.jpg)
13 hours ago
3
E! Illustration/Dolce Glow
Got a big event on your calendar? Whether you're hitting a red carpet, attending a summer wedding (as a guest or your own), sometimes a little glow can go a long way with boosting your confidence and helping you truly shine.
Isabel Alysa, founder of Dolce Glow and Sunne BAEskin, is an expert when it comes to all things self-tanning and E! exclusively got her take on how to properly get your glow on for special events.
- Best contouring self-tanner: Sunnee BAEskin BAEside Sea Sculpt Contour ($20)
- Best express self-tanner: Dolce Glow 2-Hour Express Self-Tanning Mousse in Ultra Dark ($49)
- Best facial mist self-tanner: Dolce Glow Acqua Hydrating Self-Tanning Face Mist ($36)
There are a few things that Isabel recommends doing differently for a big event, compared to your normal self-tanning routine, and she says it starts with "subtly" adjusting your shade.
"For events, I like to go one shade deeper than your everyday glow and focus on a flawless finish. It should always still look natural in photos and in person. For example, if you use the Dolce Glow or Sunne BAEskin express mousse and usually leave it on for 2 hours, leave it on for 3–4 hours for a deeper finish," she advises.
For more expert tips from Isabel that will ensure you apply your best self-tanning application ever (even in tricky spots that might be exposed with summer dresses), read on.
What are your top skin prep tips for a seamless application?
"Always start with clean, exfoliated skin - this is key. I like to keep it simple and use a gentle tool like our Dolce Glow Exfoliation Mitt 24 hours prior to application to remove any buildup and create an even canvas. Second, make sure your skin is free from any lotions, oils, or perfumes so that you do not create a barrier between your skin and the self tanner."
Dolce Glow Application Mitt
Keep your hands stain-free and streakiness away with this application mitt.
What’s your best advice for applying to trickier areas like your back, feet or hands?
"Tricky areas are all about using the right formulas and a light hand. For places like your back especially, I love using mists like our Dolce Glow Self-Tanning Mist or BAEside Sea Spray because they make application so much easier and are similar to using a spray SPF! These products have an innovative bag-on-valve spray system that gives you 360° coverage so you can even spray upside down and reach those hard-to-get areas effortlessly. For hands and feet, less is more - always. I recommend using whatever is left on your mitt and lightly buffing over those areas to avoid buildup."
Dolce Glow Self-Tanning Mist
Get a natural bronze with this innovative bag on valve spray system, that allows 360 coverage (upside and down) to get an even glow.
Sunee BAEskin BAEside Sea Spray Self-Tan
Packed with revitalizing ingredients, this not only helps you get a gorgeous glow but it also hydrates and replenishes your skin.
"With the Acqua or Sea Facial Mist specifically, a helpful trick is to place your hands in a claw shape and mist evenly from a slight distance so the product distributes across the entire surface of the hand. This helps ensure smooth, even coverage and avoids streaks in the creases or knuckles, giving you perfectly natural-looking tan hands every time."
Dolce Glow Acqua Hydrating Self-Tanning Face Mist
Perfect for creating a light to medium dewy glow, this is packed with ingredients (like green tea leaf extract and macadamia oil) for repairing and refreshing the skin.
How do you pick your perfect shade of self-tanner?
"I always tell clients to consider their natural undertone and the result they want. If you’re fair, start with a light to medium shade and build gradually. If you have a deeper complexion or want a more bronzed look, you can go richer to enhance your skin."
Dolce Glow 2-Hour Express Self-Tanning Mousse in Ultra Dark
Need to get your glow on fast? This 2-hour express mousse will do the trick!
How can you contour with self-tanner?
"Contouring with self-tanner is one of my favorite techniques because it gives you that sculpted, snatched look but in the most natural way! It’s all about placement and blending. For the face, I created products specifically for this because I wanted something that mimics makeup but develops into a long-lasting glow. Our Dolce Glow Contour Sculptor is a 3-in-1 formula that instantly sculpts while developing into a tan, so you get both immediate definition and a lasting result."
Dolce Glow Contour Self-Tanning Sculpt + Glow Wand
This 3-in-1 contours, tans and illuminates in all the right places!
"For a deeper, more dramatic contour, our Gimme More Contour gives you a richer tone to really enhance dimension."
Dolce Glow Gimme More Contour Self-Tanning Sculpt + Glow Wand
Need a deeper shade extension of the other Dolce Glow contour wand? this provides a richer and more defined sculpt.
"And if you want something super effortless, I also love our Sunnee BAEskin Baeside Sculpt - it’s perfect for that soft, sun-kissed definition. For the body, I like to use a slightly deeper shade to define areas like the collarbones, shoulders, abs, and legs - anywhere you naturally want more dimension. Apply and then blend it out with a mitt so it diffuses into a soft shadow rather than anything harsh. The key - whether it’s face or body - is blending. Use your fingertips, a brush, or a mitt to really melt the product into the skin. You want it to look like your natural structure - just enhanced!"
Sunnee BAEskin BAEside Sea Sculpt Contour
Get a beachy, contoured glow with this wand! Made with blue-green algae, wakame and sea kelp extract, you'll sea the difference in your perfectly sculpted contour.
What’s the best way to quickly fix a mistake or patchiness?
"Streaky/Blotchy tans stem from poor skin preparation. I always recommend exfoliating and shaving 24 hours before application. Sometimes streaks can occur due to wax residue left over from shaving right before tanning. An easy fix to this is doing a quick rinse with light soap in the areas with streaks. Same thing goes for blotches."
Dolce Glow Drying Body Powder
This ultra-fine body powder offers a subtle luminous shimmer (perfect for red carpets), while absorbing oil and moisture for a comfortable finish.
How We Choose
The E! Insider Shop editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews, and use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think our readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not E!. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time.
English (US)