FAKE BAKE talks over-40 tanning and Gen X style icons, as JLo turns 51...

 

We are not sure if you know this, but not everyone on Team Fake Bake is under 30. We are a pretty diverse and mixed bunch which is brilliant: it means we know our Fake Bake tanning tribes well. So this week we thought we’d talk tanning and style for everyone over 40. Listen, it’s hard to classify us by age. We are all different. But from chatting to you and being mindful of what’s going on in the media, we know that this is one stylish gang, who are determined to look and feel great for decades to come. This week we are concentrating on the girls, but we’ve got the boys in our sights....

In order to get it spot on we thought we’d talk to a good friend of the brand, Nancy Buckland Kirk. Nancy has been part of our Fake Bake family for two decades, and was our Social Media genie for seven years. So as someone who has been using the range from her 30’s now into her 50’s, she knows what issues and changes women in particular are facing. Now an experienced fashion and beauty writer, we thought we’d hand the rest of this week over to her…

You’ve known us for so long! What’s it like to have watched the brand grow?

“Back in the day, there was no social media and Fake Bake didn’t use traditional advertising so it was all down to hard work, word-of-mouth, and getting well known faces on board. When socials first started, I can remember Facebook having just 40 followers, and that felt big! As socials grew, so did the brand even further. The hard work that goes on BTS is just unreal. I most enjoyed when new products were launched, winning awards, and fabulous events. Working with the brand was brilliant fun, and I’ve always stayed in touch with everyone. I’ve made a lot of friends, for sure. It’s been wonderful to see what Sandra Vaughan has done for the industry and also Victoria Halliday - both are so well respected, and down-to-earth!”

As the years have moved on, how has your style changed?

“When Fake Bake launched we had just celebrated the year 2000, I had not long turned 30 and it felt like the world was a huge party palace. I like quite classic styles but even I went a bit J-Lo! In my mum’s day, you really did change at 40. Hemlines dipped and you covered your arms. Now pretty much anything goes. Women really look after themselves and stay style savvy. There is so much choice on the High Street now, and at the moment, lots of brilliant bargains. My favourites are Arket, Massimo Dutti, & Other Stories, Uterque and Reiss. If my budget was unlimited, it would be Maxmara, Chanel and Valentino.”

How do you feel about how women are represented in the media?

“Have you got all day? Things are definitely improving and it’s great to see more women of my age on TV, in ad campaigns and on magazine covers, and it’s not just about how they look. I loved this Sunday Times Style cover of Winona Ryder recently. We are a similar age, and I adore her natural style.

I also love what Meg Matthews is doing with her Megs Menopause campaign. That used to be a really taboo subject but she’s somehow tapped into something and won a new army of fans. I’m looking forward to her new book, too!

I’m going to be honest though and say - it’s not easy! There is still a huge pressure to look a certain way, and it’s something women talk to me about all the time. There are so many options and choices it gets a bit overwhelming. I think it’s really a time to choose what you personally really like and stop worrying about what anyone else thinks. And there is a real freedom to hitting 50!”

When you used to write for the Blog, you did love talking about style icons. Feel free to choose a few today…

Sarah Jessica Parker

“How could she not be on the list? My friends and I watched SATC religiously. Although we all loved Carrie’s wardrobe, I actually love SJP’s own style in real life. She is just effortless - and her new shoe range is gorgeous, too!”

Michelle Obama

 

“Now she has left that really formal First Lady look behind, she has really opened up her style. She’s much more adventurous and colourful. She’s such an impressive lady: her whole ‘Becoming’ theme is so inspiring. Will she be the first women President in the US? Here’s hoping!”

Sandra Oh

“I fell in love with Sandra when she started on Grey’s Anatomy, and she’s just superb in Killing Eve. Jodie Comer tends to get the best looks on the show, but in real life, Sandra has such style. I do love Jodie, though - I’m from Liverpool. We are so proud of her!”

