Better Than The Real Thing

#Tantastic

Quite a few years ago whilst working for Momentum Promotions, I was put forward by the cosmetics and promotional agency to attend a full product training with Clinique in the hope of securing them as one of our accounts after their training and some time spent working with their staff on their counter. Clinique have their own travelling team of beauty advisors, make up artists and beauty therapists; Momentum offered to supply them with temporary casual staff if they needed a short term solution for a launch, event or to cover their counter fue to staff illness or annual leave. In fact my cosmetics career started with a similar agency in London whilst I was studying Management.

One of the most memorable moments of my training at Clinique, which I still refer to, was the detailed description of the damaging effects that sun can have on our skin. Not only is sun damage the number one cause of premature ageing of the skin, "Tiny blood vessels can burst close to the skin surface, due to prolonged exposure to the sun, without the correct sun protection, otherwise known as sunburn". In the past, I have been trained in these facts, but it didn't really resonate with me. Having a European background, I guess I thought that my skin tone made me exempt from having to keep this in mind. However I was born in Australia and I need to keep in mind the condition that I live in more so than that of my relatives.

Maybe it was the training room full of Clinique staff members wearing their crisp white lab coat uniforms that resonated enough within me to end my excessive beach tanning/frying sessions for nearly 10 years? I have gone back to the beach since that big break, but not for days on end, a few hours now and then is just fine for me.

http://www.cancer.org.au

Closer to the end of my ten year hiatus, my olive complexion faded to a lighter shade of pale on my chest and on my back. I ended up with a line on both arms where my tshirt sleeves ended. This proved to me that I didn't need to bake myself in the sun all day to get some colour onto my skin. In fact I was baking, burning, peeling, then healing...although skin damage reveals itself in many other ways other than sun burn. Even in winter you need to be mindful of your sun exposure, not fearful, just mindful, SET (keep your sun protection next to your fash wash so that you remember to put it on each morning after your skincare routine) no regret, don't forget!

http://www.cancer.org.au

I'm all about the "Express" and the "Fast" tan which has low to zero "tanning smell", that I can buy for around twenty dollars, which develops to a great streak free natural looking colour on my skin. These were some of the claims that brands promised in the past, but they didn't quite deliver until now.

I will be honest with you, I gave up on faking it over five years ago. The sticky, allegedly "low scented" formulas back then where surrounding me in an aura of unwanted eau de tan. So I gave up on fake tan, cold turkey.

Three months ago Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Milk caught my eye and most importantly it captivated me with its no tan smell that left a subtle and pleasant scent which smells like caramel and it is dry to the touch. Baby I was back!

But colour correction is another important factor as I initially needed to apply the lotion on my back and chest to lift the lighter shade to match the two shades darker tone on my arms and face. Summer was on its way and I was not about to walk around in sleeveless tops with brown arms and white shoulders.

https://sunfriend.com

Walking to work in the morning and back home at the end of day with light sun exposure on my days off, despite using an SPF 15 moisturiser, created this two shade skin colour variance. Skin doesn't have to burn to be damaged. My friend has had quite a few moles cut out and burnt off his head and shoulders in the last 3 weeks, all benign but he hasn't been to the beach in many years. This is a testament in itself to the possible cumulative effects of sun damage to the skin.

Now with the new generation of tanning lotions and skin loving potions, I can layer a mousse with a spray a few times each week or alternate the two depending on how much time I have and the desired result that I want. On top of that I can even apply a daily gradual tanning lotion without it all sticking to my clothes and the smell wafting around my flat for days as it did in the past. In the cropped photo below, you can see the colour variance from my hands where I didn't apply the Le Tan products and my chest where I applied a couple of coats, as an example of before and after application. I fixed this afterwards by applying a drop of tanning lotion onto a tissue and wiping it lightly over the back of both hands. Do not apply it to the back of your fingers as your skin puckers around your knuckles and it won't blend.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to tan again. My favourite brands so far- Bondi Sands, Sugarbaby and LeTan.

In the past these products where referred to as "fake tan" products as the formula was inferior and yes, it looked like a fake suntan. Those days are gone, skincare consultants and sale staff now refer refer to the products as tanning products because you can look like you have had a real suntan. In the past people asked each other "what tan are you wearing?"..Now I am hearing more and more.."did you go away somewhere on your days off?"...A holiday in a bottle.

KMR
Proper Prior Preperation Prevents Poor (Tan) Performance..My blog on what to do before you faux tan- "Raze To A Higher Level"