Picture Perfect Get the Right Contest Color
by Deborah Denio

How important is your color? Well, let me tell you from experience, it can have a huge impact on your placing. Through my years of competing I have learned that perfecting your tan is well worth it. A bad tan looks twice as bad once you are on stage or in a photo shoot and its an easily avoidable mistake. There are numerous products out there and it can get confusing, so I would like to share with you what has worked well for me.

For Contest Preparation I suggest using the product Pro Tan in the following six easy steps:

1. Achieve a nice base tan whether by the sun or the tanning bed. Start this about 8 weeks prior to competition. Do not overexpose your skin and never tan your face to avoid those wrinkles. The goal is just to have a little color to make your Pro Tan go on easier.

2. If you compete on Saturday then you will want to start with one coat of Pro Tan on Wednesday. Shower and exfoliate your skin well first. Then spray on your Pro Tan fairly heavily one small body part at a time. You will then literally paint the tan on using the brush provided with your Pro Tan bottle. Do not try to cover to much area at once or the tan might dry before you get a chance to brush it in. I suggest wearing latex gloves while you apply to avoid staining your hands and you will need an assistant to get your back for you. Do not worry with this coast if you have some streaks etc. the following coats will fix that. Allow this coat to dry well and do not shower until sometime thursday. Do not apply the Pro Tan to your face. You will use make-up to blend your face and neck with the rest of your body.

3. Thursday you will want to take your last shower prior to competition. Wash off all of the excess tan from wednesdays coat. You will then apply lotion to your entire body, followed by two more coats of Pro Tan. Wait at least 30 minutes between each coat. You will once again need your assistant to help you with your backside. Once you have finished both coats try not to put on any clothing for about 1 hour if you can. I recommend putting some old sheets on your bed that you do not mind getting pro tan on. Some will definitely rub off through the night. I have a special pair reserved for competition time.

4. Friday depending on your individual skin tone you will need to apply 1-2 more coats. Remember when in doubt go darker. It is almost impossible to be to dark whereas it is very easy to be to light. I try to do one coat in the morning and one in the evening to allow maximum drying time between the two. You can also use a blow dryer on low heat to assist the drying process but I find natural air and time works the best.

5. Saturday morning check yourself out in the mirror and touch up any spots or streaks that may have occurred during the night. You will probably need one more coat on your back. Then you should be good to go.

6. Once you are back stage getting ready apply a light coat of Pam cooking spray and rub in lightly about 10 minutes prior to going on stage. This will give you a light glow but not make you appear greasy. Make sure you pack a pair of latex gloves in your bag to take with you so you do not get your hands oily.

I strongly suggest that you do not mix products. I have made several mistakes in this area. Once I used the mystic tan booth prior to my Pro Tan and turned out a muddy brownish color with a green tint! It was horrible and there was nothing I could do to fix it. Another time I used neutragena self tanner followed by Jan Tana competition tan I once again turned a very unattractive dull mud color that seemed to get greener by the minute once I was under the lights. Sticking with one product will prevent any strange mishaps that could occur. If you do decide to try something new make sure you practice well in advance of your competition date.

If you are preparing for a photo shoot you will not need to be as dark as you do for competition so the process is a little easier. The following five steps will give you a good guide to follow:

1. Once again you will look better if you have some type of base tan to start with.

2. Next you have the option of using a mystic tanning booth, which will spray your whole body in 30 seconds or a Self tanner at home. Of the self tanners out there I recommend Neutragena. It is affordable and does not turn you orange. If you use the self tanner at home you will again need someone to put it on your back. If your photo shoot is on Saturday you should start this process on thursday. Apply one thick coat of self tanner with your latex gloves or complete one mystic tan -level 3. WIth the mystic tan you can put your clothing on right away after toweling off with the self tanner product try not to put on any clothing for as long as possible (at least one hour).

3. On friday you can shower quickly allowing the excess tan to wash off. Then either complete another mystic tan -level 2 or apply two more coats of self tanner. Preferably, one in the a.m. and one in the p.m. Do not shower again until after your shoot.

4. Before your shoot make sure you find out whether or not there will be a make-up artist there. If not you will need to make sure you have the right color of make-up in order to match your face and neck to the rest of your body. Nothing looks funnier than a tan body and a white face/neck.

5. Victoria Secret makes a great shimmer lotion that you can apply on Saturday morning just before your shoot to blend your color and give you a great glow.

This should give you perfect color to show off that body! After all of the hard training and dieting that you have been through you owe it to yourself to top it off with a picture perfect tan. Good Luck!!

Contributing Writer
Deborah Denio, DPT, MTC, CSCS, IFBB Figure Professional
www.deborahdenio.com

Back to Issues