FAKE BAKE talks best friends and beach bodies…

We had a brilliant time celebrating National Best Friends Day recently, with a little help from Lambrini. It certainly got us talking, and as well as testing our knowledge on what we know about each other as friends, it also reminded us that it’s that time of year again when everyone in the media is asking: are you beach body ready? We like to think here at Team Fake Bake that we are a stylish and beauty-savvy bunch but make no mistake. None of us on the team are in danger of being signed up to be a new VS Angel any time soon (although once we hear a bit of music, we all magically transform into Camila Cabello. Fact.)

Of course, the talk turned to Love Island (again!) and how we cope every night with bodies that are certainly poolside prepared. And, once we’d let our guards down, out came the endless list of what we want to hide inside our sarongs. Again. From bingo wings to cankles, flabby bits and wobbly rear ends, they are just but four. It also got us thinking that when it comes to ourselves, we are really critical, but when it comes to looking at the friends we love, their strong points shine. Just looking around our table we could spot glossy hair, gorgeous shoulders, elegant hands and luminous skin, and that was just a quick scan. Golden glows are standard. Natch.

We are absolutely in favour of making the best of what you have, and more importantly, who you are. Fake Bake has always been an all-inclusive brand, without a hint of beauty snobbery. We’ve featured in Harper’s Bazaar and Heat. We’ve tanned the Geordie girls, and the TOWIE girls, and the Chelsea girls. And that’s just the girls.

And yes, we are probably going to scroll through our Insta feed at lunch. We like a bit of inspiration but we do know that most of us, and most of you, are not living in Santorini, eating watermelons for breakfast and stretching our endless legs out by an infinity pool and classing it as work. But we’ve also noticed that times are changing a little, and that is fine by us.

We love the fact that during the Love Island breaks, the Missguided ads feature models of all shapes and sizes.

We adore that model Georgia Gibbs got her friend Kate into modelling and that between them they set up swimwear company, Anybody. Great name, girls, because the designs really do flatter everyone.

 We know that from talking to you one size doesn’t fit. And some of us are worried about being underweight as well as overweight. Our very slim sisters get no sympathy from anyone when battling to put on a few pounds, but feel insecure just the same. From pocket rockets to tall poppies, we all have hang-ups. Nothing feels better than when you have taken good care of yourself. A great haircut, a new outfit, some lush lashes, and beautifully groomed nails give you a real boost. And once we’ve been in one of our Fake Bake tan tents or got busy with our fave Fake Bake self tan, that’s the icing on our summer beauty cake.

It’s brilliant that curvy girls are in the spotlight, too, as supermodels and influencers and are becoming so much more visible in the media. The big thing is confidence. Callie Thorpe knows how to rock her Fake Bake tan with a cool LA vibe.

A certain Miss Collins is absolutely on fire right now with her cheeky brand of self esteem, her candy is now her trademark, and we’re definitely taking this poolside to check out her diva tips. Watch out Ashley Graham.

About this beach body thing. If you’ve had time to get to the gym and happen to look like Jas Tookes, good for you, girl. But if you have also had a sly Greggs under your desk again (hands up, you know who you are!), then that doesn’t mean you can’t feel and look brilliant, and more importantly, create lasting summer memories with the most important people in your lives. Whatever your body shape, you can enjoy life and keep fit at the same time. Life’s too short to hide too long under that umbrella.

Our advice to you, after having our brilliant day, where we forgot about work and worries for a little bit, is simply this: to be beach body ready, all you really need, most of all, is a body and then a beach. And if you add these three ingredients, then, a little fizz, a Fake Bake tan, and some gorge flip flops, you’ve got the perfect mix.

And before you hit the sand, look in the mirror and be your own best mate. Get your sunscreen. Go.

You can check out our full range at www.fakebake.co.uk

Many thanks to Gusto for hosting an amazing Bestie Brunch. You can follow them on Insta @gustorestaurants

Cheers to the team at Lambrini for making it a sparkling occasion. If you are over 18, follow them on Insta @lambriniuk

The featured book is available now on Amazon and at all major book retailers.

Other pics courtesy of @missguided @georgiagibbs_ @katewas_ and

@any.body_co