Suns out buns out...

It's that time of year again, the suns out and my limbs are blinding people with their whiteness...oh summer how I love thee. All is not lost though people. I only started to fake tan (as in using actual instant fake tan, not the gradual stuff) a couple of years ago. I still consider myself a complete noob, if that's you too, then keep on reading! Now that I've got some kind of tanning routine down, I'm not likely to stray, it's not something I'm willing to experiment too much with. That Oompa Loompa life doesn't appeal to me.




| PICK YOUR WEAPON |
When I first decided I wanted to try out a fake tan, I must have read a million trillion reviews on a billion different brands. Ok, well I may have exaggerated ever so slightly, but lord knows I did my research. I was terrified to pick one which would make me look orange, or that wouldn't blend well. The St Tropez Express tan appealed to me greatly as depending on how long you leave it on for, depends on how intense the tan. It recommends leaving it on for 1-3 hours, however I find myself leaving it on for the majority of the day and I still love the colour I end up. In my opinion, when I left it on for the recommend time, I didn't really get the colour pay off I was hoping for, so I leave mine of for around 6 hours! With a tanning mitt (super important tool so you don't stain your hands) it applies really well and doesn't leave any streaks. I think I hit the jackpot with this tan, it's such a nice formula, lasts for around 5-7 days and the colour is very natural and bronzed. I've been using this for 2 years now, and I adore it. 


| EXFOLIATE | 
I know this is something everyone recommends and I'm sure you've read a similar type of spiel many times before so I'll keep this short and sweet. I try to exfoliate my body 3 times a week, that's just what works for me and basically when I remember to...I recently tried this Frank Coconut Coffee Body Scrub, which is hella messy, but it works really well and smells divine. Would I repurchase it? Probably not, I'm sure there are cheaper scrubs out there which would do the same job. I do like it though. It contains completely natural ingredients, the main one being coffee. Exfoliating before you tan will ensure you have a smooth surface for the tan to adhere to and it won't cling to any dry patches or look uneven. A very very important step. Using an exfoliating mitt in the shower every couple of days is also great. 




| MOISTURISE |
This is another fairly obviously one. The pre-tan routine you get going on is going to help you so much when it comes to the tanning application and how well it lasts and how good it looks. Like using a scrub, a moisturiser will also ensure a smooth canvas. Before I go in with my tan, I like to apply a tiny bit of body lotion to my knees, elbows, ankles and wrists, just to make sure it doesn't go on too heavy in those areas and potentially look patchy. Post-tan I like to use a body lotion which has gradual tanning properties to ensure it lasts as long as possible and to add a hint more bronze and glow. I really like the Dove Summer Revive Body Lotion which is cheap and cheerful. It adds such a nice glow to the skin and I adore it for topping up my existing tan. 





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