Beauty

Fool-proof tanning

As much as we love our opaque tights, it's time to relegate them to the back of the wardrobe and break out the fake tan.

The sun might be a bit scarce, but there's nothing like adding a bit of colour to pasty limbs to make us feel (and look) great. See our top tips for getting the perfect tan every time - or, if things don't quite go to plan, to sort out any fake tan mishaps...

Prep skin

Preparing your skin is the most important stage. 

Exfoliate thoroughly the night before you plan to do the tan, paying particular attention to elbows, knee and ankles. Any waxing or shaving should also be done 24 hours before you apply the tan.  Slather on body moisturiser all over before bed.

Wooden body brush £5.50

Get it from:
John Lewis at Buchanan Galleries

Get ready to glow

Preferably in the evening before you go to bed, shower and moisturise. 

Shower with a mild perfume-free shower gel rather than soap to remove any perfumes and deodorant.  Scrape hair back to keep out of the way.  Moisturise hands, feet ankles and knees.

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter, 200ml £21

Get it from:
Boots & John Lewis at Buchanan Galleries

Choose your tan

Choose your preferred type of self tan.

A mousse is the easiest to apply for novices, as it absorbs instantly and gives an instant colour so you can see where you've applied.  For a slightly stronger tan, use a cream self tanner, preferably also with a colour guide.

For a very subtle and natural tan, choose a daily tanning product that you can build up gradually each day until you get the colour you want.

Fake Bake Instant Self-Tan Mousse £24.50

Get it from:
Boots & John Lewis at Buchanan Galleries

See our guide to the best fake tans here

Applying your tan

Always wear tight fitting gloves. For your body, start from yout toes up, working towards the heart as this helps stimulate your circulation.

Your face should be slightly lighter, so either use a face only tanning product, or mix your self tan with moisturiser in your hands before applying to your face.

Do your hands last. Remove gloves, and put a small amount of tan on the back of your hands with a small amount of moisturiser and rub the backs of your hands together up to the wrists.  Rub the underside of your wrist with the back of each hand just to where it meets your palms. 

St Tropez Disposable Latex Gloves £3.06

Get them from:
Boots & John Lewis at Buchanan Galleries

Finishing off

To get rid of any potential tell-tale signs, use a baby wipe over your palms, inside your ears, over your eyebrows, inside your nose and over your nails and around your cuticles.  Wear loose socks and pyjamas to bed, to stop the tan transferring to your bedding.

The following morning shower and wash off product.  Then apply lots of moisturiser over your entire body. 

Your tan should last 3-5 days, so to ensure it looks good for the whole time, moisturise thoroughly every morning and evening.

Jackson Reece Natural Unscented Baby Wipes £2.39

Get it from:
John Lewis at Buchanan Galleries

Fixing mishaps

Had a bit of a fake tan disaster? It's not the end of the world...

For dark hands, knees or feet, chop up a lemon and rub it over affected areas then rinse or bathe.

If you're streaky, soak in a warm bath with some bath oil for 20 minutes to soften skin. Then gently exfoliate any areas with darker patches of tan. Buff with a dry towel when you get out of the bath.

Missed a bit? Use a body make up or a wash off bronzing tint to cover up or even out skin.