FAKE BAKE talks pro tips for holiday tanning - you gotta fake it to make it…

We want to get serious for a sec. Yep, we are still watching Love Island and we are noticing the tan situations. OK, so people like Arabella have that all-over glow thing going on. Not a blemish or a mark in sight, all wrapped up in supermodel-type packaging. Here’s the thing: it might look fabulous now, but trust us, in a few years your skin will no longer look lovely if you keep up with the sun worshiping. And we are also seeing a lot of sunburn and angry skin on the show. And while it makes for great telly, sitting in the sun all day is actually not great fun and is really, really uncomfortable. It doesn’t mean we want you to stay indoors the whole time, and miss out, but we also want you to stay looking and feeling your best.

We are not here to ruin your hols. We love a pool party. But here at Team Fake Bake we like to be sensible when it comes to skincare. We are not that sensible about much else (don’t come looking to us for life advice!!!!!) but skin and its beauty and health are subjects we are passionate about. When we first started taking Fake Bake away, we got a few strange looks from our mates. Why come to the sun and bring self tan? Well, it’s kinder to the skin, and also saves hours and hours of sitting in the sun and frying. We all need some Vit D and a good holiday is great for your all round wellbeing. We all work hard and play hard, and a bit of relaxation is essential in our busy worlds. But, there’s a way of getting your golden glow on without turning your skin into a battleground. So we thought we’d get some expert advice from our fab Claire at LV Spray Tanning in Derby, who has just returned from her own holiday of a lifetime in Barbados. As a really experienced tanner, and beauty and skin fanatic, we thought we would check in with her for her in-the-know tips. Over to you, Claire….

Claire, as a pro tanning expert, how do you get your skin in tip-top condition before a holiday?

Exfoliate! To get a great, long lasting tan for your holiday, preparation is key. Exfoliate to get your skin in tip top condition for your tan, this ensures that your fake tan will go on flawlessly and will last longer. I always recommend Fake Bake Coconut Body Polish.

Also, fake tanning should be the last check off your holiday prep list, after lashes, nails and any hair removal. Any waxing/ shaving should be done 48 hours before. If you take care of your spray tan, it will take care of you.

What are the benefits of getting a pro spray tan before you go away and which Fake Bake formulas are proving popular for Summer 2019?

Having a spray tan before your holiday starts your holiday off with confidence! You’ll look and feel great in all of your bikinis, swimwear and gorgeous new holiday wardrobe.

Summer time means fast-tanning for my clients and that means Fake Bake 60 Minutes! This super-charged wonder leaves you tanned and ready to go in 3 hours Perfect for last minute tanning before a flight - it also lasts really well, and you can take some Fake Bake with you to tan while you are away.

How can you maintain your Fake Bake tan on holiday and still have a good time?

The best way to maintain a fake tan on holiday is moisturise, a good, oil-free SPF will be perfect! This will help keep your skin hydrated in the heat. I also advise all my clients to top up their tans using a gradual tanner, Fake Bake’s Tanning Water is perfect for this and really light and easy to use on hotter days! This will keep your skin hydrated and your tan looking great throughout your holiday. It also means you don’t have to lie and bake in more comfortable heat - which basically gives you more time to relax in the shade, or go and do whatever you like with your time.

Any good tips for staying safe in the sun?

Always wear a good, High SPF and check for both UVA and UVB coverage. Stay out of the sun during its hottest periods around the middle of the day and take advantage of all of the gorgeous hats about and in particular keep your face out of the sun. There is no point in investing in regular skincare and facials and ruining all of your hard work by burning your face, and new skincare ingredients like retinol and Vitamin C are great anti-ageing saviours but they make your skin more receptive to sun damage. My advice here is just to put on some Fake Bake The Face, and then enhance your glow with all of the amazing bronzers and highlighters about. When you look at people like Kim K and JLo that’s how they get a golden glow - it’s all about faking it!  And remember you can get great value SPS products everywhere now, and they are usually on offer at this time of year, so get yourself well covered. Protect the skin you’re in! #SaveYourSkin

So Claire has pretty much got us sorted, then. We are off to get SPF loaded, as there is no way the lobster look is following us all around all summer. And when it comes to Factor 50, the only time we want to be at one with it is in a bottle, not slapped-on, chat style.

