Beauty
THE GOLDEN RULES TO GOLDEN SKIN
From pale to sun-kissed in just a few sprays
I get the chills when I see photos of street style girls posing outside with bare legs in the midst of winter. With tanned legs, nonetheless. Incase the weather decides to take a turn for the better, then it’ll require a bit of work to make sure those legs of mine have a healthy shade of color. Bare in mind, there are a couple of rules you need to follow to avoid ending up looking like Snooki from Jersey Shore. James Harknett is an expert on tanning and is the man behind the tanned legs of multiple celebs. Here are his ground rules for golden skin.
Prepping
“The first rule for self-tan is to think about hair removal. Waxing should be done at least 48 hours before the treatment. Giving time for any wax residue to fall away from the legs and bikini area, as this could block the tan from activating evenly. Shaving is a little safer but ensure you rinse the legs with cold water to close the pores and avoid stubborn blotches.
It’s super important to remember to exfoliate the morning or evening before you tan, don’t just leave it to the last minute before application. This is because you need to allow enough time for your skin to restore the correct Ph levels. I recommend using a product like Sienna X’s Polishing Body Scrub to gently buff the skin. Also, don’t moisturise after exfoliating; simply rinse and pat dry.”
“How far in advance should you get one done?”
“I always tell my clients to get that holiday glow, whether it be through self-tan or a professional treatment, at least one day before you travel on holiday. This is because you need to allow enough time for your product to activate and develop. Most formulas take are around 8 hours activation time; therefore don’t tan at 10pm if your leaving for the airport in the early hours of the morning.”
The right shade
“I think the key to a golden success is to really think about you skin tone and how it tans naturally in the sun. Darker doesn’t always mean better, so if you’re a tanning novice, I’d avoid darker products, especially on the face. Sometimes it’s better to start with a professional treatment, like Sienna X who break down their solutions into percentages so you can find your go to shade and really enhance your natural complexion without looking fake. This will also allow you to build up a natural looking complexion and even enhance areas of the body through contour techniques.”
Important moment
“We’d recommend getting a natural, light spray tan a day before you fly out on holiday so that you’ll feel body confident as you step out by the pool and won’t be tempted to panic-tan (read: burn). If you’re tanning before an event like a wedding or festival, choose a golden hue that you know you’ll love – we’d recommend a practice run a couple of weeks before so that you’ll definitely be happy with the results.
Oh and one last piece of advice; plan your tan for the end of the day so you can make a leisurely journey home and let your tan develop in peace for a few hours. Always preferable to running back to your desk in your lunch hour dripping golden sweat and ripening all afternoon under your colleagues’ gleeful gazes.”
