Evolution of the tan!

With exam period ending (hoorah) and summer/partying season looming... it's that time of year again... the legs are coming out! As much as I am not against paleness with my thunder thighs pastiness is not an option! (They need every bit of camouflage they can get.)
The easiest and quickest way to get a tan is sun-bedding. However, as an ex tanorexic I have had to give up sun-bedding (the risk of skin cancer, premature wrinkles have put me off- sob sob) and turn to fake tan. Now I love a bit of fake tan- but as we all know it can go extremely wrong! 'Attcked by a dorito' is the phrase often used!
So as I love a tan I thought I'd share my tanning tips of how to look tanned... without the orange residue. But I'd rather see a shade of dorito than skin cancer on a girl any day!

Here's a few pics of my own tanning evolution... so you can vouch that I am an expert in all things tan-related and you are in safe hands.

Au Nauturelle ;) ... my skin as nature intended (pastey and gross)

 After a SERIOUS sunbed addiction! (Disclaimer: I am not recommending sun-beds)








And finally... the natural tan from the sun... (yes this is not fake tan but is in fact tan induced from sun bathing. Hello vitamin D.)







... OR not finally as unfortunately winter has been and gone.. the tan has faded and peeled and I am now left with the inevitable pastey look. And I am no Kirsten Stewart- I cannot rock this look.

So here are my top tips for tanning fakely but safely :)

1. Exfoliate- Yes we all know this one- the mags tell us it repeatedly. But it is imperative if you want to avoid that streaky tan look! How will you tan look even if it's not on a clear surface!

2. Moisturise- Now I've heard rumours (terrible terrible lies) that putting moisturiser on before fake tanning actually makes your tan not stick. This is not true! Your fake tan is less likely to fade by applying moisturiser, as like with exfoliating, you need a soft surface to start on to avoid the streaky look!
If you find elbows, knees problematic areas put extra moisturiser on!!

I (who love all things orange) like to use moisturisers with gradual tanner in... two of my favourite products are Garnier's gradual tanner and Palmer cocoa butter's gradual tanner. I'd recommend Palmer's for the winter as it is very thick- but that's perfect for dry winter skin. And it smells like chocolate... really how much more in heaven can you get? It does have quite an orange tinge after a few applications- but don't worry it's not dorito rapped!!

For the summer I'd recommend Garnier's gradual tanner, as it's much lighter than Palmer's.


It works quickly and comes in three different shades from light-dark. It quickly builds a noticeable light, natural looking tan if applied every- every other day. The only problem I find with it is your hands! As you have to wash them after every application so you're left with paler hands! (I've tried applying directly to my hands but with washing up and washing your hands 24 7 it's impossible to keep!) Anyone knows a solution to this comment below!


Now you're all prepped... here comes the easy part... the tanning!

3. Wear a tanning mit- You can pick one of these up for a pittance in Primark so no excuses! No one likes orange hands! Trust me I've had them people laugh and point! And you end up rubbing fake tan on everything you touch! They also allow your tan to go on smoothly... so no streaks (very important).

4. The product- This is the cheapest but best value fake tan! St Moriz... you can pick it up from 3-4 pound online (amazon, eBay where ever) and I actually think it works just as well as St Tropez, which would set you back about 20 squids.

It comes in three different shades, I'd recommend medium for the majority of skin tones. It comes out in a foam texture so is very easy to apply compared to gel, sprays or cream based fake tans. If your new to tanning this is a good fake tan to start with as you can create light, medium or heavy coverage by layering the amount you put on. The bottle recommends putting the tan on before showering- but I say screw that and stick it on after the shower. I'm guessing you want your tan to be noticeable!

 

 

And finally... 5. Don't forget your face! There's no bigger tell tell sign of fake tan than an orange/tanned bod and white face! So either get a face tanner or match your make up to your fake tan. I'm not a big fan of fake tan on the face as I have sensitive skin, but if you're gunna give it a go make sure you moisturise first paying extra attention to,your jawline, neck and hairline. (Those are the elbow and knees of your mug.) For me I just chuck on the bronzer, the more bronzer the better!

I'd recommend Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzer (it smells like chocolate- score). It's perfect for adding colour and matching pasty faces to fake tan without clogging up your pours.

 

If you've made it to the end of this post you really care about your tan and deserve to glow! ;)

 

 Follow these tips you could look like this ...

(Disclaimer: fake tan will not turn you into Jessica Alba...)