Go For The Glow! - Simple Tips For Self Tan

Don't fear the glow! Subtle self tan can give you that golden glow, rather than a tango glow! Facial tanners can work wonders; they can even out your complexion, help hide any broken capillaries, camouflage acne scars, even make your face look thinner. But you have to apply it correctly, you do not want the colour to look obvious, you just want that delectable Antibes glow. Those with a fair complexion are best suited to the gradual tanners that enable you to build up the glow. Medium to dark complexions can go for the self tanners that develop in a few hours. Self tanners usually give you a little hint to the intensity of the shade, but if in doubt just look at the ingredient listing and the higher DIHYDROXYACETONE appears on the list, the darker the tan will be. Dixydroxyacetone is the stuff that colours your skin. So pick a shade (light, medium, dark) that is closest to your natural skin colour. Remember you can always apply subtle colour boost with either blush or bronzer. And the golden (no pun intended) rule is to ensure you moisturize frequently and reapply the self tan around every three days as this will keep your skin smooth and the colour looking fresh.

Kate's Foolproof Guide to a Golden Glow!

Preparation
Cleanse skin and gently exfoliate. Palmarosa & Echinacea Cleansing Balm is perfect for this as it cleanses skin and gently exfoliates.. Then simply pat dry. This gentle exfoliation ensures that any dry skin is removed. Its essential that dry, flaky skin is removed as if left on skin it would absorb colour unevenly making the self tan look icky and fake.

Moisture
If you have used either my Palmarosa & Echinacea Cleansing Balm or Borage & Barberry Cleansing Oil you can easily skip this step as you skin will be soft, smooth and ready for the self tan. If you have used a foaming cleanser then please apply a thin layer of moisturizer and wait 15 minutes for that to fully absorb.

Application
Splodge a pea size amount of the self tanner on your middle and index fingers (using these fingers will help you to apply the colour a lot more precisely). Dot self tanner on the centre of your forehead, along you cheekbones, down the centre of your nose and on the middle of you chin. Using the same two fingers blend the self tanner from those points out towards your hairline. Work the formula over the jawline and down the neck. Allow the skin to dry for a good 20 minutes before applying make up or heading for bed.

The Day After The Night Before!
When the tan has taken effect, go lightly on the foundation. Just use concealer and maybe even try a tinted moisturizer (with spf please!) that is a shade darker than your regular one. Then sweep on rosy colour blush (or use a sheer cream blush) lightly to replicate that glossy summer glow!

WARNING - just a few things to watch out for.

• Do not apply body tanner to the face. Body tanner is usually a thicker formulation and will clog pores.
• The downside of facial self tan - It will accentuate any blackheads or pores. So diminish the chance of this happening by using a deep cleansing facial mask the night before application.
• Always give the self tan time to dry (about 20 mins). If you go to bed without letting the tan dry sufficiently it will settle rather obviously in the lines on your neck (take this advice from one who has suffered).
• When applying make-up to tanned skin make sure to stick to warm make up shades; cool shades look weird but warm bronzes and golds will be oh so fabulously flattering.

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