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Ever since Kim Kardashian came onto the scene, I kind of fell in love with contouring.
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(Its a portmanteau for tanning and contouring.)
The idea is to use self-tanner to create a natural, semi-permanent contour that defines your features.
Plus, it supposedly lasts for days.
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Sounds too good to be true, right?
She gave me a lesson in tantouring 101, including tips on how to recreate the look at home.
This is me au natural.
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Before I visited the salon, I made sure to exfoliate my face in the shower.
(You should always exfoliate before self-tanning to eliminate dead skin cells and allow for an even software.)
(The NYC skincare struggle is real.)
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I love Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz ($7,drugstore.com) for all skin typesand wallets.
The product should have some slip to it, Maloy tells SELF.
check that you have everything youre going to need on hand.
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Keep the makeup sponge and tissues on hand for spills because messes happen.
Youll also need to pick out two different self-tanners.
Maloy suggests going for the easiest formula to see and spreada mousse.
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And if it’s possible, choose a product specifically formulated for the thin skin on your face.
Whats great about these products is that you might see the tint upon software.
So you know exactly how much tanner youve applied and where, giving you precise results.
Having two different shades is ideal, notes Maloy.
Then, blend any harsh edges and dark spots by buffing gently with a kabuki brush like E.l.f.
Truth time: We skipped this because Maloy thought I already looked tan.
But it should be noted that every face is different.
Then, repeat that same upward motion at the hollows of your cheekbones.
(you could find those by sucking in and making fish face.)
confirm to stop just before reaching the edge of your ear.
To define your forehead, use a contour brush to shade around the temples.
And slim your nose by applying self-tanner vertically to each side of the bridge.
This is the most important part of tantouring, or else it will not look natural, Maloy says.
Blend the freshly applied mousse by using a kabuki brush to buff gently in circular motions.
This will create the most natural effect, she says.
Maloy says that youcouldpotentially wash the whole thing off and see results in as little as a few hours.
you might Netflix binge, get a good nights rest, and wake up totally tantoured.
The reason you have to stay in is because you end up with visible self-tanner stripes.
(Deep breaths.)
The visible color additives come right off.
After the self-tanner is dry, wash off the guide color with a super-gentle cleanser.
I used Dolce & Gabbana Essential Cleansing Oil ($50,saks.com).
I also shelved my Clarisonic and skippedmy usual 10-step skincare routine.
Instead, I stuck to a simple slathering of the Glossier Priming Moisturizer ($25,glossier.com).
Keeping things simple would help extend my tantour, explained Maloy.
The bottom line: It looks good, but it only lasts a few days.
If you sweat a lot, itll probably rub off faster.
The whole software process took about 20 minutes from start to finish.
And although I liked the way it looked, Im not sure Id spend the time tantouring again.
