I read about “sun” from another blog. I bought it off amazon, It is amazing! It smells great and the tan is very natural. It comes in a mist too. Works great on your face as well. I bought the 32 oz. jug that comes with a pump. It will last forever!

http://www.amazon.com/Self-Tanning-Lotion-Ultra-Instant/dp/B0009V8N5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336477523&sr=8-1

This is so true – I’m with you. I always want to be a bit more tan, but can’t bring myself to get too much sun and self tanner works, but smells I’m really trying to embrace my natural skin tone, but it can be so hard with all you see out there! I think you look beautiful just the way you are!

As a kid, the most common comment in my school year books was: “Have a great summer and get a tan.” Needless to say the tan part never happened. Never will. 25 years later I’ve finally found peace with my translucent skin and loads of freckles. I’m glad you’ve found a way to enjoy your beautiful coloring.

I’m a redhead too, and proud to be. In England (where I grew up) I used to get teased quite a bit about it, by kids and adults, but my dad always told me I was his golden haired girl and beautiful, so I knew not to listen to the bully’s.

Although only one other sibling out of 8 is also a redhead, it’s showing showing up quite prominently in the next generation. I’ve already witnessed people saying things about my niece, horrid things adults should never say when a three year old can hear. I wonder if this stupid “ginger” prejudice has spread over here. I don’t know why people even would comment negatively. Are they jealous?

But you’re right, the downside is the palely freaky skin. My sisters tan so beautifully and look gorgeous soaking up the suns rays all summer long. And I look like an idiot with long coverups, sitting in the shade! Luckily fall comes shortly after, and I can have my season of glowing with the leafs, while my sisters tan’s fade

Jergens is a great self tanner and pretty fool prof. Great just to take the edge of the pasty! It makes me feel less like a vampire, and for me that’s a good thing!

PS. I always just a scrub before applying the self tanner, it REALLY makes a nice difference.

I don’t actually have red hair…. my mother is a red head, and my son has red hair…but me, I just got the red-head skin. It’s hard for me to tan as well..mostly I just freckle. And I use the Jergens lotion too. First one I’ve found that does the trick for me as well. I do love that it looks so natural because I’m not so sure if I’m the pasty pale or the pretty pale myself. Lol! Fair skinned, freckle-faced ladies unite!!

I’m a redhead and my three sons are all redheads as well, so I know your frustration well. I’m lucky that I pretty much only get freckles on my face instead of all over, but fair skin can feel like it looks too pale sometimes, I know.

As a 48-year-old redhead, I do have a bit of advice: Find a sunless tanner you like and rejoice that you don’t tan! Why? Because the tan that looks so pretty and “healthy” on younger bodies comes back to haunt people when they’re my age. I used to feel so jealous of my friends’ tans, but now most of my peers have quite a few spots and mottled-looking skin, particularly in the decolletage area. Now my formerly tanned friends are wishing they’d avoided the sun more. I like Neutrogena’s “Build-a-tan” lotion and Sally Hansen’s “Airbrush Legs” to spray on some color. Otherwise, my advice is to embrace the look of fair skin and know that one day it’ll pay off in a big way!

Not a red-head, but I have very fair skin. Jergens has been a lifesaver for me!

I’m fair-skinned as well and have in the past liked the Jergens lotion you mentioned above. I do have to agree with you about the smell, it stinks. So for my sister’s wedding (last month in LA) I tried the foam version and was happy with the coverage and the smell wasn’t as bad as the lotion. You may want to consider trying that product.

I really love to look tan, but am pale, too. I really like the Loreal Sublime Bronze for a self-tanner, but I have some friends who love Fake & Bake. I think in the long run–it’s so much better for you to stay out of the sun–all that tanning can really turn your skin into leather, give you unwanted age spots, and make you look much older than you really are Good luck

I have tried just about every self tanner out there (except for Sun, which I do want to try). I am not just pale but ghostly white…and athletic build – which just looks bad. My favortie so far is Lancome. I have to lotion up with regular lotion first, let that dry, then put on the lancome lotion. Bc if I dont’, it gets too dark. I do this every other day. In the winter, I use a cheaper lotion (Banana Boat from Walmart works ok). When I was pregnant I used Lavera (I got it from Target)…it didn’t seem to have chemicals…or so they say.

i have the same trouble. the jergens shows up instantly. every other brand i’ve tried has been too orangey. i’m always hoping to find something even more subtle.

Oh man, I am right there with you! I’m a redhead with pale, freckled skin and have never once in my life been able to tan. Sometimes I wonder if I could make myself one big freckle so then maybe I would look tan. lol jk, I’ve learned to embrace the paleness.

You are so truly by far pretty pale. For sure! I used to worship the sun. I laid outside, in the tanning bed, just everything nonstop. I have no idea why God has blessed me with no melanoma thus far (just had my yearly derm check yesterday!). Anyway, I actually use SPF now and don’t lay out, but I do like to be tan. I use Fake Bake, which I order from Amazon. It goes on very dark to prevent streaking and you rinse that part off in the morning – I like it because it keeps me from streaking! There’s a face version and also a fairer skin version, too!