Seema Malhotra

 

“Of course I love Seema on RHOC, but I’ve been a fan of Forever Unique for a long time. Seema just knows her market so well, and wears her own brand perfectly. She has a really defined style, and it’s been a joy to watch her grow her company. A Boss Lady, in every sense.”

Patsy Kensit

 

Everyone who knows me, knows she’s my idol. I’m lucky to have met and interviewed and I know my lovely friend James Harknett has tanned her, using Fake Bake, of course! Even in the 1980’s, when everyone looked a hot mess, she had a cool classic style. She’s fiercely independent, and a super mum. Her new Conscious Puberty campaign supporting women is pretty fantastic, too.”

Christy Turlington

“So many supermodels, which one to choose? Naomi Campbell is always the catwalk queen in my eyes. She’s more than a model, with all of the work she has done in terms of equality. Christy, her great friend, is the embodiment classic style for me. She was on the cover of the first Vogue I ever bought in 1987. She’s now a noted campaigner. I love her laid back style.”

Lauren Hutton

“Lauren was the first model to ever negotiate a huge modelling deal on her own, and her gap-toothed smile was totally the opposite of other models around at the time. She had a powerful presence, and I loved her in American Gigolo, with Richard Gere. She is still fiercely chic and looks best in a signature knit and wide legged trousers: she’s still a 1970’s girl at heart. I basically want to be her when I grow up!”

Jennifer Lopez

“Team Fake Bake have always been huge fans, and I share the love. Jennifer and I are the same age, and I can’t tell you how inspirational she has been to me. In my twenties, you could really only be deemed to look good if you had tiny hips. This lady changed all of that. More importantly, she showed that hard work pays off, as she hasn’t always had an easy ride to the top. Her style is bold, glamorous and out-there. Personally, I love her most when she does elegance. On the red carpet, she just knows how to steal the limelight.”

“There are so many inspiring, stylish women to look to: Yasmin Le Bon, Nagan Munchetty, Helen Mirren, Emily Maitlis, the list really is endless for me.

And the casts of Big Little Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere are the bomb: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep and Kerry Washington are outstanding. There are also so many Insta accounts to follow I get a bit lost myself sometimes! Italian Natya Bascal is my favourite, though -  she is awesome at 77.”

We know you love to write - who inspires you in your favourite world?

“I remember when blogs first came around and it was like a new world opened up, but I never tire of a glossy magazine. I love Lorraine Candy, who has done such great work Elle and Sunday Times Style, and Jo Elvin, who introduced Glamour to the UK, and is now at You. They have really blazed a trail for women. Kathleen Baird-Murray is my favourite beauty writer, and when it comes to blogs, you don’t get better than Jane Cunningham, British Beauty Blogger. I always trust her opinions as she is very honest.”

Apart from Patsy, who’s your favourite interviewee!

“Hands down, Jimmy Choo! He told me all about the last pair of shoes he designed for Princess Diana, which sadly he was never able to give her, and a lot of life advice, too!”

Your favourite celebrity spot?

“Halle Berry. She had jeans, a little white vest and flip-flops on. I can honestly say she’s even more beautiful in real life. I was dumbstruck and didn’t say one word.”

Fake Bake - you must have your brand highlights to tell us about…

“There isn’t a product I haven’t trialled, tested, worn, and checked. I have two decades of experience, and I have never, ever found a tanning brand I love more. And I’m not an influencer, or a brand ambassador. I have tried just about everything else on the market, too. My skin has really changed between 30 and 50, and I have to say I go for a more subtle glow now. I also worked on the brand’s Save Your Skin campaign, so I’m really careful in the sun.”

Fake Bake Flawless Coconut Serum

“My go-to, and my favourite all-time Fake Bake all-star. My skin is drier now, and this formula just glides on. James Harknett is the person I turn to for tips, and I’ve started using oil-free moisturiser on my ankles, knees and elbows as the texture in those areas has really changed. I wore this when I got married, aged 46, and it looked beautiful. It’s back in stock after lockdown, so I’m happy!”

