My friend’s little boy calls me Auntie Super-Tanned Hands, which may give you an indication of a) how much I love a fake tan and b) how wrong I often get the shade. So when the first assignment for the Zest Bridal Blog pings into my inbox, subject head: ‘Who wants to test a spray tan after work?’, my Super-Pale Hands are quick off the mark, replying to get in there first. Turns out the clever peeps at BeauBronz have developed the perfect formula for brides, so off I trot to put it to the test.
Stepping out of the hustle and bustle of rush-hour London and into the sanctuary of The Spa at Brown’s Hotel, I feel immediately calm and relaxed – I swear the dim lighting and plinky-plonky music slows my heart rate as soon as I walk in. The therapist explains the three-step BeauBronz technique to me (exfoliation, tan, hydrating tan lock) then suggests I opt for the‘Bronz Forever’ solution – it’s for English rose skin types with blonde or red hair, so it’s a no-brainer for my freckled skin and strawberry-blonde-not-ginger hair. It takes everything I have not to blurt, ‘No, make me darker!’ – especially when I clock the Bronz Quick Tan Fix bottle, ‘a super tan that develops in just two hours', but I remind myself I don’t want my guests to think David Dickinson’s walking down the aisle, so I keep schtum.
I strip off, bar a pair of paper pants, and the exfoliation process starts: the therapist sprays a pre-tan hydrating and exfoliation spray onto my skin, then gently rubs a cloth over the areas she’s sprayed to slough off dead skin cells and any trace of oils or perfumes. This is ideal – I only found out about the tan at work, so hadn’t exfoliated in advance, but this takes the worry out of the pre-tan prep. Now it’s tan time! The therapist sprays the light mist all over my face and body, instructing me how to stand so each area is evenly covered, and when not to breathe in. Next, it’s time for the Hydrating Tan Lock, a moisturising formula that locks in the colour – and smells delish.
I leave it a few minutes, get dressed and head out to meet some girlfriends for dinner – and something incredible happens: I don’t change colour throughout the meal. Not only that, but people don’t stare at me on the bus home, wondering what unfortunate genetic mishap has occurred to leave an Asian girl with such bright strawberry-blonde-not-ginger hair, and when I get home, my fiance doesn’t laugh/roll his eyes/tell me not to go anywhere near the cream sofa, but says I look lovely. I’m a bit unnerved, but a quick check of the tan line left by the paper pants confirms I'm definitely a few shades darker than I was this morning. A subtle tan that doesn’t require preparation, doesn’t smell of stale biscuits and doesn’t provoke abuse from friends, family or the general public? Who knew?
The next day, I shower off the excess and turn up at work to compliments about how natural, healthy and glowy I look. Hurrah! I can notice a difference, too – I definitely have all the benefits of my usual DIY tan experiments: brighter eyes, hair, teeth and nails and the confidence to show off my limbs, but without the sniggers, pointing, camouflaging into orange walls or smelling like a digestive. And nearly a week on, I’m still all bronzed and glowy. This is a definite front-runner for the wedding day tan.
Thank you, BeauBronz, for showing me the light!
Visit BeauBronz for more info.
