by liz, founderA patchy tan feels catastrophic at 7am and is almost always a ten-minute fix. The trick is matching the fix to the mistake instead of panicking and adding more product everywhere.
the dark stripe
Overlap lines and dark patches respond to targeted exfoliation: damp skin, exfoliating mitt, firm circles on the stripe only. You are not removing the tan, just knocking the peak off it. Follow with moisturiser to blur the boundary. One session usually halves the contrast; two erases it.
the missed patch
Resist the urge to re-mousse the whole limb. Load the corner of the mitt with a small amount of product, dab it onto the pale patch only, and feather the edges outward with what is left on the mitt. With a guide-colour mousse you can see the blend happen in real time.
quick answers
How do you fix a self tan streak?+
Dark streaks: buff the streak alone with a damp exfoliating mitt, then moisturise. Pale gaps: dab a small amount of tan onto the gap with a mitt corner and feather the edges. A day of gradual tanning moisturiser blends the result.
Should I just add more tan over a patchy tan?+
No — layering over a patchy base amplifies the unevenness. Fix the specific patches first, or take everything off with a soak and buff and reapply on a clean canvas.
