How to fake a ‘French woman tan’
If there’s one thing that can instantly wake up the complexion and make your skin look immediately more vibrant, it’s a subtle, sun-kissed tan. Not the variety where you sun yourself without sun cream on holiday, of course. I’m referring to the sort of fake tan that looks like you’ve spent two weeks on the French Riviera – even if you haven’t. It seems that us Brits are in pursuit of this effect more than ever before: according to Kantar data, sales of fake tan in the UK have increased by 16 per cent in the past four weeks.
Of course, fake tan is the Marmite of the beauty world: you either love it, or hate it. In particular, it splits opinion in the UK because often the only “fake tan” we see is so badly done. We’ve all witnessed one too many slightly Tango’d complexions to put us off. But there is a lesson we can learn from how French women tan: most importantly, subtlety is always the goal.
There are now more varieties of tanning products on the market, so you don’t have to always arm yourself with a tanning mitt and a bottle of mousse (this is enough to strike fear into any would-be tanner). Whether it’s a face spritz, tanning drops mixed with your face cream or a body lotion with a hint of tan within, there are lots of ways to add colour in an easy, fuss-free way.
Try a face mist
Terry de Gunzburg, 68, founder of the beauty brand By Terry, created a tanning face mist inspired by her own French mother’s 1960s tanning routine. “She would create a strong black tea infusion in the evening and leave it in the fridge overnight. Once cooled, she would apply it with a small sponge to give the impression of a natural tan,” she explains.
The Tea To Tan Face & Body, from £22, contains black and red tea and is a self-tanning serum in a spray format: simply spray on the skin and it will give a gentle glow within a few hours. Pleasingly, there’s no streaking with this product, either. The French actress Marion Cotillard is a perfect example of this subtle, natural-looking tan.
Tea To Tan Face & Body, from £22, Space NK
Add some drops
One of the easiest ways to add a glow to your skin is with tanning drops mixed into your moisturiser, a method De Gunzburg says is popular in Paris as “the confidence of not using too much bronzer is very French”, she explains. Think effortlessly stylish Ines de la Fressange, or French photographer Garance Doré. The best tinted drops I’ve tried are the Whind’s Marrakech Sun Instant Glow Tinting Water, £30.
Marrakech Sun Instant Glow Tinting Water, £30, Whind
It’s hard to get wrong: simply add one or two drops into your face cream. As well as providing an instant freshness to the skin, it gradually develops a subtle sun-kissed tan, and it contains hyaluronic acid and glycerin for an added boost of moisture. So popular are the brand’s drops it has now launched the formula into a body mist, too. These “skincare-led self-tanners”, as Whind’s founder Hind Sebti calls them, are definitely a growing market.
A gradual-tan body lotion
Gradual tanning lotions first hit the market over a decade ago, with the ease and simplicity of a body lotion that you could, in theory, apply without a second thought. While they are far more subtle than tanning mousse, they would still sometimes leave streaks on the skin if not applied correctly.
After trying many, I have found the most effective gradual tan by French brand Gatineau. The Golden Glow Gradual Tan, from £20, is the brand’s best-selling product, for good reason. It develops a quick tan but only as a natural colour (rather than an off-putting orange hue). The tan fades evenly, too: I’m already on my second bottle.
Golden Glow Gradual Tan, from £20, Gatineau
Invest in a good bronzer
According to De Gunzburg, French women use more bronzers than they do fake tan (after all, Guerlain, the heritage French brand, brought out its bronzer years before anyone else back in 1984). A touch of concealer where you need it with a dusting of bronzer often negates the need for a full-on foundation all over the face.
The Guerlain bronzers are formulated with Moroccan argan oil, so even though they are powder formulations they still feel very moisturising on the skin. The Sun-Kissed Natural Healthy Glow Powder, £47, comes in lots of shades too. If you prefer a creamier bronzer, the Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Effortless Liquid Bronzer, £20, by Saie is foolproof. Simply dot on your cheeks and blend with your fingers or a brush.
Sun-Kissed Natural Healthy Glow Powder, £47, Guerlain
Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Effortless Liquid Bronzer, £20, Cult Beauty