I’ve mentioned before how back in my Uni days I’d slather on multiple layers of faux tan and in all pictures from those three years I resemble the complexion of a tangerine. I mean, put me and a tangerine next to each other and it’s uncanny. Seriously. Bottles of Rimmel’s Sunshimmer were my biggest expense (and what I saved all my Boots Advantage Card points for) and each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night my housemate and I would assist the tan-age of each others backs. That’s what friends are for, right? These days I’m a little less into the Oompa Loompa vibes but I still love a bit of a sun-kissed glow, especially when the sun decides to make an appearance. Seeing as we’re slap-bang in the middle of those transitional months where the weather likes to go from ‘I’m going to punish you for not wearing a coat today‘ to ‘It’s summer! Quick! It’s only going to last a day!‘ I’m trying to be prepared and get my fake tanning routine down.
Now I must say that this current set-up is very much inspired by Alessandra Steinherr, the Beauty Editor of Glamour UK who I was lucky enough to meet a few weeks ago. Now she is the Queen of glow, so Lily and I questioned her on all things tanning and she fed us up with tips and recommendations which Lily and I purchased pretty much immediately. So let’s talk tan first…
Alessandra recommended the Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan in Medium, which I feel like I’ve tried before and not had too much success with. However, the key here is to use it for three nights in a row to build up a base, which hopefully with the right maintenance should last you 2-3 weeks. I must admit that after one application I felt pretty darn tanned so left it there and the results did last a week, weren’t patchy, didn’t fade weird and I didn’t smell too horrendous; so I can imagine that three layers does get you a pretty long-lasting result. I’ll keep experimenting with this one and keep you in the loop, but so far – so good.
For face, she suggested the Vita Liberata Self Tanning Anti-Age Serum; a clear serum with added skincare oomph that you can use alone or add in to your moisturiser. The more drops you add the deeper the tan – simples. I’ve given it a go both ways and find the result to be a little more intense (in a good way) when it’s applied on its own. I still have a special place in my heart though for the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning which doses my skin up with hydration and leaves me looking nice and glowy in the morning. If you’re looking to decrease your foundation usage then this is what you need in your life.
Onto prep, application and maintenance – which are the most important steps. Before application with the first round of tan I’ve been going nuts with The Body Shop’s Pinita Colada Body Scrub on the St Tropez Prep and Maintain Tan Eraser Mitt. Either will suffice on its own, but together they provide the ultimate scrub for your skin. To prep the skin I throw on a bit of whatever face or body moisturiser I have hanging around and massage some in to my ankles, knees, elbows, armpits and wrists and then I’ve been applying the tan with the St Tropez Tan Applicator Mitt.
The bit that I always have forgotten to do in the past and is my biggest pitfall when it comes to faux glow is the constant need for moisturiser. GROAN. So this time round I got myself a bottle of the Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturiser in Cocoa Glow to spritz on after showering everyday and so far I think there’s only a handful of occasions when I’ve forgotten. There’s no excuse for not having enough time either because this stuff literally can be slapped on all over in about two minutes. I’m pretty impressed actually and for once my body doesn’t resemble that of a shedding snake mixed with Casper The Friendly Ghost. Uni Anna would be proud.
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