Okay, so there’s always a little bit of competition to see who can be the most tanned by the end of the summer right? Well why not go all out and let the Japanese Ganguro girls show you how you can definitely win!

Ganguro is a Japanese tanning trend which rebels against the original Japanese idea of natural beauty shown through their pale skin and neutral make up tones. Ganguro contradicts this completely by maximising their tan to a muddy orange colour, bleaching their natural dark hair to peroxide blonde and wearing bright colourful make up over their glowing skin.

Ganguro the word actually translates to mean ‘heavily sunburned’ which gives you an idea of the crazy look they are going through! The trend started in the mid 1990’s and reached a peak at 2000 where it started to fade out, however it still exists today with its popularity growing again!

So, how to get the Ganguro look? You will need a very deep, dark fake tan to cover your body and face with an extreme opposite white concealer to use as eye shadow all around the eye and as lipstick. Black ink is used as eyeliner with lots of bright glitter to go all over the eyelids and under the brow line with excessive false eyelashes to really extenuate the look. And if you’re going to go all out then grab a bleach blonde hair dye to top off the look, but I would suggest a semi-permanent because you never know how long you will be able to keep this intense look up for!

I’ve experimented with a few tanning products as there’s no way of getting this skin tone from natural sun! To get the right shade of extreme colour it seems as though the best products to use are the St. Tropez Self Tan Dark Mousse which is easily applied by evenly rubbing into the skin with a self tanning glove. I would recommend at least two layers. Alternatively the other tanning product which also gives a deep colour is the Fake Bake Xtreme Darkest Self-Tanning Gel. With this depending on your original skin tone you will probably only need one – two layers and to avoid a dark tan and get more of an orangey Ganguro look add a layer of Cover Girls Cheekers Bronzer Golden Tan 104.

After this you can brighten up the look with florescent face gems and lots of glitter which are all available really cheaply one ebay! Putting your hair in plaits or high pony tails will highlight the retro 90’s look.

I think after all my experimenting, I’ll be sticking with sunbathing and tan intensifying lotions this summer but good luck to all of you who try it and don’t forget to tweet us how it goes and we’d love to see pictures… @The_Perfect_Tan

Happy Tanning!

Tan Available At:

St Tropez Self Tan Dark Mousse:

http://www.st-tropez.com/dark-mousse

Fake Bake Xtreme Darkest Self-Tanning Gel:

http://www.feelunique.com/p/Fake-Bake-Xtreme-Self-Tanning-Gel-170ml

Cover Girls Cheekers Bronzer Golden Tan 104:

http://www.covergirl.com/face-makeup/bronzer/cheekers-bronzer

As summer is slowly beginning to creep around the corner it can only mean one thing, sun, sea and a natural glowing tan! But what extremes will people take to achieve the perfect tan?

I’m the first to admit that I have indulged in various different tan enhancing sun creams in the hope of increasing my chances of developing a deeper and prolonged tan, however, there are some tanning tricks out there  I’m not too keen on trying.

The  first tan enhancer I am intrigued by is the ‘tanning pill’ which is extremely easy to access with it being stocked in a large amount of high street shops, such as health retailer Holland and Barrett ,as well as being offered all over the internet.

The ‘pill’ contains a formula rich in beta-carotene and vitamins E and C which claim to help protect cells from oxidation during sun exposure.  It also promises to prepare your skin for the sun whilst activating and extending the tanning process.  Although, for the tanning pill to have its full effect, you must take the pill once a day during a meal, one month before, during and after sun exposure. Personally, all the preparation and after care all seems a bit too much effort for me!

A far more extreme way of enhancing your tan is through the use of tanning injections.  It works by mimicking melatonin and by making the skin produce more pigment, resulting in a deeper and richer tan. The injection was developed in the USA to try and help protect people from skin cancer, but it can have the opposite effect by making skin more vulnerable to sun damage and skin cancer.  Tanning injections are actually illegal in the UK and can trigger some very nasty side effects such as vomiting, high blood pressure and facial flushing.

The thought of going to the doctor to have an injection sends me into a frenzy, so I don’t think I’ll be willingly handing over my arm to get a tanning injection! So for me I think I’ll be sticking to the old school sun cream enhancers, however, each to their own!

