Makeup Tip #18 - Post Hawaiin Tanning Thoughts for the Fairest of Complexions

Hilo, Hawaii

Aloha, I have had a gap in Makeup Monday blog posts because I was preparing, traveling & recovering from my vacation to Hawaii.  It was my first time to travel there & I was fortunate enough to visit several different islands, so I was able to see many different amazing landscapes.

As you can tell by my photos, I am very fair.  The thought of being in the sun for 7 days was a bit concerning, as I really didn't want to return home with a burn.  However, I really did want to return with some color on my skin.

Before leaving Houston, I decided to get tanned by a friend and fellow makeup artist.  One thing I failed to mention in Makeup Tip #15 "Getting a Sunless Glow" is that you CAN NOT spray tan yourself.

I loved the fact that I was actually tan!  People noticed the contrast between hair & face!  My legs appeared slimmer!  I could get addicted to this!  I knew the color was temporary AND I fully understood that the color would not provide any sun protection.

How dark your tan is rests solely on how well your skin retains the DHA.  Well, as expected, my tan did fade after my first shower, but I was able to keep the "healthy glow" for a few days into my trip.

By the time my tan was fading, I found Maui Babe Browning Lotion™ in a Maui gift shop.  I asked one of the local gals, who sported a beautiful brown hue, if it worked & she swore by it.  The next day I went to the beach, applied sunscreen & applied the lotion.  (I probably should have sat pool side on the ship to do this, but we were in Hawaii, I had to be on the beach!)  The lotion comes out of the bottle brown and appears brown on your skin.  The bottle says that it is "not a stain or self tanner", but an "amazing tanning accelerant."

After several hours in the sun, I was happy to report that I did not have a burn, but I was not brown either.  My legs were kind of streaked the rest of the trip and I never could figure out if it was my spray tan wearing off or if the streaks were from the Maui Babe lotion.

I did see others on the ship using the Maui Babe & they looked brown, but their body must like color, as mine seemed to reject it :(

I had too many things to see and do in Hawaii, so continuing to maintain the facade of a tan  became the least of my priorities.  I decided to just keep reapplying sunscreen and embrace my literal status as "Fairest of them all".  

While I will continue to admire the golden olive & bronze skin tones, I have also realized that God decided to give me this coloring (or lack of color), so I will continue to embrace the pale color I am and continue reflecting light with a smile :)

Until next Monday....

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From Left to Right: Sister - Melissa, Mom - Kathi, and Keri Ann