Summer is definitely the time to fake tan, and I thought I'd let you know some of my favs I love to crack out when the weather is getting warmer and the pins are coming out. Fake tan has developed a bad rep over the years, but if you do it right and use good products there's nothing to be afraid of. Brands have come out with some really good, easy to use, noob friendly options which are more gradual and don't leave you looking like a wotsit. Some helpful tips before we get into it; exfoliate before, especially your knees and elbows as thats where tan will cling to the most and moisturise after to prolong your tan. 

We will start of with a couple of gradual options which are great if you're starting out and are scared to venture too far. My favourite is the Dove Summer Glow Moisture Lotion which is inexpensive and leaves your skin moisturised and with a nice glow. If you apply this with your hands, make sure you wash them after as you will get orange rings in-between your fingers which is not a great look, trust me. I find the colour this leaves is very natural and once you apply it enough times a week you'll end up with a golden glow which makes it look like you've had a bit of sun. Garnier also do a nice option which smells so nice. I don't love this one as much as the Dove one but I find it gives quicker results, but you have to be careful and really blend it in as it is more prone to streaking. I do really like it though and it leaves you skin smelling amazing. 

For more instant tans I have a couple which I've been using this summer and love. They both do very different things. The St Tropez Express Tan is one I've raved about a lot this year and can't seem to put down. The idea with this is you leave it on for 1-3 hours, depending on how dark you want it, wash it off then you're left with a lovely natural colour. The smell of this is also very different to other fake tans, it's fruity and doesn't smell of biscuit which is rare but bloody brilliant. I find that if I leave it on for 2 hours I get the best results and my skin looks golden and glowing. This lasts for about 5-7 days which is good and I tend to top up my legs about once or twice a week to keep them looking brown. This is more pricey but totally worth it if you're new to the tanning market. The next one I use more on my legs than my whole body. The Rimmel Instant Tan BB Perfector - longest name - is a lovely one to use if you want an instant bit of added colour, so if you're going on a night out or maybe it's the first time you've got your legs out in a while. The thing I love most is that it blurs any imperfections you may have, and if you're anything like me you'll have a few bruises hanging around. When this first comes out the tube it looks dark and scary but once you buff it in - with a mitt - and leave it to sink in it leaves you legs looking amazing and nicely browned. This is also a wash off formula so I would recommend taking advantage of that and having a play around with it before heading out anywhere, this way you can see if you need to blend more or if you could get away with adding some more to give your legs even more colour. It will come off in the shower so practicing before is a safe bet. 

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