As I walk through parks and busy streets I can't help but smile a little at the beauty of summer.
But the idyllic scene is quickly spoilt by numerous flashes of orange. Streaky, sticky orange, that clings onto ankles, calves and wrists for dear life. Yes, Fake Tan is often the evil culprit of ruining any summer outfit, and decidedly it is my number one nemesis.
Walking around town it is evident that a lot of time and money is invested into hair, makeup and clothes, yet everywhere I look there is orange!
Now by no means am I a fake tan connoisseur, on the contrary, I like to use it as infrequently as possible. However I am a strong believer that if you're gonna do it, do it right, and so below I will describe several ways of achieving a pretty good tan.
The Numero Uno tip and by far THE most important thing to remember is to Exfoliate. A good bodyscrub is your best friend, in my Summer Skin post, I write about my own home recipe that works best for me. But whether you buy yours in a pot or make it in your own kitchen, exfoliating will create and even and smooth surface, which in turn will mean that the colour of the tan will go on evenly.
Another good tip, particularly if you are using anything other than gradual tanner, is not to shave/wax on the same day of application. It is best to do this 24 hours in advanced, because otherwise the tan will seep into all your open pores and you will regrettably resemble a speckled egg.
The Easier (but perhaps not as great) Method:
Using a gradual tanning moisturizer is without a doubt the easiest way to fake tan. If you are new to all this fakery, I suggest you start with this step. They are used in the same way a normal moisturiser is used, just remember to exfoliate, cover the skin evenly and wash your hands (and wrists!) when you're done, and within 24 hours you will see a difference in colour which can then be built up over several days. I prefer to do it every couple of days with a gentle scrub in between, which means that there is no excessive build up of product. There are millions of gradual tanners on the market, the Garnier one for Medium/Dark Skin is really good even if you are fair as I think the colour comes out less orange, their separate gradual tanner for the face is amazing too! Not a big fan of the Johnson's Holiday Skin, as I find it a bit gloopey and it stinks of fake tan, but each to their own.
The Fidgety (but much more natural looking) Method:
If you take your Fake Tan seriously, and are a serial user of tanning mousse/foam/spray, then this post may tell you nothing new. The importance of exfoliating is even greater when using legit fake tan as it is all the more concentrated and all your sloppy mistakes will become all the more visible. There are many many fake tans out there, normally you get what you pay for; St. Tropez or XenTan are cult favourites and are very good quality, but cost a hefty £20 a pop. I guess that doesnt really compare to the cost of a real tan on holiday! St. Tropez has a good reputation, but if you'd like to see for yourself check out their website, where you can shop for products online.
An excellent dupe of St. Tropez, is St. Moriz. This is my choice of fake tan, which is unbelievably good for the £2-£5 price tag, as it can be used on the face as well. They are available in Home Bargains, and occasionally in fancy dress/ costume make up stores. The quality is fantastic, as the tan is a nice brown, not orange, which is the result of the greenish tinge of the mousse. Don't be alarmed it doesn't come out green, but in the same way you can get green concealer to cancel out red spots, this greeny tinge will balance out any orange to make a lovely brown. It lasts up to a week and wears off evenly (I find gradual tanners can wear off quite patchy, dirty gremlin is not a good look). There are several ways to apply it, everyone has their own preference, but I will describe what works for me. Basically, I do it limb by limb, without gloves, and with a thorough washing of the hands in between each limb. Yes it is a very long process, but I find the results to be better so the extra effort is worth it.
Step 1 - EXFOLIATE. nag nag nag nag nag....but I cannot emphasize how important this is! the better the exfoliating the better the end result will be. trust.
Step 2 - On dry skin, start at the bottom of your body and work your way up, this will prevent creases. E.g. 2 pumps on left lower leg, rub in till no streaks of product are visible, don't forget the tops of your feet, then wash hands. 2 pumps on thigh...etc... wash hands....2 pumps right lower leg...wash hands... etc etc etc....
Step 3 - The last part of my body I do are my forearms, with constant washing of the hands, splashes will streak the tan so I am careful to do this last. Also, after rubbing the tan in, I make sure to wash hands under a gentle tap, then with clean hands just rub all around the wrists to ensure that there is no abrupt line of brown but that the tan gradual fades into the hands.
Step 4 - After you have allowed time for the tan to dry, wait at least 8 hours before showering.
Step 5 - Moisturize everyday throughout the week, this will prolong the tan you have worked so hard to achieve!
There are many videos on Youtube that illustrate this well, and probably much better than I have done, and there are also many reviews and comparisons of St. Moriz with St. Tropez. Laura, also known as Lollipop26 on Youtube is a great beauty guru and here she does a comparison of the two as well as a little demonstration.
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