Fake Bake The Face

“I can remember when this was formulated and I got to try it out - sold! My skin can be a battleground - I have rosacea, melasma, signs of ageing (obvs!) and quite a prominent facial scar, and it doesn’t react to The Face, which is a bonus. It also doesn’t dry my skin out, and that’s a win-win.”

Fake Bake Travel Kit

This is a brilliant little kit and if I want to tan in a hurry, I use it at home sometimes as it’s just so easy to pop on! The products smell gorgeous, too!

We really enjoyed talking to Nancy, and as a brand we are going to take her advice and feature her ‘tribe’ more on the Blog in the future. We know that talking to you that life doesn’t slow down over 40, in fact, sometimes it gets even busier. So many of you are working full time, caring for kids, partners, parents and doing your best to stay healthy and feel fabulous. We know it can feel overwhelming but thankfully, jokes about hot flushes seem to be on their way out. Instead, we have a whole generation of powerful women who are brilliant role models for those of us looking to the future.

Apparently, it’s so bright, you can be exactly who you want to be, but if you are going to wear shades, make them Chanel, obvs.

Sunglasses and face masks? Please DO NOT discuss....

For all featured products go to www.fakebake.co.uk

Follow Nancy on Insta @nancybucklandkirk

FAKE BAKE talks our website glow up and our everyBODY’s Flawless message…

Do you feel like we are turning a corner, just a little? During the past few months, Team Fake Bake have been working BTS on new innovations, ideas, and our newly relaunched website. It felt like we needed to hit the refresh button. The beauty game is changing rapidly, and of course, over the last few months the industry has been a tough place for many brands, employees and therapists. We are so glad things are opening up again.

For our part, we decided we needed to make some changes, too. We have always been a democratic brand. As the world’s leading independent self-tanning company, we are lucky that we get to make our own decisions. When we want to make changes, we get to act quickly. After nearly two decades of talking to you, we know how you feel about our products but also wider issues like body image, diversity, and what used to be a very narrow definition of what ‘beauty’ used to mean.

In 2020? Not so much. Hey, we all know that we can scroll through Insta, Facebook or Tik Tok and see ‘perfection’ in action. Back in the day, if you were launching a website, and were looking for a new ‘face’ for your beauty brand, it would normally be a supermodel or a celebrity gracing the homepage, and every glossy page we opened.

Ever since we started, we have always been different. Alongside models and famous faces we have always worked with different people from many walks of life. Now we wanted our homepage, and our website, to represent that.

Our everyBODY’s Flawless message is simply that: you are brilliantly beautiful, just  as you are. If you have come to visit our website, then you are clearly wanting to browse self-tanning. We want to help you with your quest. But we also want you to feel comfortable, supported and accepted. Sometimes a simple Fake Bake self-tan at home, or a professional treatment, helps give you a golden glow up and a little more confidence. That’s what we are here for: to help you, but never, ever to change you.

We had a chat to our Victoria Halliday, Head of Business Development, and she told us, “I’m really proud of being a part of the everyBODY’s Flawless theme and campaign. I work closely on the ground for the brand and I am always listening to feedback from clients, and that includes myself personally! The message I am getting back is that you want to see yourselves represented in the images that we use and the people that we work with. We also never just rest on our laurels: we are always looking at how we can develop future innovations, but every new one has to really earn its spot.”

The new website glow up has also come at a time when we have had to deal with the same restrictions as other brands, but we have been lucky that we are stocking up now on your faves. Our Global Creative Consultant, James Harknett, has been key in putting together the website - every main range product has his own personal POV. As James told us, “It was a real pleasure to sit down with the whole range, with every product that is known and loved, and sing each one’s praises. I’m so excited that the brand also has so much planned for the future…. Watch this space! It’s great that the website represents us all: guys included!”

So, to keep you up to speed, James has picked three of his own personal picks to tell you why they are Fake Bake self-tanning icons.

Fake Bake Original

  

Our Global Creative Consultant says it’s a Harknett Must-Have because...

