How to get the Perfect SSB Tan for just £3
Not brave enough for a spray tan, but too pale to go to SSB au naturel? Never fear, we have created a fool proof guide to self-tanning. Many girls shy away from the idea of tanning mousse and a mitt, preferring to slap on some Rimmel Instant Tan a couple of hours before a night out. However, doing this on the night when almost all of your body on show is a big risk and likely to leave you with streaky legs and water-marked tans when people spill their drinks down you (annoying, but inevitable!) So make sure you start tanning early and use a permanent rather than instant tan to ensure a streak-proof sun kissed look. Follow our guide and you will be beautifully bronzed and ready to show off your SSB bod.
How to perfect your tan:
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First you need to arm yourself with a bottle of St. Moritz and a tanning mitt. St. Moritz is an absolute wonder of the beauty world. At only £3 it gives an incredible result comparable to anything from St. Tropez or Fake Bake. Many girls are dubious because of how cheap it is, but I’ve never heard a bad word about it. Even fair girls can get away with the Dark mousse, but if you aren’t feeling brave, the Medium will still give a sun kissed look. You can pick it up in the Forum Market Place, Savers and even Morrison’s.
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Start with a serious scrub down in the shower. A sugar scrub is the best way to get your skin silky smooth but a loofah will do the trick too. It is essential to start with exfoliated skin to ensure the tan fades evenly.
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Once out of the shower get to work! Pump the tanning mousse onto the mitt and rub it in to the mitt a bit to ensure it goes on evenly. Try to apply the tan in a circular motion to ensure even coverage and avoid streaky lines. Repeat this process over your entire body, ensuring you use a similar amount of mousse for each part.
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Remember to ask a trusted housemate to do your back for you as it is almost impossible to get an even coverage on it yourself.
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The best time to tan is just before bed. That way it has time to sink in and you can wake up and shower off in the morning. You are likely to wake up with some streaky areas, but this is simply where the guide colour is – the dark colour which shows you where you have applied your tan. Once you have showered the worst of this should wash off, leaving you a golden brown.
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Repeat this process every other day, moisturising in between, for the perfect tan.
The awkward areas:
Elbows: No matter how carefully you apply your tan, it is seriously difficult to avoid patchy elbows. However a failsafe technique to avoid this is to rub the mitt over your elbow with your arm extended to give an even coverage. Then bend your arm so the bony bits on your elbow stick out and give it another good rub. It might sound strange and slightly unnecessary, but it really does make sure you don’t end up with awkwardly patchy elbows.
Face: Many girls are wary about tanning their face, and for good reason! However, you don’t need to invest in an expensive facial tanning cream to get a bronzed face. Just take your mitt after you’ve finished tanning your body and rub it all over your face. It will only have a small amount of mousse left on it – just enough to tan your face without making you overly orange!
Hands: Don’t forget your hands! Just because they are covered by the mitt doesn’t mean they don’t need to be tanned. Make sure you get in between your fingers and over your plans to ensure full coverage.
And if you are set on getting a spray tan, here are some top tips to remember:
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Work it around your gym routine: You absolutely can’t go and work out after having a spray tan as the sweat will create patches all over your body. So if you have a set routine in the run up to SSB, make sure it doesn’t conflict with your tanning time.
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Get all your hair removal out of the way beforehand: Waxing and shaving remove the top layer of skin, which is the last thing you want if you’ve just had a spray tan. Try to get it all done before your tan, where possible a couple of days before so that the tan doesn’t stick in the open follicles.
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Think about what you wear: Try to wear loose, dark clothing and something which means you don’t have to wear a bra. If you put your bra on straight after a tan the straps will rub in to it and could leave unsightly, uneven marks.
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Don’t wear deodorant: Or any products for that matter! The tan reacts with them and will turn green. Whilst this isn’t permanent, it may leave patches where the product was on your skin.
Photo credits:
Guiltygucci.tumblr.com
stylebiscuit.com