it's important to start with skin that is smooth and exfoliated. so the first thing you should do is take a shower and exfoliate really well especially over thicker skin area such as the elbows knees and ankles. once you have done that you can even moisturize to have your skin well hydrated. a lot of the newer self-tanners come with moisturizers in them already. when you apply the self-tanner you can apply it in smooth strokes and skip the elbows knees and ankles until the very end and then just brush it on there. you can even take a towel and wipe it off there because areas that are thicker will absorb more of the product. the newer products also come with ingredients that make them less likely to streak and with fragrance that make them less likely to have that awful smell that the older products did. i also recommend using one that's a shade lighter because they come in several different tones. use one that's a shade lighter than the one you think you might start with. so if you think you would want a medium start with a light and put it on in layers over a few hours over the course of the day in order to get to the color that you want and then you can just reapply it once a day to maintain that color.
i have tried self-tanners but they streak and leave dark splotches on my skin. some of them also smell funny. help!