I also have red hair and fair skin. Last summer I discovered Nivea Sun-Kissed Skin gradual tanning moisturizer. It works really well. It doesn’t get splotchy or orange and looks very natural, like those few redheads that can get tan in the sun.

Emily~could be worse, you could be a redhead with pale skin and be allergic to self tanners! Oh yeah, that’s me!

You always look beautiful!! But if you like a tan, as I do, and have no time to either tan in the sun or in a booth, then you must try TanTowels. I love the towelettes. They apply the tanner evenly and come in full body or half, and in a few different shades depending on your skin type. Love them.

Hi Emily. I’ve really been enjoying your blog. I discovered you when I was looking for a flower tutorial. It was so great to be in the mood for a craft and be able to actually do it without having to buy the materials.

Anyway, I hear you. As a paley myself, I’ve learned to embrace it and like to think that in 20+ years when I’m in my fifties, I’ll be so glad I did. I love the CeraVe a.m. moisturizer with sunscreen and the dermalogica tinted sunscreen/lotion for the summer.

Pales unite!

At the Beach Versa Spa is a LIFE SAVER for me. Makes me bronze-y and tan and not orange in the slightest. If you don’t have that, I actually prefer the Natural Glow Express and I promise you, it doesn’t smell nearly as bad as the one you mentioned.

Another GREAT option, is from the Hemp line. It smells REALLY good. Swear. And it bronzes you in a slight gradual way, which for us redheads means immediately
http://www.amazon.com/Moist-Hemp-Bronzing-Moisturizer-oz/dp/B003TJGNH8

I saw a shirt somewhere online that said “Pale is the new tan.” I love that. As a fair gal myself, (my first foundation from lancome was called ‘eau de pale #1), I say embrace embrace embrace. Did you know it only takes 3 burns in the same spot to be at risk for melanoma? I know three girls (in their early 20s) that have already had melanoma removed from their bodies. Embrace, embrace, embrace. If something is going to remove me from this earth, I pray it won’t be because of my vanity. Sorry to be soapboxy, but I am pretty passionate about this one, because it is so preventable.

The BEST self tanner on the market is by St. Tropez. The bronzing mousse is my favorite, it dries quickly and doesn’t streak. If you buy the mitt they sell it goes on perfectly smooth and your hands don’t turn dark. Plus it doesn’t give you that weird, jaundice look that some of the others give. I’m a pale skin girl. Pasty-pale, not pretty pale. And I live in the south, where we wear dresses all summer long. This is my trick to faking a tan.

http://www.sttropeztan.com/self-tan-bronzing-mousse

the 8 oz will last all summer too.

Okay, i’m a redhead too and can totally relate. I LOVE my redhair and I have always been told that I have a “peaches ‘n cream” complection so I don’t have a ton of freckles…but I”m definitely a true redhead. Anyway, I love St. Tropez. I swear by it! I need to send you an email with a pic from this past summer. It really works wonders and isn’t orange at all. Plus, the scent is very nice.

I too am a redhead and enjoy using Jergens for color. I put a good smelling lotion on top of self tanner to help with the smell

I have blonde hair and fair skin, and would tan in the tanning beds in my 20′s, and loved how my skin looked! Unfortunately, the 4 summers I tanned resulted in melanoma…..4 surgeries and huge massive scars later, I would give anything to take that back. Now I embrace my fair skin. I am 32 and the mother of 3.

The Mary Kay subtle tanning lotion is awesome! Smell is not bad and the color is amazing. I can tan a little, but I prefer not to so I am always covered from the sun. The self tanner gives me great color!

I am a red head too – I have never been to a tanning bed, but I have gone to a tanning salon to do the spray tan in a booth and that was pretty interesting and it worked really well, stayed on for quite sometime. But I felt like a fake when I came out all bronze. Usually I just use one of the myriad of products at the drug store…and oddly only use it on my legs. Because in my red head brain, it somehow makes sense that my legs aren’t freakishly pale, but anything else just looks weird to me. Let’s embrace our bodies rejection to tanning – we’ll look a whole lot younger when we get past 40 and we won’t have that leather look. It’s a good thing!
Chris {aka Freckle Face Girl}

A new one just came out for faces, I think it is jergens I want to try! I could tan but come from a wrinkly family so I’m trying to avoid that!

L’oreal’s sublime bronze GEL is pretty awesome! I have had very goof luck with it and reccomend it to all my inquiring friends!:) You are beautiful and I love that you embrace yourself as you are! truly inspiring!

Banana Boat Summer Color… go with a dark. Slather on at night, heavy but even!, wash the bottom of your hands really well, and a shower in the morning takes away the smell! Lasts for almost a week.

I had red hair when I was young, now a bit darker which I make blonde! My little guy has red hair- freckles and all. I definately have fair skin- I can tan, but freckle.

Love this stuff. People always compliment me on my tan!! You might try it (Walmart!).

I have to include~ I love your red hair and complexion! Beautiful!

Emily! I too am a redhead that feel EXACTLY the same way!! Sally Hansen makes a product called something like …. airbrush legs? It is sold at every drug store and is usually by the nail polish. It is water-proof, sweat-proof, and makes your legs look AMAZING. I have naturally tan friends that use it to make their legs look nice. It gives the appearance of panty hose but with the bare-legged look. A MUST!!!