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Image / Beauty

Marissa Carter On How To Master The Perfect Fake Tan: Boots Summer Beauty Weekender


By Holly O'Neill
10th Jul 2017
Marissa Carter On How To Master The Perfect Fake Tan: Boots Summer Beauty Weekender

IMAGE Magazine and Boots invite you to an outstanding weekend of beauty excitement, expertise and insider tips. Combining the hottest talent in the business, with plenty of special guests and generous hospitality, this will be a weekend of beauty-packed, selfie-snapping fun as we deep-dive into everything the world’s of hair, fragrance, skincare, suncare and cosmetics have to offer. Over Thursday evening, July 13 and all day Saturday, July 15, Boots, in association with IMAGE Magazine, will present a calendar of drop-in sessions, interviews, makeovers and meet and greets.

Ahead of the Boots Summer Beauty Weekender, we caught up with girlboss and Thursday’s act Marissa Carter. In the June issue of IMAGE, Marissa Carter shared her pro secrets for brilliantly bronzed, summer-ready skin.

HOW DOES FAKE TANNING WORK, AND HOW CAN WE SOURCE THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR OUR NEEDS?

False tanners produce a temporary pigment in the skin using an ingredient called dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA is a type of sugar, which stimulates the production of pigment called melanoidin. Melanoidin is similar in colour to melanin, the pigment produced in skin from UV rays. Melanoidin does not absorb UV rays the way melanin does, which is why you must wear SPF in the sun if you’ve applied false tan. The depth of colour achieved on the skin depends mostly on the percentage of DHA in false tan. Gradual tanning moisturisers that can be applied daily to slowly build colour usually contain between 1 and 2% DHA, whereas mousses and sprays contain anywhere from 6 to 14% DHA.

HOW CAN WE MASTER THE PERFECT APPLICATION?

A fake tan is only as perfect as the skin it is applied to, which is why having soft, smooth, hydrated skin before false tanning is key. Exfoliate well the day before you apply self-tan, paying particular attention to areas such as heels, ankles, knees, elbows and hands, as these are the telltale areas that tan clings to if they’re rough and dry. I recommend waxing two days prior to tanning, or shaving the day before. On tanning day, don’t exfoliate, but do use an oil-free body moisturiser, which will hydrate skin but won’t act as a barrier to your tan. Always use a tanning mitt to apply – they give the most even finish – and use a flat head, stippling foundation brush to buff tan onto your face, hands and feet.

WHAT ARE THE SECRETS PROFESSIONAL TANNERS DON’T TELL YOU?

Self-tan actually takes 48 hours to fully develop on the skin, so even though you’ll see quite a difference in your colour after four hours, you haven’t fully cooked until two days after you tan! Also, self-tan is actually colourless, and the only reason you see colour coming out of the bottle is so that you can see where you’re applying the product – it has no bearing on what colour your tan will be in a few hours.

WHERE ON THE BODY SHOULD WE APPLY EXTRA PRODUCT AND WHERE SHOULD WE MINIMISE APPLICATION?

A trick used by many celebrity make-up artists to make clients look slimmer is to apply a second layer of tan down the sides of legs and arms. This effectively contours the arms and legs. Be cautious applying tan to face, hands and feet. Less is more on these areas.

HOW CAN WE ENSURE AN EVEN, LONG-LASTING TAN?

A top tip, which I was given by fellow beauty expert Triona McCarthy, is to spritz your tanning mitt with a moisturising facial spray and use it to buff your tan into the skin. Genius! It gives the tan the added bit of slip it needs to blend evenly. I’m more about making tan fade evenly than making it last longer. To do this, lightly exfoliate with either a pair of exfoliating gloves or a body scrub in the shower every day and then use a moisturiser daily.

WHO SHOULD WE LOOK TO FOR INSPIRATION?

Kate Hudson always gets it right. She has a very natural, sun-kissed radiance. Millie Mackintosh has beautiful skin and rocks caramel skin tones. And Jessica Alba, Chrissy Teigen and Desi Perkins? tans are always on point.

This article originally appeared in the June issue of IMAGE.

 

TAN-TALIZING

L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Overnight Elixir, €25.99

No7 Perfectly Bronzed Quick Dry Tanning Mousse, €20

Vita Liberata Body Blur Instant Skin Finish, €42.99

Cocoa Brown Extra Dark, €7.95

All products available from Boots.

THURSDAY JULY 13, 6.15PM


WITH MARISSA CARTER

The weekend starts here! Join Cocoa Brown #girlboss Marissa Carter for a masterclass in perfect, safe, streak-free self-tanning. She’ll share expert tips on application, exfoliation and great fading, plus some smart tricks such as tan-touring, highlighting and the slimming effects of shimmer and tan-tone. The session will highlight the best of all Boots has to offer in this massively popular beauty category, plus plenty of time for questions and selfies.


Join us in Boots Liffey Valley at this exclusive IMAGE event, and meet Marissa Carter on Thursday, July 13th at 6.15pm.?Don’t forget to enter our amazing competition to win a €500 voucher for Boots!

**Sold out events will accept walk-ins on the day, however, seating not guaranteed**

#IMAGEXBOOTS #BOOTSBEAUTYWEEKENDER