How to get the perfect fake tan

Fake Tanning. Yay or nay? 

I’m actually a big fan of the good old spray tan, but not the over done, orangey, looks – like – you’ve – been – to – Bali – for – 3 weeks- kind of look. Oh no, that’s just a little tragic.

I’m more of a “I’m so healthy and sun kissed” glow kinda gal. If you’re with me, then read on because I’ve got all the tips you need to follow to make sure your faux tan is as au-natural as can be for the big day.

1. Don’t attempt a DIY. You’ll never be able to properly reach the middle of your back, and even if your are super flexible, there’s not a chance you can manage to blend it in properly. So choose a reputable salon.
2. Less is more. Opt for the salon’s ‘natural’ or ‘medium’ colour, rather than a ‘deep’ or ‘dark’ colour. This will prevent you from the overdone orangutang look.
3. Exfoliate your body the day beforehand. NOT the day of. Why? Because the active ingredient in tanning solutions, dihydroxyacetone, actually likes dead skin cells to attach itself to. So freshly waxed / shaved / exfoliated skin? Forget it. I normally do my exfoliation on Wednesday evening, to have the spray tan on Friday morning, ready for Saturday. So that should give you a clear guideline as to when to do it.
4. Don’t sleep in your tan. This only spells disaster if you perspire at night or toss and turn like I do. Not only will you make a mess of your bedsheets ( and let’s be honest, we don’t really want to change the sheets over a tan) but you’ll make a mess of your tan as well and can’t guarantee it still being beautiful and even the next morning.
5. On the day of the tan, don’t moisturise your body ( face is ok),  don’t use deodorant or wear makeup. Go as natural as possible. The only exception to this rule, is to apply a little moisturiser to knees, elbows, heels and wrists- or anywhere that tan can ‘grab’ to the harder skin.
6. Your first shower – After the recommended development time, have a shower as per normal. Don’t just rinse off. Use your normal soap puff thingy to get rid of the residue.  Don’t ‘scrub’ your skin silly. But it’s really important to remove the residue. Why? Because you don’t want brown marks all over your wedding dress- and even worse, you don’t want to smell like fake tan. 
7.  How to keep it looking good- Moisturise! Slather that stuff on all over your body and hydrate your skin as much as possible. That active ingredient we spoke about, (dihydroxyacetone) actually dehydrates the skin something silly, which is why a good tan will have added moisturisers in it to help prevent drying out the skin too much. Giving your skin a good drink each day will also prolong the tan, and allow it to fade more naturally, rather than peeling in patches.

There you have it. Everything you need to know for the most perfect, even, bridal tan.

And if you hate it …. How to remove fake tan I hear you ask?

Answer: Soak in a bath with ( I put in about 1/2 cup)  of bi-carb soda for 20 mins and use a face washer to rub the tan straight off! If you don’t have access to a bath, make a paste with bi carb and warm water and massage it into the affected areas. Leave for 10 mins, rinse off.

Crisis averted! 😉

Follow these tips and you’ll make your bridal makeup artist very happy 🙂

Michelle x