Beauty Etiquette: Self-Tanner

COUNTER CONFIDENTIAL

"Beauty Etiquette: Self-Tanner" by Undercover Beauty Agent

With all the great sunless tanners available today, there's really no need to sit outside for hours and bake your skin into a bronzed submission. After all, it's so easy to get a fake tan in the comfort of your home after just a few hours. Applying self-tanner in public, however, is a whole different story and not something I recommend.

A few different brands at my store carry self-tanners, so when someone asks for help finding one, we usually put a little on the inside of their wrist. But one lady I tried to help didn’t let me apply the tanner on her wrist. At first I thought she just didn’t want the product on her skin, but then she practically squeezed the entire bottle onto her arms and legs when I wasn’t looking!

Here's how it all went down: I turned away for a few minutes to give her time to examine the product and in those few minutes, she slathered her entire body with the dark liquid! The streaky, uneven lines were literally a “hot mess.” And the patches of pale skin that she didn't cover looked unattractive and slightly muddy. This customer also hiked her skirt up pretty high to get the product everywhere, showing our entire staff that she only shaved the bottom half of her legs.

It was a little weird to watch, and afterward, there was a huge mess to clean. Product ended up everywhere. This was the one time where a “golden touch” is not a good thing because the fingerprints she left behind on other products were a disaster to remove. Another artist actually brought in lemons to help clean up the stains on our white counter tops.

Beauties, here's my advice to you: Feel free to use products at a makeup counter, but remember to use your discretion and be aware of your surroundings. Some products (like self-tanner) are better suited for application in the privacy of your own bathroom. 

Undercover Beauty Agent is just an average makeup artist at your local beauty counter who's reporting true stories exclusively for Beautylish: "I love what I do because I get to make people feel beautiful on a daily basis. Working with so many different people in New York City has definitely been interesting. I've learned a lot and not all of it is very pretty. I'm a beauty advisor by day and a secret beauty agent by night, totally ready to share all my insider secrets and gossip."