“I first tried Original when it was launched and remains a firm favourite both for myself and my clients. It’s triple-threat tanning formula works so well at adapting to your skin tone and type, giving a beautifully authentic finish. Original is the tan I opt for when it needs to last and fade naturally. It gives you a week in Ibiza, wherever your location.” 

Fake Bake Flawless

James names this as a Harknett Must-Have because...

“There’s a reason why Flawless has sold over a million bottles - it does exactly what it says on the box! It’s lightweight liquid formula with colour guide makes it suitable for everyone, whether you are a tanning newbie or expert. It glides on over difficult-to-perfect areas like knees and ankles, ensuring your glow is all over good-to-go!”

Fake Bake Flawless Darker

Why is Flawless Darker a Harknett Must-Have? James tells us why...

“Darker was developed when Flawless fanatics asked for the same luxurious spritz-on formula, but with a deeper finish. Its colour guide enables you to glide the product on easily from top-to-toe, and Darker’s intense formula means you get an extra-bronzed finish which lasts longer. The tan to go for when you want to look and feel super-glam and decadent.”

As well as all of your Fake Bake faves, lots of your Beyond Bronze beloveds are back. BB is our little sister brand, that’s super-affordable, with all of our Fake Bake innovation but the DHA dialled down a little.

And to support you all at this time, we are still offering free delivery on all orders over £30 and 30% discount for NHS workers. And now we are all getting out and about a bit more, our Hand Sanitiser is still doing a great job - don’t leave home without one!

Finally, if you have decided you fancy a career, there is a whole new website section devoted to building a career in professional Fake Bake spray tanning. We are still working to government guidelines, but our training is still available and we’ll keep adapting how it’s delivered as everything opens up.

We know it’s going to be a different summer. We know it’s been a tough year. We know for lots of you it has been really challenging. Thanks for all of your support. You are a brilliant bunch.

And if you want to know how our hair is, all we can say is this: we are never taking our hairdressers for granted again.

A huge well done to the British Beauty Council for their #BringBeautyBack campaign, ensuring that beauty services have now been allowed to start up again. It’s time to go and get those nails and all of your other beauty jobs sorted.

We hope you like the fresh website. We are always here to listen to your thoughts on our socials.

Now if you haven’t tried to turn a designer shoe bag into a mask yet, are you even a Fake Bake fanatic?

To view our re-launched website go to www.fakebake.co.uk

FAKE BAKE talks big looks at Paris Fashion Week and saving on staycation tanning…

 

As this very strange summer continues, most of us are finding our holiday plans are cancelled. When it comes to vacation time, we are all about making the most of our nearest outdoor spaces, and hoping the great British summer throws out a little more sunshine. We are still loving spying on fashion, but our binge-watching of Fashion Weeks has had to change, too: no shows, no FROWs and no sidewalk trending.

This season, the couture designers at Paris Fashion Week (so far) have had to get inventive. Now, we aren’t exactly top of their list of customers, but who doesn’t love to look at every look and dream? We then wait, of course, for the trend trickledown, when inspired-by outfits within our budgets start showing up. For the first time ever, the very best couture and high end designers have been showing their collections on their socials.

Fashionistas are arguing about whether this new way of showing fashion should continue post-lockdown. It saves time and costs and the whole circus of famous names turning up to take front row seats, never mind the air travel. It means even more people can access fashion viewing. But many are already missing the artistry on show, and for smaller brands it is a chance to make an impact. And for models, the shows are like a showcase for them: they can then get spotted for bigger campaigns. So the overall consensus is: bring back the shows, but let us all watch.

All we know is this: we love to spot a look, even if it is stationary and on a mannequin. And this season so far we have noticed while everything else is being pared down, the actual designs are there to make maximum impact. So we thought we’d curate our own, and then see if we can already adapt it to what we can access on the High Street and online.

Giambattista Valli

Does anyone do a big look better than Valli? He showcased his collection, Giamba, on supermodel Joan Smalls. Loaded with colour and sequins, his vision was all about beautiful, overblown glamour. We are all on board with that.

