Here at This Is Mothership, we’re fully-fledged members of the Fake Tan Fan Club. It’s the one thing that we’ve both found works to make us feel better and look healthier, even when we’re surviving on four hours sleep and an IV drip-worth of coffee. And as those 6am wake-up calls are getting darker and colder, it’s even more vital. But when it comes to a cheeky winter tan, there are some challenges: finding something that suits your newly pale skin, that doesn’t look ridiculous against the grey, rainy skies and is really quick to apply. Here are our winter tanning rules – #4 is especially for you, you can thank us later…
RULE #1 SWAP SUPER TANS FOR SUBTLE ONES:
In summer it’s fine to go as dark as you want (a week in Barbados from the comfort of your bathroom? Yes please!) but in winter it’s best to go for something lighter if you want it to look natural. Daily tanning lotions do this and also help to re-hydrate parched winter skin. Use it every day before bed to build up to the colour that you want and then every other day to maintain the shade. My faves are James Read Gradual Tan and for a cheaper option, St Moriz – a secret weapon in every beauty editors bathroom cabinet.
RULE #2 SWAP ALL OVER TANNING FOR PATCHWORK TANNING:
The chances of you getting your legs out in winter are about as likely as me making it through the day without watching an episode of Postman Pat. Make life easy; tan only the bits on display – face, neck, arms, hands and ankles. An old favourite for patchwork tanning is Clarins Delicious Self Tanning Cream. It smells insane (like caramel) and is a really rich gel/lotion formula, too much for summer but perfect for winter. And the colour? Perfection. Just use a little on the bits that will be on show.
RULE #3 SWAP FACE TAN FOR GRADUAL TAN:
When it comes to tanning your face, to get a natural glow rather than an all-out tan I like to mix the self tan with a small amount of moisturiser. This softens the formula slightly and minimises the chance of breakouts. Try adding a few of thesetanning droplets to your regular moisturiser. Two words: Life Changing.
RULE #4 SWAP DIY TANNING FOR DRIVE-BY TANNING
Meet Secret Spa,our (not so) secret weapon.For those days when everything feels too much effort or you’ve got a big Saturday night planned (one that isn’t X Factor and a take away) then YOU NEED THEM. They don’t just do tans – you can order anything to your house from a blowdry and make-up to a massage and wax. THE DREAM. While we were getting sprayed last week, we did a bit of negotiation on your behalf – use the code MSHIP16 to get £10 off your first booking and the best bit? It’s valid until Christmas.
