Getting a gorgeous, dark tan can be a struggle especially living in the UK. Likewise, a super natural looking fake tan can be a challenge too. Being naturally freckly and fair skinned, I have struggled to love my skin for what it is, especially on holiday watching everyone turn golden so easily. This is when I discovered the beauty of fake tan, after many failed attempts and embarrassing orange episodes later, I'd say I'm pretty advanced in how to achieve a glow that people mistake for a real tan on a regular basis.
- I'll always start by exfoliating, I try to do this as often as possible adding it to my routine with gentle gloves or a scrub with body wash, concentrating on areas tan sticks to most like, elbows, hands, knees and ankles. My favourite exfoliating gloves are just Primark. I find doing a more gentle scrub more often, your tan will fade evenly and I then I'm more prepped to apply more layers of tan if I need it during the week.
- Then I like to wait until I'm fully dry to apply a little moisturiser to those dry areas mentioned, as well as my neck. My favourite body milk of the moment is linked below, using a perfumed moisturiser occasionally is a nice luxury, especially day 1 of your newly washed off tan.
-The products I then use to tan will act as a full body moisturiser all over. The St Tropez Purity bronzing gel is an absolute winner for me, it smells amazing, doesn't stain sheets and creates a gorgeous glow. I apply this at night or even in the day to develop, you can leave it on as long as you like. I like to use a velvet tanning mitt to apply all my tan, it is important you wash the mitts regularly too to prevent a build up of old tan.
- If I'm not using the gel, and I want a deeper tan I'll use a mousse, either Bondi Sands in dark which is best overnight, or again a St Tropez product, the express mousse. The reason I rave about St Tropez is because you can leave them on for an hour then shower it off, perfect if you're ever in a rush. The guide colour is very similar to how it'll look when you rinse away the mousse, and you can marinate in your tan during the day if you've forgotten to sleep in it. I do recommend to rinse it off in the shower without scrubbing, just let the water fall on your body and you'll see the guide colour disappear.
-My most recent discovery is mixing a pea sized amount of moisturiser with the tan on your mitt. Most tanning brands advise you not to moisturise your whole body before tanning, but I tried adding a small amount to the product and found it leaves your skin feeling instantly hydrated and brown. The mousse won't develop as dark, but with certain products like the Bondi Sands Matte one day tan it blends so nicely together and you don't need to wash it off before going out. I discovered adding the moisturiser helps to prevent streaks in instant tanning products, as well as nourishing your skin for the day ahead.
-Hands and feet. The most difficult areas to obtain a fake tan. My main advice is to swipe over them with whatever remains on the tanning mitt. I try not to concentrate on getting them as dark as the rest of my body as it's the biggest fake tan giveaway! I like to moisturise my hands and feet after I've applied tan to blend the product evenly.
-For my face I don't tend to apply much fake tan as I don't like the idea of it clogging my pores. When I use a mousse, I might apply the remains of whatever is still on the mitt just around my forehead and cheek bones. However, the St Tropez bronzing water mist is the ideal quick fix. You can apply this stuff like a setting spray before or after doing your makeup, or at night after your skincare. I couldn't recommend it enough, I've even used it over my chest and arms to get an effortless golden glow and it has become an everyday essential for me.
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