I have a pretty strict regime when it comes to fake tanning, and I take it perhaps a little too seriously. I have certain days where I must exfoliate, and different tanning products that I use for different needs/scenarios.
Sunday is the night where I can sit in the tub for as long as I want. This us usually my do all night, I wash my hair, exfoliate my skin, shave, have a face mask - you name it, I do it on a Sunday evening. I call Sunday my 'prep for the week night', which means I usually have a makeup free day and do everything I can to make my beauty regime for the rest of the week run as smoothly as possible. I also usually start my fake tanning process on a sunday night too, starting with a good old scrub to get all the old stuff off and leave me with a blank canvas.
When it comes to tanning I've tried a lot of products from high end £40+ pounds a bottle, to the cheap as chips bargains that you can find in the likes of Home Bargains and various supermarkets and I have to say that most of the time, its the more affordable products that I find work the best for me. Here I have complied a list of my favorite purse friendly products that help me to achieve that bronzed goddess look and avoid that oompa loompa look!
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So first thing first, you cannot expect a good tan without a good prep. For this I just use a pair of exfoliating gloves and a body scrub/shower gel. I really love to use the St. Ives invigorating exfoliater (yes, I know its for your face but its works well as an all over scrub) and if I haven't got any of that left I use my favorite shower gel which is either The Original Source Company in lemon and tee tree, or coconut. Seriously, they smell amazing. At this stage I like to shave my legs too at this point. Ain't no point in nice tanned legs if they're fluffy hey!
After getting out of the bath I try to moisturize quickly while pores are still open from the hot bath, this helps to soak in as much moisture as possible which really aids the application of fake tan. The last thing you want is for tan to be sticking to dry patches or building up around elbow's and knee's. A really good, affordable moisturizer for this is the L'oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Firming Tan Optimizer (£4.66 here on special offer) which promises to optimise tan by giving twenty four hour hydration for before and during the tanning process, which aids a streak free tan and leaves skin feeling smooth and soft. This version of the product also claims to improve skins firmness and make it appear more toned in four weeks. I don't know how much I buy into this claim, but non the less, its a brilliant tan optimizer! If i'm not going to use a 'proper' fake tan then I skip the seperate moistorizer and just go on in with my Palmers Natural Bronze Tanning Moistorizer. I have repurchased this products at least ten times over and always have a couple of back up bottles tucked away in a draw. I have never used a body lotion that tans as well as this one does. It gives a beautiful glow with just one application but can be built up to a deeper, darker tan over a few days. It doesn't cling to dry areas and looks flawless. An added bonus is that it doesn't streak when you get rained on, which can happen quite a lot around here! And it smells beautiful, just like all of Palmers Coco Butter products.
After the prep I usually leave it over night and tan the next day. This helps make sure that everywhere is in tip top condition and also saves my bed sheets from terrible staining! (Plus, on occasion when I have left tan on over night, I've been shouted at the next day when Chris has woken up with half his body tanned!) Depending on what my needs are depends on what product I use; The St. Moriz Tanning Mouse in Dark £4.99 (also available in medium and light) is my go to tan in the height of summer, as it has a tan color on application and continues to develop for up to six hours, progressively getting darker as it does so. I try not to wear white on days when I have first applied this product as it can leave quite bad staining and has been known to ruin a fair few white tops of mine! Cocoa Brown One Hour Tan Mousse £7.99 is a brilliant, fast developing tanning foam that doesn't feel sticky on the skin and can be left on longer for a deeper tan. My only gripe with this one is that even after three hours the color isn't as dark as I would really like (I've only just discovered they do in fact make a 'dark' version), but its a fab product for when you've haven't got any base color at all and don't want to look emulsion-ed. The Santa Monica £3.99 in medium is another mousse type tan that is brilliant for day to day, and can be worn all year round as it isn't too dark a color and doesn't look too 'fake' for a fake tan! Lastly we have the St. Moriz Instant Self Tan Mist £4.99 in dark which is so easy to use, if a little messy. Its brilliant for those hard to reach places like your back which personally I struggle with when I'm alone in the house! I apply all of these products using a fake tan mitt which can be picked up from primark to st tropez depending on what price point you're looking to pay.
After the top coat of tan has been washed off I usually go in with a moisturizer again just to help keep the tan on for as long as possible and looking its best! A fake tan, if applied and maintained properly, can last for perhaps a maximum of two weeks. After that point you will need to exfoliate and start the process again!
I don't think I'm the last word in tan by any stretch of the imagination, this is just the process that I use and although I've had some fake tan disasters throughout the years my tan at the moment looks rather natural and I'm happy with it.
Do you have a fake tanning routine? What tanning products do you swear by?
Connect with me!