Laying it on thick is for sunscreen only. See, we threw in a life lesson for free.

All products available online www.fakebake.co.uk

Follow Claire on Instagram @lvspraytanningexpert

FAKE BAKE talks making Love Island style real-life fabulous with our queen of swimwear sass, Katie Weir….

Is it just us, or has this season of Love Island got classic written all over it? Between Tommy Fury , love triangles, love squares, intrigue in the hot tub that no-one ever switches on and Curtis being like your dad at a kid’s birthday party, taking over the role previously taken by Doctor Marcel and then Doctor Alex, it’s already turning into one helluva hot summer. We are not being rude, but do the Love Island inhabitants actually know that there are cameras on them? How many girls can Tommy fall in love with during a whole series? Same lines every time? Yup. But he is brilliant telly for us here at Team Fake Bake.

Plus: wardrobes. Again, we talk about this stuff all day, every day, but are the girls keeping it a little more real this year? We think so. But after spying all the swimwear trends we are doing what all fashion obsessives with cool heads do: get a little bit inspired, and pick the things that suit us. Because in real life, very few of us actually look like Maura. (At the time of writing, she’s caused a fair bit of agg in just a few days. Mmm..)

We have definitely noticed a change in swimwear looks over the past few seasons, with moves away from the classic 70’s bikini to a more 80’s and early 90’s vibes.

Think bright prints and stretchy fabrics from Hunza G, as inspired by the original goddess of 80’s Hunza….. Whitney Houston!

And swimsuits are getting higgggghhhh cut again. Think Pamela Anderson, splashy retro prints and shiny metallics a la Cindy C….

Then there are the really, really brave amongst us who just keep everything as tiny as possible (but you don’t have to be tiny to do it!) as Tyra Banks showed us on a recent Sports Illustrated cover….

And then, of course, there’s the beach and daytime mash-up, which means we now mix or swimwear in with everything else. The queen of it all? Naomi Campbell in Missoni in the new issue Vogue.

Swimwear is no longer just a two-piece bikini or a standard swimsuit. It’s asymmetric, got cut-outs, there are meshy bits, and crossover straps, and all sorts of decorative trims and edges. The good news? It means there is something to suit everyone, at every price point, and not just the motivated fittie who loves going to the gym. While we are watching Love Island. ( We suppose you could do both? Please let us know if you’ve tried it…) And we don’t just wear this stuff to swim in or pose it, it makes the day-to-night transition with ease. Dressing for your destination? It’s time to start thinking what is on your wishlist.

And, of course, getting photographed in your swimwear is the rule. It’s no longer a few quick snaps on any old camera, that get lost in a drawer. Again, it’s the influence, but try not to take it too seriously. Everyone feels the same.

In order to make sure we get our swimwear spot-on, and to talk about trends that cover every size, we talked to our absolute fave Katie Weir. Katie is quite simply the girl who knows everything about the subject. PR to Curvy Kate (who have just celebrated 10 years in the business) and also Scantilly by Curvy Kate, Katie also founded Weir Wonderful Fit her own campaign to make sure we are all wearing the correct size bra and swimwear, as well as promoting body positivity with style, fashion awareness, a hint of sass and a whole load of class. This is what she told us when we had a sit down….

Katie, what swimwear trends are hitting the high spots on Love Island this year?

We are seeing a real mix of sporty shapes, neon brights, and for sure the return of high leg swimsuits, all being paired with glam accessories, such as statement and diamante cover ups…

In real life, how can we adapt these trends, assuming we might like to get into some water as well?!!!

I think the main message to remember with swimwear is that every body is beautiful and to wear your bikini, swimsuit or tankini with utmost confidence so that you can shine brighter than the sun! Wearing cup-sized swimwear will always offer extra lift, comfort and added support when on the beach or by the pool! Curvy Kate recently wrote about wave-proof swimwear and that it is really important, as no-one wants to lose their string bikini in the ocean!

