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
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