Summer may be coming to an end, but your sunkissed glow doesn’t have to. If you find yourself craving tanned skin all year round, then stick around because this edit features everything I’ve learned from years of tanning, including product recommendations and a step-by-step guide on how to tan your face and body.
I’ve made every tanning mistake you can think of – orange lines, white patches, tiger bread, and an orange hair line, and although these moments were cringeworthy, they’ve helped me learn all the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of fake tanning that I can now pass onto you. Keep reading to discover the best ways to achieve a flawlessly tanned complexion and body…
1. Choose A Tan For Your Face
If you’re someone who’s asking, can you use fake tan on your face? The answer is yes you could, but it isn’t a good idea for your skin. It’s best to use a formula that’s created with skincaring benefits that have been specifically made for use on your face.
We recommend using the… Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster
The Clarins Glow Booster is kind to the delicate skin on your face; it has a 99% natural self-tanning formula packed with skin-caring ingredients inside. The formula contains 100% natural DHA and erythrulose to tan the skin while aloe vera and organic figs keep your face nourished and hydrated. It’s so easy to use, all you need to do is add a few drops to your moisturiser, and your skin will glow.
Top tanning tip: make sure to wash your hands after to avoid dreaded orange fingers.
2. Prepare Your Skin Before You Apply
The golden rule of fake tanning is to ensure that you prepare your skin before you apply fake tan to reduce the formula getting caught in dry skin – if you miss this step, your tan can look flaking and patchy. Using a physical or chemical exfoliator suited to your skin type will ensure that your skin is smooth and hydrated, so your tan applies flawlessly and evenly.
We recommend using the… bareMinerals Ageless Phyto-AHA Radiance Facial for the face.
The bareMinerals AHA Radiance Facial is a soothing option for exfoliating your complexion. The formula features a natural alternative to exfoliating AHAs that gently work to smooth and brighten your skin. The pink formula has a light gel texture with a minty scent that cools the skin as soon as you apply it.
We recommend using the… Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub For Smooth Skin for the body.
The Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub will buff and smooth away ingrown hairs and flaky patches of dry skin or remnants of old tan, so your skin is ready for creating a flawless tan.
3. Use Tools To Apply Your Tan
If you use your fingers to apply your fake tan, you’ll find you get an uneven streaky finish with orange hands. By using tanning tools created specifically for your skin you can seamlessly blend, buff, and brush product onto your skin to minimise patches, lines, and streaks.
We recommend using the… Real Techniques Endless Summer Radiance Kit for the face and body.
For best results, dispense your chosen tan drops into the palm of your hand and mix them with your moisturiser. Apply the tan evenly over the face with an applicator. When you’ve finished, you can either use one of the complexion brushes or use the Airless Sponge to dab and buff over areas where tan may be caught, commonly the eyebrows, hairline, upper lip, and corners of the nose.
For the body, we recommend using the mitt when using foams and mousses. Dispense the formula directly onto the mitt.
Top Tanning Tip: Use the RT Body Brush in the set to buff around the ankles, knees, elbows, and in between your fingers and toes.
4. Match Your Face To Your Body
It’s all well and good having a flawlessly tanned face, but if it doesn’t match your body, it’s not going to look natural; it’s important to match your face formula with your body tan to create a seamless head-to-toe glow. For best results, use your fake tanning formula with body tanning tools so you can buff in a seamless colour that perfectly matches the tan on your face.
We recommend using the… Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster For The Body
The Clarins Golden Glow Booster for the body is a 99% natural self-tanning, so you know it’s good for the skin. A few drops of the oil will transform your everyday body moisturiser into a tanning formula. The oil is designed to nourish skin while making it look golden brown thanks to 100% natural DHA and erythrulose, and hydrating skincare ingredients.
5. Apply Glowy Finishing Touches
No matter how good you are at applying tan, it’s only natural that it will turn patchy. Applying finishing touches means you can prolong and preserve the appearance of a flawless tan without the need to reapply or remove it.
We recommend using the… Clarins Ever Bronze Powder for the face.
The Clarins Bronzer offers instant tan payoff that’s always good for your skin with a 90% natural origin bronzing powder that nourishes and softens skin thanks to the inclusion of organic coconut oil. The powder delivers a matte finish that helps prolong your tan, so you can enjoy it that little bit longer.
We recommend using the… Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or Multi-Purpose Golden Dry Oil for the body.
The Nuxe Golden Oil is a shimmering version of the original Huile Prodigieuse Oil. It features all the nourishing benefits of the cult formula with the addition of a golden shimmer that adds a soft summer glow all over your body that glitters in the sun; plus, it hydrates the skin which in turn also helps your tan last longer.
