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Golden Rules
The turning forward of the clock has finally marked the arrival
of Spring. So as the days get longer and the sun finally begins to
show its face, to us ladies, it means that sundresses, bikinis and
the beach are just around the corner. It's officially time to get
your glow on, so take heed of our five tan commandments for easy,
fuss-free bronzing to get you set for summer.
1. The Bronzer
It's a well-versed beauty fact that you should only ever apply
bronzer where a natural tan would fall on the face. Arm yourself
with Smashbox's Bronze Lights bronzer and the
tapered Face and Cheek brush #2 brush and lightly
shade the face, focusing on contouring onto the hollow of your
cheeks, then along with your jaw and hairline - accentuating the
'outer face' like this helps to avoid a flat, all-over look and
warms the face naturally.
2.The Exfoliator
No matter how good the tan you use is, your finished product is
only as good as the canvas that you work from. Good preparation is
the key to a flawless, even glow. Scrub away dead winter skin cells
and smooth out skin ready for a perfect tan application with a tub
of Nature Girl Ocean Potion salt scrub to help
sloughing away dry, dull skin and leave you with a baby soft skin
canvas.
However for the kind of head-to-toe exfoliation indulgence that
you simply can't mimic at home, opt for our Elemis Exotic Lime and Ginger salt glow. The
name says it all - an exfoliation ritual that tones, remineralises
and purifies the skin, leaving you with smooth, glowing skin from
top to toe.
3. The Sun Kissed Glow
It's always better to underdo a tan than to overdo. Start subtly
and build up the layers gradually until you reach the perfect
bronzed colour. The great thing about this technique is that it
creates a tan that you won't notice fading - there's no telltale
patchiness with the right layering. James Read's liquid tan mixed
with a dollop of your favourite moisuriser is our secret
combination to ensure a streak-free and flawless finish. Always
apply with gloves and don't forget to do a final layer on the top
of the hands, wrists and feet to ensure there are no telltale tan
marks!
4. The preparation
When applying your tan remember to moisturise the dry areas on
your body thoroughly (hands, feet, knees, ankles and elbows) before
starting. When applying your tan, think of mapping out your body in
stages to ensure don't miss bits. Start logically from the face and
work down your body, leaving hands and feet to last.
5. The finishing touch
Enhance your tan with a light layer of James Read's instant body
bronzer. The natural colour dries quickly and won't transfer onto
your clothes. It's a perfect hit of bronze goddess to temporarily
maximise your tan (or for filling in tan lines or gaps) .For
special occasions, such as weddings or a cocktail party where you
really want to show off your tanned limbs, we like to use a little
trick favoured by Hollywood makeup artists to set off our newly
minted tan. Lightly pat some of Smashbox's Artificial Light
Luminizing Lotion down the shins to help elongate the legs and
along the collarbone and shoulders to give the skin a gorgeous,
luminous glow.