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Crafting your own DIY applicator, covering your feet in tape and removing any mistakes with curdled milk are all must-know hacks to get the perfect bronzed look. If you’re not jetting off on holiday this summer than turning to the tanning bottle is the way to go – but it’s not always easy to achieve that perfect glowing finish. We spoke to the professionals from online hair and beauty retailer Hairtrade.com who compiled a list of ten top tips to help you apply your fake tan with ease. The top ten fake tan hacks are:

self-tan-tips

1. Hair Removal
If you know when you’ll be tanning, always try and wax or shave 24 hours before applying. This will give your skin chance to recuperate after hair removal and will allow the pores to close.

2. Exfoliate
It’s the most well known rule in the book but exfoliating your body from head to toe before applying fake tan couldn’t be more important. This prevents the tan from looking uneven around dry skin, as the exfoliator will polish away any dead skin cells.

3. Cover your Feet
A clear sign of fake tan is noticeable orange spots on the sole of your feet. To avoid this, try putting gaffer tape across the bottoms of your feet so they are fully covered. This tape is thick, so will keep the tan away from your feet, and is easy to remove after.

4. Applicators
A tanning mitt is the perfect companion to help you apply your fake tan, but it can be tricky reaching areas such as your back. For those hard to reach bits, get creative with your applying methods and stick your mitt to the end of a wooden spoon or backscratcher for a longer length.

5. Start in the Centre
When applying on the arms, legs, chest and stomach, always remember to start in the middle and work your way outwards using your mitt. This will prevent any darker patches.

6. Contouring
Fake tan isn’t just for giving you a glowing complexion – it can also be used to define areas and angles of the body including your abs, bottom, legs and arms. Using a tanning spray, follow the natural curves of your muscles to make them look more defined.

7. Speed Up
Waiting for your fake tan to dry can be a drag, so speed up the process using your hairdryer on a cool setting. Just lightly blast across the areas you have tanned.

8. Check Hands
Making sure your hands look in tip-top shape after tanning is equally as important. Before applying, use a hand lotion to stop the tan from being absorbed into your palms. After applying, use a make-up wipe to clean your palms and also sweep over your nails and cuticles. This will help prevent orange hands.

9. Removal
Rubbing a wedge of lemon over any nasty streaks can help lighten them up, but this isn’t ideal for your face. To get rid of any tanning mistakes on your face, make your own DIY curdled milk mask. Start by placing a lemon wedge into a glass of milk, and leaving for an hour so it curdles and forms a paste. Apply to your face and leave for around 15 minutes – this will leave you with a glowing complexion after tanning.

10. Loose Clothing
What you wear after you tan will make or break your finish. Always remember to opt for loose clothing, such as a light T-shirt and pyjama shorts or bottoms. This will stop any tan from getting absorbed into your clothing and will prevent any unwanted lines on your skin because of tight seams. If you’re planning on nipping to the shop, wear flip-flops on your feet.

Alicia Joy

Beauty