Investing in swimwear is no longer a chore but a real pleasure - feeling fabulous on your break of a lifetime is so important! So I advise spending a little extra to get the perfect fit is well worth it. This season, I’m treating myself to a high-leg swimsuit ike the one Lucie wore when she entered the villa as they really lengthen and flatter your pins!

What are your top tips for getting a best fit?

It’s really important to visit a bra-fitting specialist if you can, as they can make sure you are wearing on-trend swimwear which is really supportive! Bravissimo are great at creating fashion-forward swimwear and have created a whole range featuring slogan swimwear and cut-out pieces, too. Underboob bikinis may be on trend but for me, you are not going to feel sexy, comfortable and supported in one as soon as you move about. Honestly cup-sized swimwear is the way forward - think about how you feel in a beautifully fitted bra - that’s the feeling you want to have in public…

What are your fave styles for this Spring/Summer?

Brands like Curvy Kate are becoming so versatile - you can mix and match them with whatever you want to wear - their best selling Wrapsody which has lightweight panels to wrap in infinite ways for endless looks on your vacay!

I also LOVE this suit from Bravissimo it’s a one-piece that is so cheeky and gorgeous for the fuller-busted gal, with amazing secret support!

I also love anything with a scuba-style which is proving to be a big hit - I want to be supported and sculpted. High leg is KEY for a peachy butt and a longer leg!

Thanks so much to Katie - she’s on the right below. We just adore her!

Finally, remember it’s just a bit of fun. Most people who watch Love Island, guys and girls, know they are never going to look like that. (Big hint: it must be lovely but it also doesn’t mean you get sprinkled with more happiness, although you may get a blue tick and more sponsored posts…) Once you’ve got your chosen kit on, it really is all about creating brilliant memories. Forget about your embellishments falling off: there is nothing more attractive than diving into a pool. Trust us on that one.

And finally: DON’T FORGET YOUR SPF! Yep, we have some red shoulders and burnt angry bits, and they are not a good look. Curtis hasn’t given out any real advice on it yet, and we are waiting.

Save Your Skin, forget about your lashes falling off and live your best life, whether it’s at Ocean Club Ibiza or Blackpool with your besties. And if  tries to chat you up with full on cringe, laying it on full-on Factor 50, well, we really don’t need to suggest an appropriate reply, do we?

And just for the record, we love Anton. He’s from round our way and he cooks a mean Spaghetti Carbonara.

Really, what more could you want?

Love Island shows every evening on ITV at pm

I Saw It First are the Official Fashion Partner of Love Island

To follow Katie on Insta go to @weirwonderfulfit

For updates on featured swimwear go to @curvykate @dearscantilly and @lovebrassimo

Image of Naomi Campbell courtesy of British Vogue

FAKE BAKE talks taking your make-up to Masterclass level with Stacey Toner…

Now that summer is almost here, it’s time to get fresh and try new looks. Yes, we want to look naturally amazing. For those of us who like a glow, yes, we want to look a little more sunkissed. We want defined daytime looks, and glam evening looks. In short: we are quite a demanding lot here at Team Fake Bake, and we know you are, too.

If you have been following Fake Bake’s Save Your Skin message for over a decade, you won’t be getting a sunkissed glow on your face by sticking it, sunscreen free, into a roasting hot midday sun. That only ever ends up with one end game, and we are not beauty shaming Madge from Benidorm, but the only tan leather we want to own in our lifetimes belongs to an Hermes Birkin. The chances are slim, but we can but dream.

Of course, now with all of the new tanning formulations and innovations available, you can switch up your base shade with Fake Bake, whether you choose a targeted product like our Fake Bake The Face Self Tan Lotion, which of course we recommend, or you carry your fave Fake Bake self tan neck upwards to complete your glow.

So you’ve got your glow on, and your body is sorted to match. You’ve prepped, you’ve waited, you’ve showered and sealed the deal with our Fake Bake Oil Free Mystifier Body Spray, but now you have a dilemma. How do you kiss and make-up?

We called in Stacey Toner of ARSTY Make Up Studio in Glasgow to ask for her help, and she did more than just that. Along with Emily and the team at Fake Bake Training Scotland they put together The Art of The Spray Tan Masterclass, which first gave first class training in how to create the perfect Fake Bake spray tan, and then Stacey did both a day and evening look to compliment freshly tanned complexions.