Instagram; gemfru_x
Twitter; @gemfru_xx
When it comes to tanning I've tried a lot of products from high end £40+ pounds a bottle, to the cheap as chips bargains that you can find in the likes of Home Bargains and various supermarkets and I have to say that most of the time, its the more affordable products that I find work the best for me. Here I have complied a list of my favorite purse friendly products that help me to achieve that bronzed goddess look and avoid that oompa loompa look!
So first thing first, you cannot expect a good tan without a good prep. For this I just use a pair of exfoliating gloves and a body scrub/shower gel. I really love to use the St. Ives invigorating exfoliater (yes, I know its for your face but its works well as an all over scrub) and if I haven't got any of that left I use my favorite shower gel which is either The Original Source Company in lemon and tee tree, or coconut. Seriously, they smell amazing. At this stage I like to shave my legs too at this point. Ain't no point in nice tanned legs if they're fluffy hey!
After getting out of the bath I try to moisturize quickly while pores are still open from the hot bath, this helps to soak in as much moisture as possible which really aids the application of fake tan. The last thing you want is for tan to be sticking to dry patches or building up around elbow's and knee's. A really good, affordable moisturizer for this is the L'oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Firming Tan Optimizer (£4.66 here on special offer) which promises to optimise tan by giving twenty four hour hydration for before and during the tanning process, which aids a streak free tan and leaves skin feeling smooth and soft. This version of the product also claims to improve skins firmness and make it appear more toned in four weeks. I don't know how much I buy into this claim, but non the less, its a brilliant tan optimizer! If i'm not going to use a 'proper' fake tan then I skip the seperate moistorizer and just go on in with my Palmers Natural Bronze Tanning Moistorizer. I have repurchased this products at least ten times over and always have a couple of back up bottles tucked away in a draw. I have never used a body lotion that tans as well as this one does. It gives a beautiful glow with just one application but can be built up to a deeper, darker tan over a few days. It doesn't cling to dry areas and looks flawless. An added bonus is that it doesn't streak when you get rained on, which can happen quite a lot around here! And it smells beautiful, just like all of Palmers Coco Butter products.
After the prep I usually leave it over night and tan the next day. This helps make sure that everywhere is in tip top condition and also saves my bed sheets from terrible staining! (Plus, on occasion when I have left tan on over night, I've been shouted at the next day when Chris has woken up with half his body tanned!) Depending on what my needs are depends on what product I use; The St. Moriz Tanning Mouse in Dark £4.99 (also available in medium and light) is my go to tan in the height of summer, as it has a tan color on application and continues to develop for up to six hours, progressively getting darker as it does so. I try not to wear white on days when I have first applied this product as it can leave quite bad staining and has been known to ruin a fair few white tops of mine! Cocoa Brown One Hour Tan Mousse £7.99 is a brilliant, fast developing tanning foam that doesn't feel sticky on the skin and can be left on longer for a deeper tan. My only gripe with this one is that even after three hours the color isn't as dark as I would really like (I've only just discovered they do in fact make a 'dark' version), but its a fab product for when you've haven't got any base color at all and don't want to look emulsion-ed. The Santa Monica £3.99 in medium is another mousse type tan that is brilliant for day to day, and can be worn all year round as it isn't too dark a color and doesn't look too 'fake' for a fake tan! Lastly we have the St. Moriz Instant Self Tan Mist £4.99 in dark which is so easy to use, if a little messy. Its brilliant for those hard to reach places like your back which personally I struggle with when I'm alone in the house! I apply all of these products using a fake tan mitt which can be picked up from primark to st tropez depending on what price point you're looking to pay.
After the top coat of tan has been washed off I usually go in with a moisturizer again just to help keep the tan on for as long as possible and looking its best! A fake tan, if applied and maintained properly, can last for perhaps a maximum of two weeks. After that point you will need to exfoliate and start the process again!
I don't think I'm the last word in tan by any stretch of the imagination, this is just the process that I use and although I've had some fake tan disasters throughout the years my tan at the moment looks rather natural and I'm happy with it.
Do you have a fake tanning routine? What tanning products do you swear by?
Connect with me!
Instagram; gemfru_x
Twitter; @gemfru_xx
Just found your blog from twitter, love and followed :)
ReplyDeleteI use loads of these tanning products as well and we have the same mitt if i'm right. (£1.50 tesco bargain)
Looking forward to reading more from you
xx
dreamsof-newyork.blogspot.co.uk
Hello gorgeous!
DeleteThat's so sweet, thank you for taking the time to follow me and comment! Haha, yep! I do love a good tesco bargain! I just don't see the sense in spending £10.00 on a fake tan mitt when they all do the same thing! I'm going to go have a nosy on your blog now hun!
xxx