A beginners guide to semi-successful tanning

I've never been a big tanner. When I was at uni I didn't fake tan for a night out and tinted Garnier moisturiser was as adventurous as I got. But last year I decided to give the bronze glow a go and fell head over heels in love with the new tanned me. I've not got to the point where I crack out the tan for a random Wednesday at work but if I'm going out (not very often) or heading somewhere fancy (also not very often) then I get my tan on. I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my love for the products that make my glow possible, and trust me when I say they are beginner friendly - because I am very much a tanning beginner.

I mentioned in a post last week about the St Tropez Express Tan kit which I think is pretty amazing for the price and is perfect for someone like me who doesn't tan very often and wouldn't go through an entire bottle over the summer. It comes with an exfoliator, a moisturiser, a mini bottle of the Express Tan and a mitt. I exfoliate 24 hours before I tan (because that's what the instructions say and as I'm always terrified it's going to go wrong, I stick to the steps) and I like the exfoliator because it's gritty but it's a fine grit and doesn't feel like I'm ripping half of my skin off. On D-Day I usually have a quick shower to make sure I'm clean and moisturise my arms, elbows, knees and heels (as I said I go a bit OTT with the instructions). Now, when I apply this tan I literally go over the same areas about five times with my mitt to rub it in to make sure I have no lines and I don't miss anything. It's pretty easy to see where you've been already with this tan which is why it's quite a full proof option for beginners. I also like this tan because you don't have to sleep in it, I just wait three hours for it to get to its darkest and then wash it off, pop a bit of the moisturiser from the kit on and I'm done! By the next morning you look like you've spent a few days soaking up some sun and not sitting in a dark bedroom catching up on Love Island...not that I'm speaking from experience.

When I began my tanning journey last year I didn't tan my face but after there was the whole hype surrounding Isle of Paradise I really wanted to give the Self Tanning Drops a go. I really love this product. Don't get me wrong, I do find it terrifying to use because I imagine if it went wrong it would go terrible but it's like magic. I've used it a few times and three drops gets me the same colour as my freshly tanned body which is going from pasty white to slightly sun kissed. I just drop it into my moisturiser, really rub it in to my face, including up to my hairline and down my neck, and then wash my hands. Wake up (after sleeping on my back in a desperate attempt to not make it patchy) and my face now matches my body. Hooray!

Are you a serial tanner or a fake bake beginner?