Stacey started off in the industry nine years ago, and became an in-demand freelancer six years ago. Now, as well as owning her own make-up studio, Stacey flies all over Europe and travels all over the UK working for top fashion brands and providing the latest looks for the red carpet, photo shoots and celeb events.

This is what she told us…..

You can’t create a great canvas without prep!

Your Fake Bake tan needs to be streak-free and even, so of course, I recommend regular exfoliation. I learned a lot about tanning myself from the Masterclass, and the importance of creating a clean, clear canvas for applying Fake Bake, and then really respecting how you treat your self tan after it has been applied.

The perfectly subtle ARTSY bridesmaid look

As we move towards hotter weather, unless you have really dry skin, really oily facial products are going to break your facial self tan down, but you can still maintain it whilst treating your skin - from budget range to luxury there are a whole host of amazing skin treatments from serums moisturisers which are really light in texture but are absolutely packed with active ingredients.

On the evening you apply your facial self tan, leave your skin to create your look. It won’t do your skin any harm to have a night off from treatments. And in this Insta era where skincare fanatics are trying out ingredients like retinols and Vitamin C without expert advice, and then add facial tanners and go out the next day with no sunscreen, you have a skin disaster waiting to happen. My advice: keep it simple, and an oil free sunscreen is a wonderful investment for your face! When I have any client in my chair I always give mini facials and advise clients to invest in facials for a few weeks before a big event - but not the night before!

Don’t get too shady!

Once summer sets in and you also add in a facial tanner, your shade is going to switch up. If you pile on paler winter foundation on summer skin, it’s not going to look good! Back in the day, you had to buy separate products for each season but now with all of the amazing formulations about you can add a water-based shade corrector and create the perfect shade yourself. And keep an eye on concealers, too! No-one wants a panda look!

A completely flawless look created for TOWIE’s Courtney

Flick the day-to-night switch!

When I look around Insta I see an awful of over made-up faces. Of course, as a MUA I adore make-up and my clients love to experiment, but I actually say in real life keep in mind the occasion. For daytime, I tend to go for more neutral palettes, and for the evening look at the Masterclass I went straight to a red lip. Of course, when you have more of a golden glow you can be more adventurous, but if you are going for a bright flash on the eye go for a muted mouth, and vice versa. And try not to go too dark with bronzer to intensify your tan. Use subtle shades, and then of course, add depth and then bring features forward with highlighters, which you can use in liquid or powder form. In the heat, powder formulations do tend to stay put more, but don’t layer on powder over powder, as it goes cakey. I mix and match! And, of course, with all of the gorgeous outfits and looks about you can take highlighters and glowtions down your body, anything goes when it comes to body skin now, and there really are some absolute steals about if you try some of the budget-friendly brands.

A gorgeous editorial look created for a Quiz Clothing Shoot

A beautiful bridal look taken at the gorgeous Trump Turnberry Resort

I absolutely loved every minute of the Masterclass. It was great to see MUA’s get fully trained in how to apply Fake Bake tans, and also wonderful to see experienced tanners learn some pro MUA tips - I think in the industry now therapists are extending their skills sets, because clients really do want a whole array of services.

My final question is this: when are we having the next one guys?”

The answer: as soon as we can arrange it, because when it comes to tanning we like to think we are the experts (you gotta toot your own horn, people!) but when it comes to flawless faces we are always open to being taught by the best in the business.

And we got through that whole Blog without mentioning how the girls are managing to look so good in a certain villa in Mallorca. Come on, as if we weren’t going to mention it!

Next week, everybody. Now we’ve sorted your make-up next up is swimwear. Well, not actually stuff to swim in, but stuff to move about in, in the sun, whilst looking totally fabulous. And just like this week’s advice it’s not one size fits all.

Everyone’s welcome. Who’s got the corkscrew?

All featured products available at www.fakebake.co.uk

Follow Stacey on Insta @staceytoner_artsy

For more updates on training and Masterclasses go to @fakebakescotlandtraining

FAKE BAKE awaits a long, hot Love Island Summer….