It’s been a long and cold miserable March, with no signs of spring weather approaching anytime soon, so we have narrowed down list of radiant, affordable products that will give you the perfect transition from winter to spring skin.

Rather than going for the ‘month in Mexico’ look, shop around for gradual tanning products or light self-tans which will give you the perfect ‘weekend away’ glow. Even though the spring tan is a more subtle look, preparation is still essential no matter what type of tan you want to achieve.

 

Self tan tips

-         Always exfoliate in the shower and then apply the tan with one of our recommended applicator mitts (listed in our previous blog post).

-         If a patch develops, the citric acid in lemon juice helped to exfoliate tinted skin

-         Never forget to tan the back of your neck , especially if you wear your hair up!

Products

-         X-en Tan

X-en have several different gradual/ light tanning products which allow you to be in complete control of your colour and build your tan to the correct shade for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their most expensive product, X-en Tan Perfect Blend, is retailed at £34.99 and contains a unique formula which blends together to deliver a tan as dark or as light as you want. This product is ideal for achieving an even tan from head to toe, and even has a deodoriser to lock out the normal fake tan odour.

 

 

At £10 cheaper (retailed £24.99) why not try X-en’s best selling product ‘Tan Transform Luxe’. This luxurious product goes onto the skin clear and develops a natural looking holiday glow. It’s an easy product to apply and ensures an even tan.

 

Both Products are available to buy at X-en Tan’s website

( http://www.xen-tan.co.uk/products/light-tan/ )

 

-         Fake Bake

 

Fake Bakes’ ‘fair Self- Tan lotion has been formulated for those who want to tan gradually, so perfect for gaining a spring glow to your skin. This product allows inexperienced self tanners to apply with ease and confidence. Again with this product, you are in complete control of the depth of your tan.

 

 

This product is available to buy at Fake Bakes’ website and is retailed at £24.95

(http://www.fakebake.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d84_fullrange.html)

 

-         St. Tropez

 

St. Tropez’s gradual everyday body light/medium product is designed specifically to use on your body, not your face, and also acts as a rich moisturiser for your skin. This gradual self-tanner will build up a gorgeous glow over time and is suitable for everyday use.  They also have the same product especially for your face, and again cleverly acts as a moisturiser and a self tan.

 

Products are available to buy at St.Tropez’s website, both retailing at £14.30.

(http://www.st-tropez.com/gradual-tan-products)

 

-         Johnson’s

 

 

Last but by no means  least is Johnson’s holiday skin lotion which is available to buy for fair/ medium skin and for medium/dark skin, retailing at an impressive £5.10! This product has also been formulated for you the build up a gradual tan, whilst moisturizing your skin. Prefect products for students that want to achieve a spring glow at a very reasonable price.

Products are available to buy at Johnson’s beauty website

(http://www.johnsonsbeauty.co.uk/body-care/holiday-skin.php)

 

It’s always a tricky decision when you’re fake tanning as to whether you attempt to stretch around and tan your back, risking streaks that could give away your ‘natural’ glow, or just leave it because it’s too hard and hope it blends! You can of course cheat and get someone else to do it for you but sometimes that luxury isn’t available!

However there are some brilliant tips and products to help make it a lot easier to self tan your back.

First of all, the most important product you need no matter where you’re tanning is a tanning mitt. This helps to give you an all over even tan without getting tan all over your hands. Tanning mitts can also mean you can mix moisturiser and self tan together to create a tone of tan that suits your skin tone to avoid possible streaks that can no doubt accidentally occur.

Here are some good mitts available:

- From boots a Soltan body mitt, on offer at £2.66 – normally £3.99. Buy Here.

- St. Tropez applicator mitt, £3.57 . Buy Here.

Tips:

Start with the larger areas of your body first when you’re tanning, like your back and stomach and then work your way towards smaller and trickier areas like your ankles, neck and knees. This will let your larger areas develop and allow you to use less on these trickier areas allowing you to buff them down if they go too dark making sure you get an even natural tan.

