Become a pro at applying fake tan with these expert tips
Looking back on our biggest beauty blunders over the years, our novice self-tanning skills were behind quite a few them. We know how daunting it can be to apply fake tan at first, but with a little time and experience (and help from our initiated beauty team), it's a lot easier than you might think.
The good news is that tanning has improved a lot recent years. 'With so many great gradual and express formulas around, tanning isn’t the big Thursday night event that regular self-tanners like me used to build our weeks around,' says self-tan expert Jules Von Hep of Isle Of Paradise. Though, one thing is still the same: ‘It’s still beauty’s best secret weapon for making you look fresh and well rested.'
How to apply fake tan to your body
It's all in the prep. The day before you're going to apply the fake tan, gently exfoliate your skin with a body scrub, like the Dove Crushed Macadamia & Rice Milk Body Scrub, or an exfoliating mitt, and if you're planning to shave your legs, do so at least 24 hours before application. Then, once you're out of the shower, apply a nourishing body lotion all over, especially focusing on drier parts of the skin, like the elbows, knee caps and hands. The smoother and softer the skin, the better the finish.
Now you're set to apply the fake tan the next day. Fancy giving it a go? Whether you're short on time (hello, express tans) or prefer a more natural finish (read on for the how-to on gradual tans), here’s how to make tanning work for you, plus the self-tan products to buy now...
How to get the best results with gradual tans
Gradual tans have come a long way, says Jules. Once sticky and slow to dry, they’re now full of moisturising and skin-perfecting ingredients such as glycerin and niacinamide, so they glide on, blend in well and leave skin feeling soft and looking bright even when the tan wears off. ‘I like to apply three days on the trot, skip a day, and then do it on alternate days to keep the colour going,’ he says.
How to use express tan
Express tans are also having a moment, says Jules; these have a guide colour to help you apply them evenly and, while this gets showered off up to an hour later, the colour carries on developing for the next four to six hours as you get on with your day. ‘A bit of experience doesn’t go amiss here, but the guide colour helps you to see where you’re going, and as with any kind of tanning, practice always makes perfect,’ says Jules.
How to use instant wash-off tans
Instant wash-off tans (or what Jules calls ‘makeup for the body’) are better than ever, too. For the best results, use a tanning mitt or brush to apply – these formulations might require less commitment than a classic self-tan, but they can still streak with slapdash application, so squeeze on to a brush or mitt, then sweep lengthways on to your skin before blending in circles (doing this in front of a mirror helps you to see exactly where you’ve applied it). To give your face an instant glow, try bronzing drops designed to mix into your moisturiser.
How to apply fake tan to your face
Tanning mists are much easier to use than you might think and even work through makeup; just spray from arm’s length and wipe through eyebrows with a cotton bud. St Moriz Advanced Face Mist, £9.99, lends a believable, sunny glow. Ella & Jo Face Filter Mist & Glow Facial Tanning Mist in Light-Medium and Medium-Dark, £23 each, are packed with glycerin and hyaluronic acid for an additional skincare boost.
7 tanning secrets you might not know
Leaving a few hours between showering and applying your self-tan gives your skin's pH time to settle after washing, which helps your colour to develop properly.
Tanning for a holiday? Oil-based sunscreens can break down fake tan. Use milks, creams and waters instead.
Too much formula is easier to blend than too little, and less is likely to streak.
Trying to scrub away a mistake can make your look more uneven. Instead, go over the area with a light layer of the same self-tan or patch it up with instant tan on a makeup brush on sponge.
Even gradual-tan formulas can benefit from an extra layer of moisture underneath, so if your results are still on the patchy side, apply an oil-free body lotion all over before you apply your tan.
Tanning works best in cooler conditions. Help your colour to 'set' by drying it with a hair drier on a cool setting, and if you're tanning overnight, sleep in tight cotton pyjamas and minimal bedding.
Apply fast-acting express tans to your legs first. They're usually the palest bit of your body so they benefit from more time in contact with the self-tan ingredients.
Using these tips, and getting some practice in, fake-tanning really can be easy.
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