Start Summer With A Tan

If you're looking for a sun-kissed glow to get a sexy summer head start, stylist David Evagelista has some tips for you.

These days, self-tanners can turn you from winter white into a gorgeous golden goddess in minutes, he says. "The key to a great self-tan is the exfoliation," Evangelista tells The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen.

Some self-tanners will react differently with your skin, providing varying (but minimal) changes in color.

Moisturizing cream and lotion formulas are easier to smooth across the skin, will add hydration, and work well for dry, aging or sensitive skin. Lotions and creams are also easier to work with than sprays because you have a better idea of exactly where you're applying the product. Gels and sprays, however, dry faster, are more convenient, and may work better for combination, or oily skin types. Additionally, spray-on tanners are recommended for men, because of their body hair.

When it comes to using the self-tanner, give it time. It can take self-tanners between 20 minutes and 10 hours to develop on the skin, so wait 6-10 hours before reapplying, no matter what the bottle says. And don't buy too dark: choose "light to medium" formulations if you're fair, and only buy "dark" if your skin tone is dark to begin with.

There have been some great breakthroughs in the past year or two when it comes to great self tanners:

Creams/Lotions
Creams and lotions are the most "typical" form of self-tanners. Some people prefer lotions and creams for their dry skin; others like them purely because they take longer to dry, giving the user more time to ensure that are well rubbed into the skin.

Some new and noteworthy new creams and lotions:

• Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for Face and Decollete ($28) doesn't cause breakouts
• Jergens Natural Glow ($5.99) hydrates the body while tanning over time, not in one fell swoop
• Chanel Precision Perfect Colour Face Self-Tanner SPF 8 in Golden ($35) gives a subtle shot of color while providing SPF protection
• Peter Thomas Roth Natural Looking Self Tanner ($25) formulated with natural ingredients like chamomile, aloe vera, macadamia nut oil and shea butter to moisturize and tint skin
• Lancome Soleil Hydra Flash Bronzer ($35) is a facial moisturizer that contains just a trace of self-tanner to leave you glowing, not garish.

Some new and noteworthy gels and mousses:

• Cellex-C Bio Tan ($110) contains melanin and other ingredients that create a longer-lasting, natural looking even tan
• Hampton Sun Sunless Tanning Gel ($32) contains skin-nourishing ingredients like Vitamins A - D and gives a deep, rich tan that appears in hours
• Sisley Soleil Sans Soleil Autobronzant ($100) gives a natural-lasting tan in 2 hours, and lasts for 3 days
• Clinique Body Quick Bronze Self Tanner ($16.50) allows you to see if you missed a spot, plus it absorbs quickly so it won't stain clothing

The main advantage of sprays is in their fine application, which minimizes streaking. They also dry a lot quicker than gels and lotions because they are lighter. Excess spray, however, has the potential to fall onto furniture or clothing, thus staining it. A further disadvantage is maneuvering yourself into a position to spray hard-to-reach areas such as your back (although there are now sprays that are created to spray at any angle). Sprays are an excellent choice for oily skin as they don't moisturize and are absorbed very quickly. The latest take on sprays is the "airbrush" system, which distributes color evenly to the skin in a light mist (again, the downside: mist falling on things you don't want tinted with tan color).

Some new and noteworthy sprays and airbrush systems:

• Estee Lauder Fast Tan Quick-Dry Sunless Spray ($29) Alcohol-free, oil-free formula leaves skin feeling moist and silky, while a broad-spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen helps protect against the sun's damaging rays when you apply it.
• L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Any Angle Self-Tanning Spray ($10) sinks in quickly and gives you the gift of time (imagine dressing 3 minutes after applying self tanner!)
• Lancome Flash Bronzer Airbrush ($28) Sprays on quickly, dries fast, and gives a golden-bronze tan in just 1 hour -- plus it contains gentle AHA's (which prep the skin for even coverage) and pure vitamin E (which soothes and softens skin)
• Neutrogena MicroMist Tanning Sunless Spray ($12) dries in under 5 minutes, and is alcohol-free, oil-free, and non-comedogenic
• Visage Naturel Sunless Tanning Airbrush System ($40) is akin to a professional airbrushing system, but it's hand held, cordless, and is powered by replaceable CO2 cartridges. You add tanning solution to a small compartment below the sprayer, hold down the button and the tanner is dispensed in a steady mist.

New on the tanning product market, tan towels that are ready to apply and are disposable. Streaking is minimized; and the whole application process is cleaned up. People have, however, found that they forget which areas they have covered because the skin dries so quickly, resulting in missed spots. Others (usually those with darker skins) have found that the towels have produced no major visible difference because not a high enough concentration of DHA was in the formulation.

Some new and noteworthy tanning towels:

• L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes ($9.99)
  
• Comodynes Self-Tanning Towelettes ($12.99)
  
• Estee Lauder Go Tan Sunless Towlettes ($23/10 and $28/10, for face and body)
  
• Lancome Self-Tanning Face Petals ($28/6)