Prepare your skin for tan

 “The biggest mistake people make is not spending enough time prepping their skin,” says Amanda.  

“Make sure to exfoliate off all dead skin cells before application using a glycolic acid-filled scrub, which will renew the skin and hydrate it at the same time.”  

This will leave an uber-smooth canvas that’ll hold on to tan for longer and allow product to blend more seamlessly. 

Choosing the right fake tan shade 

“It really is so important to work with your natural colouring,” Amanda explains.

“People want to deepen their tan so head straight to dark, but this doesn’t always suit their skin. Instead, opt for formulas that work with the natural tone of your skin which will ensure that you end up looking as if you have tanned naturally in the sun.”

Olive skin tones tend to have a slight green or yellow shade to them in summer, and can appear ashy or grey in winter - so to avoid sallow skin all-year-round, get your mitts on a self tan designed for olive skin tones as this works to counteract these undertones and mimic the way your skin would naturally react to the sun. 

Ditch the tanning mitt 

It has long been believed that a tanning mitt is the best way to apply fake tan – but according to Amanda brushing your tan on is the way forward.

“Use a brush to buff product into the skin,” she advises. “it’ll not only make your tan look less streaky (product blends better into knuckles, feet, ankles, etc), but it’ll also help the product reach a deeper level of the skin’s epidermis to ensure that your glow lasts longer.”

Just remember to keep blending and applying in an upwards and outwards direction to add definition, contour and sculpt your face and body.