We're back with our last but one installment in our Spring Series.
We've already covered fitness, hands, feet, facal skincare and body care.
This weeks topic is tanning, and I will be referring back to Pinterest for the obligatory pictures of tanned and toned bodies.
So that's enough to get me laying off the pizza for a few hours...
As we all know tanning can help to make your skin appear more uniform, hide scars and make you look more toned and slimmer. As far as I'm concerned this is a pretty damn good thing so I try and do this every time I go out (which sadly is getting a more rare occasion!).
To do this I normally have been keeping up with my scrub and moisturise routine so my skin is in good condition.
Then I start with a few days tanning 'prep' by using Dove tanning moisturiser.
I find that I'm so pale I need a few layers of this to get my skin to a relatively normal colour.
After this when my skin is super moisturised and a few shades darker than it was before, my first choice for application would be Vita Liberata's Extra Rich Silken Chocolate lotion which I have previously posted about.
I just haven't found anything else like it that is so easy to apply, gives a great even colour and fades more evenly than anything else also. It's a lotion in a pump that seems to last such a long time before you need to buy another, I'm a huge fan!
Having said that, if you're looking for a mousse option I am a fan of St Tropez's mousse which is great for your weekend tan as well. It's easy to rub in and control how much you're applying for an even colour.
If you're looking for a spray option then I recommend Garnier's Ambre Solaire which is also a great budget buy and always on offer. It dries pretty quickly but I do recommend covering your flooring before hand, don't cover your blue carpet and make it a brown colour like I did.....
I like to make sure my tan is done before the day it needs to be done so I can apply some sort of shimmery stuff but this isn't always possible and i find they don't mix together too well!
So as for wash off tans, I absolutely love Rimmel's Sun Shimmer Instant Tan range. There's everything you want from a mousse to a lotion for some instant even colour.
After this I do like to apply some shimmer to the middles of my limbs and collar bones.
Mixing High Beam with your facial moisturiser can be really good to apply to your collarbones and chest area.
I find a spray such as Soap and Glory's Easy Glistening super easy to use as you can just hold it a fair distance away for a sheen and closer for a heavier coating. It's made from almond oil so its more of a dry oil and gives a subtle sheen which I prefer to an all over glitter look!
What are your favourite tanning products?? Do you prefer mousse or lotions or sprays?
L xxx
I'm naturally very pale, if I'm not the palest shade in a foundation it's a surprise. Being naturally blonde I have very freckly skin too so during the summer I get a little tan if I sunbathe but my skin doesn't tan particularly well (50 degree sun in Ibiza and I still came back with white legs despite using factor 8 on them, it's like they repel the sun).
I love fake tan. I've mentioned before I'm naturally very pear shaped, hello huge bum, this does mean I have cellulite towards the top of my thighs which never looks great with a dress. I always tan for a night out as it does help improve the appearance, and I prefer the way I look with a tan.
I'm like L and start with a good exfoliation (favouring Next Spa scrub or a Soap and Glory one) followed by lots of moisturiser and shaving 24 hours prior to tanning.
My tastes in tan has changed over the past 18 months. It started with me absolutely loving Fake Bake Mouse. It gave an even colour, was a reasonable price and was easy to apply.
After trying a sample set of St Tropez lotion I was totally converted to lotions. I find they are so much easier and I think they last longer so are therefore better for value. I loved St Tropez but as I'm so pale I was finding I needed to apply it for 2 or 3 days in a row to get a good colour pay off from it after washing off. The other thing with St Tropez was that it has the typical fake tan smell. Which results in my Other Half complaining I stink.
After much deliberation I decided to try Lauren's Way. Something about celebrity endorsed products always puts me off and makes me doubt how good they are. This product received so many rave reviews I wondered if it could be that good. Plus lets face it Lauren has sported more than one bad orange tan and no one wants that look. I ordered the darker than dark lotion.
Firstly if you are pale don't be worried about darker than dark. It gives a gorgeous natural glow, it's green tinged before being washed off which does help it not turn orange. Another bonus it doesn't smell typical fake tan straight away. I find when it's developed it does have a slight smell but nothing as bad.
Overall I love this tan. It's even colour, gives a great colour pay off after one application, smells better than others and is cheaper than St Tropez.
My favourite tan at the moment is Glo Tan Tan in a Can. Since receiving this product it has now been released for public sale and the packaging looks a lot better. Much more sleek.
I'm so glad we were lucky enough to try this (original review here), I've been totally converted. My can has now done three full body applications and still has around half left. It gives the most natural result (once you've mastered application which I had by the second attempt). Due to being a spray it gives a light coating all over the skin so no streaks are left. I tend to use a clean mitt and slightly buff it in. I do still think it's harder to apply than other tans but for me I wouldn't use any others now.
I favour Glo Tan over others still because with this I can tan on a Friday night and wake up on Saturday with a good colour. Other tans require two coats on my pale skin. It also really doesn't smell. I find other tans that claim not to smell do after they've developed. Literally can't say enough positive things about this tan. It is slightly more expensive at £26. But it does last a long time.
In 18 months I've gone from mouse to liquid to spray. What's your favourite tan? Will you pay more for a better product?
Love M
xxx