Dior

We wouldn’t have expected anything less from the house that’s bathed in couture history. The sculptural designs spoke for themselves, and if you are not quite couture level you can always opt to team your own looks with some Dior Air Jordans. A snip at just just £2000…

Chanel

Virginie Viard continues to make Chanel slightly more casual and wearable, but when it comes to couture, it’s always time to muster up something showstopping.

Team Fake Bake love a good fashion chat, so instead of getting in touch with the couture ateliers to place our orders (we checked our bank balances, not enough zeroes!) we had a good nosey online and on Insta to see what we could rustle up. Here goes…

Ultamodan Tulle Ruffle Maxi Dress

OK, so this isn’t cheap and cheerful but if you are saving on the cost of a flight this summer, it’s perfection. Plus, just the thing to wear when you are standing in the queue outside Home Bargains on a Tuesday morning, non?

Topshop Khaki Tiered Maxi Dress

We love this on every level. Great for chillier days, you can dress it up or down, and the strong colour mashes up the girlie tiers.

Forever Unique Ruffle Dramatic Maxi Gown

This one is in the sale: it would be rude to not pop it in the trolley. It’s still a bit of an investment buy, but gorgeous to wear now or put away for a future occasion. Like everything that has been cancelled this year so far. Come on, it’ll happen some time.

Philosophy Dress @linseycricket on Insta

Oh, our hearts. It’s black, it’s big enough to be bold, but tailored enough to show off your curves. We absolutely love checking out Linsey’s take on fashion, and she just has an eye for putting everything together in style.

Kirsty Doyle @jessflangan on Insta

We’ve worked with Jess before and she just has it. She already knows how to do bold. Jess has teamed this sculptural Kirsty Doyle puff sleeve top with her own pieces. We love this whole collection. The matching frill-edge shorts are for dressing up, the joggers add a hint of casual.

So now we’ve worked out that we want to go big with fashion, we also want to save a little on our stay-close-to-home staycation essentials. This week, we are saving some pennies to splurge elsewhere with our Beyond Bronze range. The little sister brand to Fake Bake, it contains all of our expert innovations with the DHA dialled down a touch.

These are our essentials…

Beyond Bronze Offer

An absolute self-tanning steal at £15.99 (half price, don’t you know?) this little wonder contains full size Beyond Bronze Self-Tanning Mousse which goes on like a dream and develops in 3-5 hours, and our long-lasting full size Beyond Bronze Self-Tan Lotion, which can be re-applied over a couple of nights if you want to go bronzed. Add in our signature Mitt, and you’ve got all your tanning finishes covered.

Beyond Bronze Instant Wash Off Lotion

For the price of a coffee and a croissant, you get your own ultimate skin finisher. We love layering this skin-tone perfecting product when our BB tan has developed and the colour guide has been washed away. Also, the best thing for a grab-and-go tan.

How are you all doing? We are still in that lockdown limbo feeling, where you still want to go out, but you’re not sure how much you want to. But we are a positive and hopeful bunch here at Team Fake Bake and we have been using this time to work on us, too. Our brand new website is live and we’ll talk to you about that next time. To us, it is simply everything.

Until then we might treat ourselves to a baguette, and spend the day daydreaming about whizzing around Paris (when it’s open) on our new Dior Vespa, to visit the all-new Dior store at 261 Rue Saint-Honoré, which literally has five levels of French fabulousness.  

Comme tu étais…

The full Beyond Bronze range is now available at www.fakebake.co.uk

Couture images courtesy of @giambattistavalliparis @dior @chanelofficial

You can follow Linsey on Insta @linseycricket

You can follow Jess on Insta @jessflanagan

View our fashion steals @ultamodan @topshop @foreveruniqueofficial @kirstydoyle

FAKE BAKE talks Miss Scotland glory to taking over the fashion world with Mhairi Fergusson

We meet so many impressive people here at Team Fake Bake, and some become firm friends. As a brand, there is nothing we love more than seeing someone we have worked with go on to be, well, even more fabulous. Meet Mhairi Fergusson. We first met Mhairi when we were involved with Miss Scotland back in 2015. Mhairi went on not only to take the crown but to take on the role of Miss United Kingdom. Since then, she’s forged ahead not only with her beauty work but now as a successful model and influencer, and campaigner - our Stirling gal has definitely got style!

