How to Hide Tan Lines Before the Big Day

You spent all summer (safely) soaking up the sun, but now it's time to slip into your wedding dress or bridesmaids' gown and all you can see are those tan lines staring back at you. While the best course of action is to wear a swimsuit with a neckline and straps that match your big-day attire, it's not always possible. To help you even out your skintone in time for your walk down the aisle, we're sharing our best tips and tricks for minimizing and hiding tan lines before the big day.

THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SUNLESS TANNING FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY

Try a fast-acting self-tanner.

If you notice that your lines are still showing a day or two before the wedding, try applying a fast-acting self-tanner on areas that look a bit lighter. You'll want to choose a quality product, like St. Tropez Self Tan Express Advanced Bronzing Mousse, and apply it carefully (you don't want to make the difference more noticeable!). Best of all, you could even use this product the morning of your wedding-it starts working in just one hour.

Camouflage the tanlines with makeup.

If you still find yourself with unsightly lines on the wedding day, know that there are ways to hide them. Choose a concealer or foundation that matches the color of your tan and apply it on the lighter skin using a makeup sponge. Make sure to purchase a product that won't rub off on your clothing (we like Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage and Estée Lauder's Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup). After you've covered the tan lines, use a foundation brush to blend the makeup as much as possible.

Dust both areas with bronzer.

Whether you use a self-tanner or makeup, make sure you go over entire newly-tanned area with bronzer. Adding a shimmery, glowing layer on top of the two different sections will help make the two areas look more even. Tarte's Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer is a great choice for this task since it won't wipe off.

Set your work.

Give the area a good mist with a setting spray to lock the makeup, self-tanner, or bronzer in place. It'll give you that little bit of insurance that all of your hard work won't melt away.