How-to (Beauty)

The best summer self-tan

How to get a perfect, smooth, totally natural-looking, full-on sun-goddess bronze—in 10 minutes or less.

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For ultimate streak avoidance

Moisturize every bit of potential dryness or roughness before you tan. Massage cream into your feet, knees, elbows, and knuckles to keep the tanner from coming in dark and splotchy in those spots (it reaches to the protein in dead skin cells, making it bond weirdly).

Work in a well-lit area. Natural light is best, says Cindy Barshop, owner of the Completely Bare spa chain: "It's much easier to detect mistakes."

For the most beautiful shade, shoot for a color that's a bit lighter than you actually want to be, and apply it twice, says Barshop: "The darker the formula, the more likely you are to get streaks. Two lighter applications—one at morning and one at night—will give you the most flattering, genuine color."

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