If you have a budget then this cheeky tip will help – simply take your trusty tanning mitt and a wooden spoon. Rub your tan into the mitt, place the mitt on the spoon and this makes it possible to reach all of your back easily and accessibly. It may sound mad but it really works. If your having trouble with the mitt staying on the spoon then a simple bit of sellotape inside will keep it in place and come off easily afterwards!

Another cheeky tip if you’re struggling and don’t have a applicator to hand is to take some clingfilm, put the fake tan on the clingfilm and rub it across your back from left to right. This could be abit risky but when it’s all removed from the clingfilm then it should be applied evenly. Check in a mirror just in case!

If you’re one of the lucky individuals that can reach the centre of your back then a tip to make sure your back is still even is to start at the shoulder blades and work your way into the middle of your back, only using small amounts of tan. This allows you to make sure you’re back is completely covered and streak free.

Products:

A back applicator is a great and easy way to tan your back, making sure you reach all of it for even coverage confidently.

Famous Daves back tan applicator

This applicator is guaranteed to reach 100% of your back and makes it easy as the tan simply glides on. You can also you it like a regular tanning mitt for applying the rest of your tan. £12.99 available from Famous Daves website or Boots.

Xen Tan Hard to Reach Back Applicator:

If you’re looking for an option that allows you to easily take it with you if you’re travelling then the Xen-Tan back applicator is a great option. It also comes with 5 pads so when they can’t take anymore washing then you have spares available – they should last up to 2 years with proper care. RRP £13.99 available from Xen Tan’s Website.

Velvotan  Self Tan Back Applicator:

Try this back tanning applicator from Velotan if you’re on a budget. Only RRP £4.99 and available from Tesco in store, FeelUnique.com, Frangrancedirect.co.uk and TheTanBar.com.

In true Amy Childs style, she started last week in an unusual way; taking part in a spray tanning marathon to break a Guinness World Record.

It was nice to see Amy using her skills towards this unusual event with the donations raising money for the Wellbeing for Women charity. With 300 different tanning brands and salons represented at the record breaking event, Amy was there to help raise money, awareness of the day and represent her Amy Childs Salon, turning up looking very professional in her stunning purple uniform.

The event was a huge success, hosted by Professional Beauty at their show at the London ExCel. Over 34,000 visitors attended the two day event which had an array of 500 beauty brands and products being displayed such as nail care, tanning, spa brands and make-up. The Spraytan-a-thon took place on the Monday with over 300 individuals taking part to either spray tan or be sprayed. The record was a newly created, never before done record and was to make history by having the most simultaneous spray tans carried out in one place. Not sure why this needed to be done but it’s was certainly done in tanning style and Professional beauty achieved their goal of setting a Guinness world record!                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Not only this but with a minimum donation of £5 for each tan, atleast £1500 has been made for the charity, making the record an even greater success!

Although she was surrounded by lots of scantily clad bronzed and in some cases orange bodies, she looked beautifully tanned with a very subtle glow. This will have definitely shocked her critics that are so used to the stereotypical orange look that has been associated with the TOWIE Essex girls. Amy knows she has been guilty of this in the past but here she shows off her talent and the gentle effects of her own tanning range. And it seems the ladies she sprayed on the day received a lovely, healthy spray tan glow too!

With so many of the TOWIE girls creating their own fake tan brands recently, we will be battling them against each other soon to see which of the TOWIE brands comes out on top…

The X-Factor Makeovers… It’s that time of year again where X-Factor fever takes over. As many fresh faced hopefuls make it through to the live Saturday night shows they will in turn endure a serious makeover. It goes without saying that looking the part is equally as important as the performance itself. In the transformations of late, the first contestant to jump out is Nicole Scherzinger’s Middlesburgh sweetheart James Arthur. James who graced our screens back in the audition stage with his ginger hair and pale complexion experienced a new look for the live shows. James’s makeover, (including an obvious spray tan) was quite a transformation. He looked healthy, happy and confident as he strode out on stage. In most cases each contestant appears considerably more golden and bronzed than they did in previous auditions due to a trip to the tanning boothes.   In response to previous criticisms for over doing contestants in their makeovers Gary Barlow commented ”We’ve given them a bath, it worked a treat” choosing this year not to give his X Factor contestants the typical dramatic makeovers, featuring a lot of fake tan – that are usually featured on the show. There has been a fear with manufacturing contestants to make them appear more main stream and in doing erasing their original identity and what made them stand out in the first place. Gary’s contestant Kye Sones comments on the makeover process as “You stick with what works for you, so for them to change it, I know it wouldn’t really work out. We know who we are as people and musically, and that’s something we all sit very comfortably with.” It is true that the X-Factor of this year has seen a much more subtle, toned down makeover process than before, with contestants wearing less makeup and fake tan.

