Tanning Thursday: How to contour with tan, according to the professionals

If you like to spend your weekend’s looking bronzed, Thursday is the day to apply your weekend tan. As a result, our second favourite weekday has affectionately been nicknamed Tanning Thursday. And this Tanning Thursday is a special one, as it’s also the beginning of a four-day weekend (wahoo). We’ve already selected our party dresses and we’re all booked in for a blow-dry – so now it’s time to perfect our gorgeous sun-kissed glow. We’re not crazy about damaging our skin, so our tan always comes straight from the bottle. That doesn’t mean it won’t be flawless, though. We asked two Irish tanning professionals (and nominees in this year’s IMAGE Business of Beauty Awards) about how to contour with tan so that we can hit the town with confidence.

Lynn Byrne at Mimi’s Beauty Room says:

Photo: Instagram @mimisbeautyroom

“Contouring is a great way to define the body and create a slimmer, more toned appearance. Everybody is different – my best tip is to work with each client’s own natural contours and muscle lines to create definition and tone.”

Olivia Foley at Allure Beauty says:

Photo: Instagram @allurebeautyandspa

“Contouring with tan is one of my favourite things to do and I tend to contour most spray tan clients. If you are applying tan at home, try contouring the tops of your arms. Stretch your arm in front of you and twist it towards your body – you will see the outline of the muscle at the top of your arm. Using a contour make-up brush, apply a layer of tan to the hollow under the muscle and blend. You will create the appearance of perfectly sculpted arms.”

Aside from your arms, you can use tan to contour (or tantour) other parts of your body too. For example, using a slightly darker shade of tan on the inner and outer sides of your thighs (leaving the middle of your thigh a lighter shade) can make your legs appear more toned. Finish this look by blending a small layer of tan down the centre of your shinbone.

Similarly, if you’re wearing something that exposes some cleavage, a fine blend of tan from the inner-side of your boobs up to your lower décolletage will make your breasts appear fuller (if, of course, that’s the look you’re going for. Each to their own, after all).

Want your tan to last until Tuesday? Check out Lynn and Olivia’s tips here.
Lynn Byrne and Olivia Foley are nominated for Best Tanning Professional in this year’s IMAGE Business of Beauty Awards. Don’t forget to register your vote here and click below to nab your tickets (but act fast as they’re selling out quickly).