Giving good tan

Recent picture of me and one of my best friends Nikita at the school leavers prom... notice the glowing skin and effective use of Benetint on the cheeks... another recommended product ; ) xx

It's the summertime, and the tanning is fine.... well it should be in my opinion! Summer is officially here (although looking out my patio doors right now I almost have trouble believing this!) and giving good tan is what it is all about. In the winter, I can take or leave a tan; boots and jeans do not require gleaming bronze legs beneath them. In the spring/summer however, when the winter layers are peeled away and dresses and skirts become part oif our daily wardrobe, having a beautiful, even tan is of the upmost importance. Nothing ruins a summer look faster than pasty limbs!

I have been using fake tan since I was about 16. A whole 9 years then! Tanning formulations have come a very long way in this time, and we are now spolit for choice, with mousses, sprays, liquids and creams cramming the shelves of all self respecting beauty emporiums and department stores. With so much choice out there, it can be difficult to know what to pick, and with the average higher end product costing around £25, it can be risky if you have not done your research first. Having read various blogs and reviews over the years, as well as utilising good old word of mouth, I have my own favourite brand that I am reluctant to deviate from: Fake Bake. For many years now I have been using the airbrush spray tan, knowing that it gives excellent results. No matter how much of a hurry I am in, sprayed on in two thin layers and rubbed in with a tanning mitt, this tan in a can gives a perfectly bronze, streak free finish that I love. The picture at the top of the page shows off this tan in all its glory...

I have recently tried another product in the Fake Bake range: their Beyond Bronze Mousse. I was confident in buying this product, trusting the brand name, and I have to say, it has not let me down. I found this product even easier than the airbrush spray to apply, being a mousse I applied it straight onto the mitt and then rubbed in. It was less messy than the airbrush as well (which tends to cover my whole bath!) and gave just as good a result.




I also use the Fake bake beyond bronze wash off tan in matte medium when I want a top up or quick fix, and find this product gives an extremely good result as well.

What self tanning products do other bloggers like? My list of must-trys in the future include St Tropez (had a spray tan at a salon once with this and loved the result) Xen-tan (gives a deep, dark tan according to reviews) and the new range of tanning products by Lauren Goodger from The only way is Essex (fellow blogger Laura who really knows her stuff recommends this highly, see here http://passionaboutfashion.blogspot.com/2011/06/way-to-go-lauren.html)

And foolproof tanning tips? Always moisturise dry areas such as knees, heels and elbows prior to tanning, use a mitt for even, streak-free application, buff off excess with a dry towel after application, build up in thin layers for a longer lasting result and exfoliate every third day! xoxo