Gary Barlow, a huge hit with female viewers has shown us the benefits of a healthy and attractive tan in just the right amount. However, with people like Rylan Clarke prancing around looking more at home on the set of TOWIE, than the X Factor Finals, it is clear to see why X-Factor has received harsh criticisms towards its use of fake tanning its contestants. Yet in this instance Rylan was an extreme fake tan advocate prior to the show. Rylan openly admits to injecting himself with melanotan every day for a month and spoke publicly about his reaction to melanotan claiming, “I couldn’t breathe properly and thought I was going to die. It was scary.” With such shocking allegations he then admitted to continuing usage of the drug. Although Rylan shows the dangers that people are willing to take in order to appear tanned it cannot be ignored that a tanned appearance is society’s way of appearing conventionally attractive and so an important feature for those wanting to appear in the media.

It may be July, but it certainly isn’t summer in England, although this week we did get the good news and we may at last get a great British summer.

Many have already escaped the British rain and jetted off to country’s which actually offer sunshine, but for those of us stuck in England at least we may have some sun to look forward too. However, this should come with a health warning: British sunshine can do as much damage and is as strong as the rays we soak up on foreign sand. If you’re anything like me you’ll think the sun we get in England isn’t strong, even if it’s a sweltering 30 degrees, and will shun sun tan lotion in the hope of getting some kind of tan in the short amount of time we actually have sunshine in this country.

However, there is now a bit of an issue, the price of sun tan lotion. It has gone up and not just by a little bit, in some cases the price has increased as much as 75%. This price hike is due to the price of key ingredient, titanium dioxide, reaching a massive £3000 a ton, which is 75% more expensive that it was in 2011.

The English weather has seen a decrease in sales of sun lotions and this price hike is unlikely to entice people to buy lotion for the
expected change in weather. People will always buy sun tan lotion because it is required, especially when holidaying, however with such high prices, people will more than likely begin to buy the cheapest products available and be sparser with their use than previously.

People have been warned that a price decrease shouldn’t be expected until at least 2015. The price increase shouldn’t really be surprising considering the increasing cost of everything; however it seems that we just won’t get a break from spending our hard earned money.

All I can say is that while the price increase may be beyond comprehension; do not forgo this crucial product. It is really important that when in the sun you use it regularly to protect yourself and don’t think that just because you’re in England you’re protect from sun damage, you’re not! On a happier note, Happy Tanning and let’s hope the news of sunshine is true!

Now we are all for a good tan and we will try any and every new product to hit the shelves in the hope of finding the ultimate tan. However a couple who are going one step further to achieve the perfect tan are doing so at the risk of their health and we can’t help but think, is a deep, dark tan really worth it?

Chantelle Jones and her boyfriend Graham Thomas have admitted to injecting the illegal drug Melanotan and spending 12 minutes of their day, 6 days a week, on a sunbed; even for us tan enthusiasts we just think that that is way too far. It would appear that this couple are truly addicted to being brown and are severely risking their health while striving for the ‘perfect’ tan (which we think looks awful, but who are we to judge?!).

Melanotan is considered to be so dangerous that it is not licensed for sale in the UK and this daring couple have suffered the consequences, having experienced headaches, stomach pains and feeling sick. While, to us, these seem like a good enough reason to give up the injections these are the minor implications of using such a drug as it is thought that the long term effects could be fatal, including skin cancer, increased blood pressure and the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Now I never leave the house without a tan, however I, and I’m sure many of you out there, would not risk a heart attack or skin cancer while striving for the perfect tan.

