Last year, we renovated our house. It cost a fortune. So holidays abroad were well and truly put on hold. As a result, I have become a dab hand at faking that gorgeous glow that you really only get after a week or two on holiday. I'm talking unrivalled radiance, sun-kissed cheeks and golden limbs that make every outfit look better.
As a beauty editor, I've made it my mission over the past year to find the products that warm up the skin to make me look (and feel) healthier quickly. From tinted SPFs and bronzers, to instant tans and illuminating primers, trust me when I say I have done the legwork to find out which products apply well, look most natural and crucially, make me look radiant and tanned. Because, call me fickle, that's all I really ever want.
Here I break down the different steps of my ultimate instant glow routine, which I swear by...
1. Tanning drops
My love of self-tan started with tanning drops. As a naturally fair 'English rose', I had always been incredibly nervous of fake tan and the inevitable mishaps that come with it. However, when I was introduced to the Isle Of Paradise Self Tanning Drops, I liked that they gave me the sense of control. It wasn't long before these little drops of sunshine became a firm fixture in my everyday skincare routine. I believe the recommendation is to use them every other day, but a few drops in my moisturiser every morning means that my skin always has a lovely, glowy canvas to apply the rest of my products. The Caudalie Self-Tan Sun Drops have become another favourite. To avoid any obvious tell-tale signs around my hairline, I use a big kabuki brush to buff my moisturiser and tanning drops in, which allows for a more natural finish.
2. Tinted SPF
Once I've applied my moisturiser, laced with tanning drops, I go in with my SPF. I've always loved a product that does more, and a base product with added sun protection is right up my street. Heliocare's 360 Colour Water Gel Bronze SPF50+ gives my skin just the right amount of coverage, evens out any irregular tone in an instant and blends in beautifully. The texture is similar to a lightweight foundation, so once I've applied it with my hands, I often buff it in with a foundation brush in areas that need thinning out slightly, like around my nose. Despite its name, it warms, rather than bronzes, the skin. And it does so beautifully. The viral Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen is another knockout product, with 12 shades to choose from.
3. Illuminating primer
Every time I wear the L'Oréal Paris Lumi Glotion, I receive a compliment. Not only does it add a touch of colour to the skin, but it's the pearlescent sheen that it leaves behind that really makes a difference. You can use it as a primer, as I like to, tapped in as a highlighter or mixed in with your foundation for a more subtle finish. Vieve's iconic Skin Nova Instant Radiance Primer works similarly, but without the bronzing effect. Both transform tired skin in an instant.
4. Cream bronzer
Bronzer is arguably the must-have product in any glowing skin routine. Everybody has a preferred texture; mine will always be cream. I have dry and often dehydrated skin, so I prefer cream and liquid textures that won't settle in dry patches or fine lines. I couldn't write about tanned-looking skin without including Chanel's mega (in size and results) Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream. Not only does it give a natural-looking effect (which is down to its velvet matte finish), but it lasts and lasts, so is worth the investment. Earlier this year, the shade range grew, meaning it finally works for all skin tones. I can't ignore the fact that this giant bronzer does not travel well, so when I'm away from home or on the go, I use the Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick in Truffle. This twist-up cream bronzer has a slightly dewier finish compared to Chanel's, but the pigment payoff is great, and stick formulations make for easy application.
6. Blonzer
In the middle of last summer, blonzing (a technique that blends bronzer and blusher together) became a viral make-up trend. Whilst you can of course use your favourites from your make-up bag to create this look, in my opinion, the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Blonzer is the only product you will ever need. Since this blusher bronzer hybrid came into my life I haven't touched another blusher. I still like to use a little bit of bronzer before to really solidify a sunkissed face, but this hydrating, radiance-boosting liquid blonzer is the best thing I've ever put onto my cheeks. It also has seriously impressive staying power. I can apply it in the morning and it will still be there at 4pm later that day. My preferred shade is Kiss of Pink, which definitely leans more towards blush than bronze, but there are four other colours, some of which have more golden pigment in them if that sounds more up your street.
6. Instant tan
For the majority of the year, I have very little body on show, so I rarely do a full body tan. Instead, I take an almost paint-by-numbers approach to the parts that are seen. For example, in spring, when it's just warm enough to wear a sleeveless top with a jacket, you bet that it's only my arms getting the bronzing treatment. And come summer, when my legs, arms, shoulders and décolletage are on show, I will still just add colour to those areas. My favourite way to do this is with instant tan that I can wash off at the end of the day (patchy, paint-by-numbers tan doesn't look so great when you're naked in front of a full-length mirror). The thing that makes a really great instant tan is one that will not transfer onto your clothes. There are two that I have on rotation, and they each play a different role. When I'm after something with a slight golden hue, This Works Perfect Legs Skin Miracle is divine. Don't be put off by the name; it works beautifully all over the body. When I want to look like I have a really great base colour, I opt for the Vita Liberata Original Body Blur, which has a beautiful matte soft focus finish and blurs imperfections.
Before my instant glow routine
After my instant glow routine
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