How to fake your way to a sun-kissed glow

I’ll hold my hands up and admit that my favourite part of summer has to be getting the perfect tan.

Now I’m not talking about being a sun worshipper, no thanks I’ve got better things to do than risk my health and damage my skin.

No, instead I’m on about faking it with self-tan.

I think I’ve finally got to grips with how to apply it, so hopefully I can share my tips on how to get an even and, most importantly, natural looking fake tan.

First of all you’ll need to prepare the skin by exfoliating gently beforehand, which will remove the top layers of dead skin, meaning your tan will sit better and last longer.

You’ll also hopefully avoid the dreaded ‘snake-skin effect’ of patchy tan.

Waxing or shaving should take place at least 24 hours before tanning, so you’re skin has calmed down and settled before you begin and any body products such as moisturising lotions should not be used close to tanning time.

I always find it best to apply self-tanning after a warm shower. Firstly I put on special gloves to ensure even coverage and begin massaging it in circular motions on the desired area, which is usually just my legs, but sometimes my arms, shoulder and chest area.

If you’re straying up to your chest area you’ll need a helper to help blend it into the back so you can’t see a clear difference between skin tones once you turn around!

Remember to apply less to harder areas of skin such as knees, elbows, ankles and feet as they can often soak up too much tan and go a lot darker than the rest of your body.

I’d recommend using a quick-drying product which takes less than 15 minutes to dry, but try not to get dressed too soon after or you’ll ruin your clothes.

Also please bear in mind that many develop naturally over time so while it might be light at first it will get darker, trust me!

What are your self-tan tips?

Posted by Mandy Jones