanner, but now the weather's changed (for the worse) I don't think I shall worry too much about tanning.  The thing I have a problem with is that I tend to sweat it out at night and get brown streaks on my bedding, plus I don't care what they say it does make you smell like digestive biscuits.  Then again I don't like looking pasty either -such a dilemma.  Perhaps long sleeves and trousers are the answer :)

Im not on ebay :-(

Exfoliating is the key to a good fake st tropez tan. I use a dry body brush before i shower and an exfoliating mitt when i am in the shower. Make sure you add some moisturiser to your knees & elbows where skin is naturally drier and also on your ankles so the tan fades naturally down on to your foot....however i did have rush once and applied the tan without any of the fore mentioned and the tan looked fine - although wouldnt recommend that for the first time!
Good luck

Just a tip Johnsons Holiday Skin is only £2 (normally £4.98)in Tescos at the moment!!!!!
I have bought some tonight to go on all my white bits (I am out in the sun in T shirt and shorts most of the day 4 days a week so have a Tan on legs and arms but would love one on rest LOL)
Lea :)