It isn’t just the health risks that are a problem, the couple have spent so much money on sunbeds and Melanotan that they are unable to afford a summer holiday this year, now that really isn’t worth it, especially with the English weather as it is they will have no opportunity to show off their tan.

With so many unbelievable products on the market which are risk free and don’t break the bank, it baffles us as to why people would go to such dangerous and costly lengths. Cost aside, this couple are risking their health for the sake of a tan, which we think leaves them looking more like Oompa Loompas. The fact they have both noticed freckles and moles, but push the idea of cancer aside is selfish beyond words. All we can say to everyone else out there is do not follow in the footsteps of this couple and continue to tan safely and beautifully.

The festival season is in full swing, however some of the biggest festivals of the year are yet to take place but the weather is showing no sign of deteriorating to make way for a dry weekend.

While festivals are supposed to be all about the music, the fashion which is exhibited has become an important factor and the festival chic look is no longer confined to the muddy fields where it originated, it is now all over the high street. However, being able to pull off festival chic for an afternoon of shopping is a completely different ball game to being able to pull it off when you’ve got ready in the confines of a tent – and to those who can pull it off, we salute you.

This year will be harder than ever to put together and maintain the relaxed, festival look as the weather is so painfully bad. The rain ensures that your hair, makeup and clothes will be drenched in minutes and due to rain and mud being a terrible combination it means you’re likely to be covered from head to toe in the brown stuff (and not fake tan).

Now, being as obsessed by the other brown stuff (fake tan – like we really needed to tell you) as we are we have decided to compile the top 5 festival fake tans for you. We all know everything looks better with a tan and when you’re suffering from a lack of sleep, a lot of alcohol and even more rain, a tan is an absolute must to ensure that you look as amazing as possible. The following have been taken into account when compiling the list:

The ease of application

The end colour

Most importantly how long it lasts; after all it also has to last the whole weekend, to ensure that you can show off your finest festival wears all weekend long, without having to worry about pale, patchy legs.

TOP FIVE:

5. He-Shi – Dark Foaming Mousse (150ml) – £25.00 RRP

4. St. Tropez – Self Tan Bronzing Mousse (240ml) – £30.64 RRP

3. Fake Bake – 60 Minutes Self Tan Liquid (236ml) – £24.95 RRP

2. Xen-Tan – Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe (236ml) – £36.99 RRP

1. Vita Liberata – pHenomenal (200ml) – £37.50 RRP

 Just remember to tan before you go as if you tan on the day and get caught in the rain you will end up a patchy mess. The main factor in choosing the above was how long they lasted from first application; Xen-Tan can last up to 10 days while Vita Liberata can last up to 3 weeks!!

So go ahead and enjoy your festival weekend with one less thing to worry about!

Vita Liberata have possibly changed the world of fake tan forever with the creation of their new tanning mousse ‘pHenomenal’.

The majority of self tanning products currently available don’t last longer than a few days before a re-application is necessary, however this product doesn’t just last a week, it can last up to 3 whole weeks without the need for an additional application – we can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want to try this out.

Not only can it last up to 4 times longer than other tanning products currently on the market, but it also boasts being a streak free application and having no smell (two things that all fake tan addicts will understand the importance of). It is also crammed full of organic extracts which means that is it both kind to our skin and causes the tan to fade naturally.

There is no special application method, just apply it as normal with a mitt or gloves in sweeping movements. The trick is to shower
between 3 and 24 hours after the initial application and reapply the product. While it may seem like a lot of work in the first instance, two applications in 24 hours for a 3 week tan is definitely worth it – in our opinion anyway! To ensure the longest possible tan Vita Liberata suggests applying additional layers of the product as follows:

1 application = approx 7 days

2 applications = approx 10+ days

3 applications = approx 2 – 3 weeks

Just as proof of how good the product is, 90% of their customers said that it was the best tan that they had ever used and that they would recommend it to a friend and just in case you need further convincing, more than 77,000 bottles of pHenomenal were sold at Boots in the 4 weeks following its launch.

pHenomenal costs £37.50 for 200ml and while this could be considered costly, considering the reapplication is minimal, we think that it is worth every penny and we cannot wait to try it out and see if it really does last as long as promised.

Check out a YouTube review on our channel: The Perfect Tan