Well, it's safe to say that winter is here. The heating is on and the countdown to that one day in December is rolling by. So now what? How do we show our inner glow without wind chill or sitting by the fire for too long? Fake tan, obviously.
The brown biscuit nectar is an absolute must for all those trying to persevere these chilly months; but then come the struggles; how do we get that even streak-free golden glow and most of all, how do we get it off??
We’ve tried and tested every tip and trick for a natural sun-kissed, but sunless tan and here is what we’ve found to be the best.
Before you plan to tan (we're talking 24 hours before) take a soak in the bath or shower, shave your furry bits and exfoliate. The exfoliation step is key here. Think about it, if we're going to pop on some fake tan the last thing we need is dead, dry, flakey skin hanging around. That'll be a recipe for patchiness once our tan has developed...
We can help with this step. Our No1 Illume silk exfoliating gloves effortlessly slathers off all surface skin that would otherwise fall off in its own time; providing the perfect base for the application of well, anything!
Once this step is complete, moisturise!
*24 hours later*
Rinse yourself in the shower under luke warm water, if you can bear it. This will remove that moisturiser from yesterday and will also ensure that your pores remain as small as they can be (and hence preventing those dark spots where tan has trickled in).
Apply your favourite fake tan in sweeping motions. Use less on dry areas such as knees and elbows. We’ve experimented with popping on some moisturiser on these drier areas before applying tan, with mixed success. We’ve actually found primer to be the best option as it provides enough of a barrier to protect your skin but it’s not so thick that tan can’t penetrate.
Next, leave the good stuff to develop. Like the perfect polaroid.
Then, moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! Not only will this prolong your bronze, it’ll also keep your skin hydrated and supple which ensures all future applications will be effortless.
*One week later*
At that weird stage where you’re starting to look speckled? It’s time to get out our silk exfoliating gloves again to help with that fake tan removal!
We don’t want to harp on again about their benefits as they speak for themselves.
But all we will say is they remove leftover fake tan quicker (and with less pain) than anything else we have found….
And conveniently, you can shop here