So we don’t really need to ask what you’ll be doing every night, except Saturday perhaps, for the forseeable future. And while everyone has been comparing this year’s new Love Island contestants to those of previous years, us die-hards have been discussing our fave characters and scenes. It seems a long time since Jon proposed to Hannah in Season 1, but it lives long in our memories. Back then, no-one taking part could have imagined how popular the show would be. And since then, there have been a lot of break-ups, a couple of relationships that have made the cut, and the patter of tiny feet, plus the sound of wedding bells have chimed a little sound of success.

So what is it about the show that sucks us all in? Well, in a world of box sets, it’s a time every night where we can all sit down and watch something in real time. And, of course, it’s like being on holiday, being vacation flies-on-the-wall, and spotting who likes who, and who doesn’t particularly like who. Yes, we know much is made in the media about everyone looking perfect and it putting pressure on us all to look good, but here at Team Fake Bake we just relax and enjoy the show. Usually with some properly unhealthy snacks and no immediate plans to get a six pack. And we have also met lots of your fave Love Island alumni and tanned them after they leave the island, and they have always been gorgeous in every way.

So, as this new season launches, what can we expect? Well, we have a feeling the show is going to get back to basics, and we like that premise. Not so many tears at bedtime and loads more laughs sounds good to us. And, as always, we keep an eye on everything around the show as we like to stay updated.

Apart from tuning in every night to the show and to Aftersun at the weekend, we also love listening to the Love Island Podcast: The Morning After with our fab friends Arielle Free and Kem Cetinay. I mean, you can’t talk enough about Love Island, can you?

Love Island also gives us a peek as to what works poolside for our upcoming summer hols, and this year, the Island Goddess herself, Caroline Flack has already prepared the way by launching her own range with River Island. These are our pick of the best pieces from the range….

Brown Print Chiffon Kimono

Green Zebra Bandeau Bikini

Gold Metallic Tie-Up Espadrille Wedges

We aren’t going to talk about the contestants just yet, as we want to see the live and IRL first, but we do know that about now there is going to be a lot of beauty prep going on. Our amazing VIP Elite Tanner, The Tan Expert, recently tanned Caroline so, once again, she sets the golden standard…

Why not make a pact? OK, so Love Island usually gives us a nightly excuse to raid the snack cupboard while we discuss the goings on in the villa. And we’re not knocking it. If you want to chow down on some carrot sticks, be our guest, but here at Team Fake Bake we are professional snackers. But why not spend a few of those hours getting yourself summer ready? We don’t mean watching it on a treadmill, people. But a bit of care and maintenance now pays beauty dividends. And as for your tan, well, at the moment our current faves are….

Fake Bake Tanning Water

This is so light and fresh and perfect for warmer weather as it’s non-sticky, transfer resistant formula is so simple to use. Perfect to apply while you are catching up with the Love action, and packed full of skin hydrators to help keep your skin summer supple. Includes our new, double-sided velvety mitt.

Fake Bake Double Shot Espresso Tan

Go dark, or go home? This lightweight, express, gel formula gives you our ultimate, dark tan and is foolproof to apply. Perfect for statement swimwear. Concentrated, so a little goes a long way.

Fake Bake 60 Minutes Self Tan Liquid

Apply just before Love Island starts, watch the show, and shower it off when the credits roll. How simple is that? You can leave it on for up to three hours for a really intense tan, so pick a night when Aftersun follows the main show and you’ll be bronzed for the week ahead.

Get ready to spend the next two months of your life glued to ITV2. And do remember that only a tiny, tiny percentage of people spend that much time in the gym before they go on the TV. We’ll be looking at keeping it real swimwear looks soon, for those of us whose bikini size goes into double figures. Actually, that means all of us.

Until then, sit back and enjoy. It might not be real life, but Love Island takes over ours now every summer.

Inflate your plastic palm tree and prepare to have no social life. If you had one to start with…

All products available at www.fakebake.co.uk

Love Island and Aftersun are now showing on ITV2

For The Morning After Updates follow @ariellefree on Insta

Caroline’s new range is available at www.riverisland.com