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In need of a tan but want to avoid looking fake? Follow these fail-safe tips and tricks from Vita Liberata tanning experts to ensure you get a streak-free, natural looking tan, every time.

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There’s a reason why self tan is often called a holiday in a bottle. After all, a good self tanner can have the effect of a week spent relaxing in the sun. In just a matter of hours your skin will be bronzed and glowing, leaving you looking instantly healthy and rested. What’s even better, is that by opting for a self tan over baking in the sun you’ll protect your skin from potential sun damage, helping to maintain plumper, more youthful looking skin. Win, win!

Why then do so many of us still worry about looking unnatural, streaky or blotchy when applying self tanner? Thankfully, gone are the days of self tan formulas that turn you orange. Vita Liberata tanning collection has been designed using Advoganic Technology to give you the most natural looking results. The organic formulas come in a variety of formats to make it as easy as possible to apply and to achieve the most flawless tan. There are, however, some steps you can follow to ensure you get the very best results from your tan. Follow these 10 fail safe tanning tips and get ready to glow, naturally!

1. PREPARATION

The no.1 most important step in your tanning routine is preparation. Imagine your skin as an artist’s canvas, it’s important to prepare properly to give the most flawless results. Start by exfoliating your skin with an oil free body scrub, paying particular attention to dry areas such as elbows and knees. Why oil free? Residue from oily products create a barrier on the surface of the skin preventing the most flawless results. Once you’re exfoliated, remove any unwanted hair and keep skin clean and free from any moisturiser, lotion or perfume before you tan. 

2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT FORMULA

Vita Liberata designed the collection to include a variety of formulas and shades to help you choose the perfect option for your skin type. If you have drier skin, one of the hydrating tanning lotions will ensure your skin is extra moisturized and help create an even finish. If you’re after a super fast drying tan, you’ll love our range of self tanning mousses that dry in an instant and are super easy to apply. Want to avoid any transfer to clothing? Invisi Foaming Tan Water is a clear, colourless mousse which is perfect for keeping sheets clean. As there’s no guide colour to see where you’re applying we recommended moving on to this once you’ve had some practice applying one of our tinted mousses first.

3. USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PRODUCT

One of the best tanning tips we can give you for achieving a natural looking tan is not to apply too much product. This can make for an uneven application leaving you with an unnatural looking result. A little goes a long way, and remember, if you want to go deeper you can always add more. Aim for 1-2 pumps of mousse for each arm, lower and upper leg, torso and chest.

4. USE A TANNING MITT

If you’ve ever wondered whether the tanning mitt is really necessary, then let us help you – it’s essential! The soft flock surface of the mitt allows you to evenly distribute and blend the self tan onto your skin. It also helps to protect the palms of your hand from the tan, making sure you don’t end up with unnaturally tanned hands. 

5. A NATURAL HAND TAN

One of the biggest giveaways of a faux glow is over-tanned hands, wrists and palms. Notice that your skin is naturally lighter towards your wrist, and the palms of our hands don’t tan at all. When you’re tanning the inside of your arm gently blend towards your wrist, making sure not to leave a line at the base of your hand. Once you’ve finished tanning your arms use the product that’s left on the mitt to gently sweep over the top of your hand towards your fingers for a natural coverage. Finally, take a damp cloth or makeup wipe and sweep in between fingers and over the top of knuckles to remove any excess product.  

6. NATURAL FEET TAN

After hands, feet are the next biggest giveaway of a sunless tan. Be careful applying too much to ankles and notice where the skin would be naturally tanned. Similar to hands, there’s no need to apply extra product to the mitt when tanning the top of your feet. Simply sweep the mitt gently over the surface and blend for a natural finish. Finally, take your damp cloth or wipe and touch up the sides of the feet and in between toes for a tan that looks like you just stepped off the beach.  

7. LET THE TAN DEVELOP

If you’re using one of our lasting tans such as pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Mousse or Lotion, Fabulous Mousse or Lotion then you’ll need to let the tan develop over 4-6 hours to ensure you get the best results. During this time, you should avoid contact with water and make sure you don’t sweat as both of these can affect the development of the tan and leave you with uneven results. Some people choose to apply their tan before bed and rinse off the next morning. Top tip, wear clothing that covers your arms and legs to avoid skin sweating during the night to ensure you wake up with an even tan.  

8. DON’T FORGET ABOUT A FACE TAN

For a foolproof faux glow, make sure that you give your complexion a healthy glow too. All of the Vita Liberata tans can be used on the face and body, either on their own or mixed with your moisturiser for a more subtle glow. For a customized face tan, try our Self Tanning Anti Age Serum, simply add a couple of drops to your usual skin care before bed and wake up with a natural face glow. Looking for an instant result? Apply the instant skin perfecting and bronzing Beauty Blur as a primer under makeup, or use on its own for a glowy no-makeup look.

9. FINISHING TOUCHES

Once your tan is applied and developed, there are a few finishing touches you can add to ensure your skin is looking flawless all over. If you have an event or party to go to, our Body Blur HD Skin Finish is the perfect addition to your tan. The instant bronzing lotion will blur imperfections and add a flawless, camera ready glow – it’s like an instagram filter in a bottle! 

10. MAINTAINING YOUR TAN

Not all tanning tips are about the application. How you maintain your tan is going to be key to having a glow that lasts and looks good. Thankfully, Vita Liberata products are made with deeply hydrating ingredients such as Aloe Vera, Raspberry and Melon so you can be sure your tan will fade evenly, just like a natural sun tan. To help keep your skin glowing from within remember to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and eating green leafy vegetables like Kale that are rich in L-Lysine. Want to further extend your tan? Apply our Fabulous Gradual Tan Lotion every day for extra hydration and a boost of self tan.

Now you have the tanning tips to help you create the most natural looking self tan.