We sat down with Mhairi, via Zoom, to talk to her about her life, style and her love of all things Fake Bake, obvs...

Mhairi, we first got to know you when you won Miss Scotland. Did you enjoy the year that followed and did it change your life?

“I loved my time representing Scotland as a Miss. It definitely changed my life and I learned a lot from my year. I have memories that will last a lifetime and I also gained some of my closest friends to this day because of Miss Scotland. It opened a lot of doors for me and I went on to travel a lot with work after - something I hope I can continue to do post lockdown! I had the opportunity to live in Cape Town where I began acting and ended up in a Johnny Knoxville film which was really cool!

I was originally away from home competing at Miss World in China for a month, where I came 18th out of 140 competitors, winning the title of Miss United Kingdom 2016. My sole reason for entering was to raise awareness and vital funds for epilepsy, which is a condition I was diagnosed with when I was 13. Throughout my reign I raised over £185,000 for my chosen charity.”

 

We love your personal super-glam style. Who are your favourite designers, and do you like to mix your labels with High Street brands?

”Oh thank you! I follow trends and influencers but realistically I can’t get away with some of their street style, though I would love to channel that vibe! I invest in key pieces for my wardrobe, such as designer jackets, belts, shoes and bags - my weakness is a good bag! Then the rest of my style is a mix of high street brands such as Zara, Topshop, Bershka, and Asos as fashion changes so quickly, however I do like to treat myself with the occasional luxury brand shopping spree.”

We know you are super vigilant about skincare, especially sun protection. Can you tell us your fave skincare tips?

“I’ve always had very sensitive skin, and I’ve got that Scottish skin, you know, extremely white, doesn’t take a tan - like ever! So I’ve accepted my fate that I have to fake tan even on holiday! I still use sun protection, with a higher factor on my face. In terms of day to day skincare. I’m in the process of sampling different brands and routines - a current favourite is the “Omorovizca Cleanser”. And a good toner is a must, I’m currently using the “Cowshed Chamomile Refreshing Toner”, I’ve also been loving using a mist after my skincare routine - right now I’m using “Monu Spa Rosewood Reviving Mist”.

You love your Fake Bake - what are your favourite products and how do you get your tan Insta ready?

“Fake Bake is the only thing I use!! Flawless Darker and the Fake Bake Flawless Coconut Serum are my go-to products, and because my skin is dry and sensitive I’ve found these products go on so well and don’t go patchy, they hydrate which is why I love the brand so much. Skin prep is obviously important, so I do exfoliate with the Fake Bake Coconut Body Polish beforehand, plus it smells so good. I also love the Fake Bake lip glosses, I never go anywhere without them!”

We always love catching up with Mhairi. She’s such a bright and gentle soul, and she’s brilliant to collaborate with. We have been talking a lot about the origins of our brand recently, and Mhairi is the skin type that brought Fake Bake to the UK, back in the day. Now, of course, so many of you with so many different skin types and tones love the range.

As we start moving towards getting back to normal, although it still feels there is a while to go, we just wanted to say thank you to you all for your support over the last few months. Whether you have engaged with us on our socials, treated yourself to some products, one of our Mystery Bags or hand sanitisers, or you are one of our valued NHS customers, we’d like to give you all our own round of applause. If you are a hairdresser, we know some of you are already working long hours. For everyone in the beauty industry, and that includes lots of self tan therapists, we hope the rules relax soon.

Until then, make a bit like our fabulous Mhairi, and go and put a tiara on. It doesn’t matter if it is real or imaginary, trust us it works.

Even on a Monday….

For all featured Fake Bake products go to www.fakebake.co.uk

To follow Mhairi on Insta go to @mazfergusson

To follow Miss Scotland on Insta go to @officialmissscot

To follow Miss World on Insta go to @missworld