Wednesday 6 June 2018

FAKE BAKE ICONS: Airbrush makes a whole lotta history


As soon as Fake Bake had established itself in the U.K., fans were asking what was coming next. The era of the spray booth was about to really dominate the self tan market, and, of course, that infamous episode of Friends aired: The One Where Ross Gets A Spray Tan.


Horrific tanning disasters are now the stuff of GIFs and memes, but back in 2003, they could still occur if you stepped away from your Fake Bake


That same year, we seemed to all go into further bling overdrive. The World Cup the previous summer really kicked off our obsession with a certain type of sports-related girl, and then ITV’s brilliantly tongue-in-cheek Footballers’ Wives appeared. OTT doesn’t even begin to describe the outfits and storylines, but the team who had brought us Bad Girls did not disappoint. The look was sleek and streamlined, and Susie Amy kept it as classy as possible as Chardonnay. We can remember a lot of diamante encrusted halter necks and strapless tops with matching boot cut flares. Luckily, we’ve worked with Susie many times since both as an actress and beauty writer and she’s still part of the family.

That super-toned, tanned look was every fashionista’s style calling come the summer of 2003, and when Cheryl was Cheryl Tweedy originally, as part of Girls Aloud, Paris Hilton was, well, simply everywhere. The Simple Life launched and really created a new era for reality TV, paving the way for the Kardashians. Paris Hilton’s look was not one for the quiet beauties. It was all about colour and label splashing. In her own words… “That’s Hot!” Jessica Simpson was rocking it over on The Newlyweds on MTV, too. The era of the bag-in-the-crook-of-your-arm was upon us, preferably a Murakami Louis Vuitton one.

While our own pop princesses were battling it out, there was really only one solo star of the show: Beyonce. Crazy In Love stormed the charts all over the world, with an album to follow, and created many a rumour about her co-performer, Jay-Z, You may have heard of him. The video set a new standard as to how everyone wanted to look on screen: absolutely gleaming from top-to-toe.

Back to Footballers’ Wives. While the fake ones made us howl on screen we started to take notice of the real ones off screen, and for the next decade a new sport emerged: WAG-spotting. It took a few years to reach its peak in 2006, but straight away we wanted to know what the girls were wearing, who was dating who and were there any marriages on the way? It’s hard to believe then that Coleen McCloughlin had just left school, Alex Curran was training to be a beautician and Abbey Clancy was an aspiring model and pop star.

As always, Fake Bake was first when it came to giving self tanners what they wanted, and what they desired was the equivalent to a spray tan they could use at home. Fake Bake Airbrush was born. It was an instant hit. Our innovative team were on hand to provide a finely misted formula containing our famous colour guide, so you can see where you are applying your tan. Our clients told us they wanted something quick and fast-drying; we delivered. And the nozzle 360 degree nozzle means the backs and necks and knees are easy to reach. Airbrush is still one of our favourite go-to’s and since it’s first appearance, it’s been everywhere, from Amy Childs’ first reality show to the inside of the Celebrity Big Brother House.  It’s perfect for quick getaways and between salon visits, and so light and easy to carry. Sorted.

The 2018 look is as far away from Paris H’s overdone glow as you can get, and today’s Insta queens look far more relaxed, less preened but still with an inspirational skin finish. Much hotter and cooler at the same time, if you see what we mean.


Now self tanning is no longer about a particular look: today we want a whole wardrobe of products to suit every season and occasion. Everything is more subtle, fashion-led and couture-inspired. Coleen, Alex and Abbey are superstars in their own right now and since we first met, and worked, with all three of them, they are now household names without their famous surnames even, and all look effortlessly gorgeous.

Times change, looks moves on, and we are glad that we are probably never going to wear Mukluks or singe our fringes on old school hair straighteners again, but some things never go out of style: a gorgeous golden glow that’s even all over, the latest Louis must-have, and a bit of addictive reality telly.

As for Paris Hilton, she really was a phenomenon but we always thought her stylist, Kim, was pretty hot as well. Wonder what ever happened to her?

Fake Bake Airbrush is available from www.fakebake.co.uk

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