Are you a fake tan fan? Or have you always wanted to try it but never quite had the confidence? Style coach Julie Cobbe shares her top tips to help you get a natural-looking glow with ease.
We all love to feel good, and our style and beauty routines play a real part in giving us a lift, especially on the days when everything else feels like hard work. A little grooming ritual tells the world something about us without a word being said, and it gives us a small, creative moment that’s just for ourselves.
So why is it that so many of us reach for the “more is more” approach — false lashes, big hair, and, worst of all, a tan that’s gone a bit too far?
Not everyone is a whiz at the beauty basics, and that’s absolutely fine. But sometimes, less really is more.
Why Fake It?
Why do so many of us feel the need to change what we have naturally, chasing something that’s hard to maintain, tricky to get right, and can leave us feeling like a lesser version of someone else rather than the best version of ourselves?
Fake tan is one of the biggest offenders. We’re often influenced by celebrity looks we see online, and most of us are working with an Irish climate where a good natural glow is rare at the best of times.
We all want that Saint-Tropez-chic, effortlessly elegant look. But does fake tan actually deliver that? Applied well, it absolutely can. Applied badly, it can look the opposite of what we were going for.
“Less is more” is a mantra worth repeating.
Get Ready With These Fake Tan Tips
The video above is a handy step-by-step tutorial on applying fake tan. Alongside it, keep these tips in mind before you start:
1. Opt for a moisturiser with a gradual tan for a more natural-looking result.
2. Always exfoliate first to lift away dead skin cells, so you’re tanning fresh, revitalised skin.
3. Always moisturise before you tan, and let your skin dry fully before you start applying.
4. Always use gloves or a mitt. Orange fingernails are one of the biggest giveaways of a DIY tan gone wrong.
5. If you’re tanning your face, try applying a little Vaseline on your eyebrows and along your hairline to avoid patchy tide marks.
6. Use a buffing mitt to even everything out and wipe away any excess product.
7. Keep self-tan remover on hand to lift any stains left on your hands.
If you’re going to jump on the tanning wagon, do it with the real you in mind. Enhance rather than overdo it — most people just want to see the happiest, most comfortable version of you.
With thanks to Julie Cobbe, style connection coach, for her tips.
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