St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – part 5

This is what St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss had to say on how the Red Carpet experience compares with fashion week:

“The intensity is different, there is always a short time frame, but with Red Carpet you’ll have one, maybe two people to work with so it’s a lot more personal, whereas at LFW you have 22 girls and they all have to look amazing. There’s a real team work ethic at LFW as the girls walk down one after the other, whereas with a celebrity they are on their own and need to be nurtured”.

Aside from the glamour of the catwalk and the Red Carpet, what tips does Nichola have for us mere mortals that want to self-tan? “When layering a product on, it can start to look flat and when this happens, it’ll look fake. It’s all about maintenance; you must exfoliate the skin. The myth about exfoliation is that it will make you lose your tan, but it actually brightens the skin and allows for the tan to fade evenly”.

Nichola’s second top tip is about application, “When tanning, you should use a tanning mitt. Put the product onto the mitt and then apply to the body. It helps you achieve a sheer application and there isn’t as much of a tendency for build up”.

So there you have it, follow these simple rules and you too can look Red Carpet gorgeous.

K x

St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – part 4

St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss continues talking about the evolution of tanning.

So what else is coming up next? St. Tropez has been making a natural progression into the skincare market with the introduction of its sun tan lotion and the Naturals collection in 2011. There are also developments taking place in anti-ageing skincare and the brand is looking to move into this market in the future.  Exciting times indeed! 

For autumn/winter 2012 Nichola is working on two shows, both of which happen to be her favourite designers, “I’m very lucky; I love Erdem and Roksander Illincic’s collections so working with them every season is fantastic”. Nichola has also worked with Stella McCartney in Paris and is gutted to be missing out on her return to London for a special presentation this season, but unfortunately this clashes with the Oscars, where Nichola is also in high demand.

In part 5 tomorrow: Red Carpet vs Fashion Week.

K x

St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – part 2

The tanning industry has gone from strength to strength in the past few years. People are talking about it, unashamed to admit they are using the products, especially since the dangers of the sun and sun beds have become more widely know, “Everyone understands it now” St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss says, “and St. Tropez has developed such great wash-off products that it doesn’t transfer onto the clothes and won’t affect any of the designers’ pieces if they use the models later in the day. It’s nice to have a presence backstage alongside hair and make-up. Models now understand that it’s not just about what’s on the face, it’s about the whole package. The products make everything look finished and give that polished look”.

Perhaps the reason for the industry’s change of heart is down to the evolution of the products created by St. Tropez, “They’ve really come on in leaps and bounds and are now so sheer and beautiful. The wash-off mousse is my favourite tanning product to use without a doubt. It absorbs the quickest, it dries the quickest and gives a great finish to the skin whilst allowing for an illuminator to be applied on top”.

In part 3 tomorrow: innovative products makes St. Tropez a trend setter!

K x

St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – Part 1

Tanning has come a long way since it began as a messy way of creating a flat and orange look.   The popularity of sunless tanning rose during the 1960s after links were made by health authorities between exposure to the sun, and other sun tanning methods, such as sunbeds or tanning beds, and the incidence of skin cancer.

St. Tropez is one of the best tanning brands on the market; a self-tan brand, specialising in self-tan, skin finishing treatments and bronzing cosmetics which was estabslihed in 1996.  St Tropez has a range of 30 products which include cosmetics, self-tanning products, skin perfecting & finishing products.

Over a mini series of posts this week, find out what St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss has to say about how times have changed when it comes to fake tan.

Nichola Joss actually started out as a nail technician and has worked at London Fashion Week for 12 years. She started working with St. Tropez six seasons ago and admits that at first people sceptical at having a tanning brand in elite world of beauty backstage, “The first time I did tanning backstage was for Julien Macdonald about six years ago. We had to use theatre make-up and everyone was like ‘get that tanning girl out of here!’”.

In part 2 tomorrow: the fashion industry’s change of heart to fake tan.

K x

Tryout a Trend - Bronzer (Facial Sculpting)

When it comes to bronzer you either get it or you don’t. Some people have a knack to sweeping it across their cheeks without worrying about it or even using a mirror, others, like myself apply bronzer in fear. Fear of looking like I’ve been Tango’ed. Either way I inevitably end up looking a little over-done. Unfortunately, bronzer is something that isn’t likely to fall off the radar anytime soon, so it is worth getting to grips with it.

This seasons bronzer is a little more interesting and has more appeal that just giving that sun kissed look. This summer bronzer is all about sculpting. Perfect I hear you cry? Isn’t it hard enough sculpting using concealer and other powders, not to mention adding bronzer into the mix? Well, actually by using bronzer to sculpt the face, you don’t need to bother with the other stuff to define your lines.

Use a sweep of bronzer inside the eye socket to subtly define your eyes. This will give you a look that says you’ve been relaxing by the pool in the south of France. Tom Pecheux created this look for Ferragamo’s S/S 11 show. Use your bronzer like an eyeshadow to create a beautiful, subtle luminosity to your skin and really make your eyes pop.

Ferragamo S/S 2011

As with all make up application, go cautiously. Opting for a bronzer that mimics that same colour your skin naturally goes when tanned. Also, avoid anything thing with too much glitter, as this will cheapen the look.

Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick is fantastic. It isn’t cheap at £30.50, but it lasts a long time and gives the right hues of colour. The formula is soft, but not wasteful.

Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick

Below are some top tips from Bobbi Brown herself on how to apply bonzer.

Application
‘Use a short, fluffy brush to apply bronzer where the sun naturally hits your face – your forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin – and dust your neck and chest if you're wearing a bare top.’

Formula
‘For a dewy look, try a cream formula. Gel formulas give you a sheer, stained look and are good for oily skins. Use your fingers or a sponge to apply cream and gel bronzers the same way as a powder formula.’

Colour‘The most natural-looking bronzers have predominantly brown tones (with a bit of red) to them. Avoid bronzers that are orange-toned or frosted; these look artificial on any complexion. Most companies offer light, medium, and dark shades. Pick your shade based on how you tan naturally. For example, if you turn a medium, golden brown in the sun, a medium bronzer is your best bet. Your bronzer should blend easily and warm up your face. If the colour looks too orange or obvious, try one shade lighter.’

Now, get your glow on, we always feel much happier when we have a tan! Even if it is false! For tanning tips see K’s post Tan-Tastic.


Ax