A Head-To-Toe Guide To Fake Tanning

Aside from the right tanning solution, there are a few other items you should arm yourself with. Firstly, you can add an exfoliating mitt into your prep instead of or alongside your body scrub. This is especially useful for areas prone to dryness or bumpy skin that can use a more rigorous approach, like the back of the arms or lower legs. When it comes to applying your tan your best two options are a mitt (best used with a mousse to really help spread it evenly) or a brush. An angled one is great for getting into the contours of your body – just make sure you’re buffing in circular motions instead of just swiping up and down to avoid any lines showing up. Lastly, it doesn’t hurt to have a back-up plan in place via a self-tan eraser – despite the best products and intentions, everyone makes mistakes…

As tempting as it may be, you shouldn’t be using your body tanners on your face. Some of the formulas can be quite dehydrating, especially those with heavy doses of the tanning agent DHA, which could lead to a very patchy finish or even irritation on the more sensitive skin on your face. Our favourite format of facial tan is drops. You simply add a few to your daily moisturiser or serum –how many is up to you and this may take a little trial and error – which means the colour is delivered to hydrated skin. The result is a buildable, natural looking hue that’s completely customisable. You can also achieve this with a hydrating mist, a format that’s useful for topping up areas like the shoulders and neck.

With so many brands and formulas out there, it can be tricky to know where to start if you’re a tanning novice. First timers should look for options that have a guide colour, so you can actually see where you’ve applied the product or if you’ve missed spots. Mousses are famously easy to blend (especially with the aid of a mitt), but maybe start with the lighter shades until you get the hang of it. Alternatively, a light gel will give a gentle wash of colour that you can layer up or, if you want to go even lighter, a gradual tanning lotion gives you the ability to build up to your desired shade.