How to get a natural looking tan every time

I am so excited that summer is almost here but that means that I'll be hitting the beach so bronzed skin will be the priority on my summer beauty list. As I am never the one to shy away from fake tanning, I will be sharing my secrets to achieving beautiful natural looking tan at home and without needing to sunbake on the beach.

1. The first step to every fake tanning routine should always be to exfoliate before applying any tanning product. I use exfoliating gloves which you can purchase from Coles or Priceline for $2 - $3 along with some body wash or Dove soap. No expensive or fancy products needed! When I'm in the shower I use the gloves to exfoliate on my whole body, paying particular attention to my elbows, knees, angles, underarms, décolletage and neck because those are the areas where I find that either absorb too much product or fade much quicker than the rest of my body.

2. Once you get out of the shower then it's time to moisturise. I use a light all over body moisturiser and my fave for years has been a Nivea one. I then put a intensive moisturiser on the areas which I focused on exfoliating in the shower. Once the moisturiser absorbs then you are ready to get tanning. If I have  time, before I start applying any fake tan, I quickly apply another layer of moisturiser on my elbows, knees and ankles.

3. Now it's on to the fun stuff. No matter what formula I'm using, I always make sure to use gloves because my hands tend to absorb more formula then I would like.

4. I start application of the tanning product from my legs working upward, doing my face last. I have pretty flexible shoulders from years of doing martial arts so I can easily reach my back. If you have trouble etching your back, either ask a friend to help you apply the product on your back or alternatively, you can put some product on an old towel and rub that against your back for even coverage. One thing I forgot to mention is that it is a good idea to put moisturiser on your face before applying product there as I find it gives better results. I usually use my dramatically different moisturiser by Clinique.

5. Once I am done with application, I put on some old clothes - which is generally a loose fitting dress which I like to wear for this purpose. Even though most fake tanners wash off, some don't wash off so well, so you don't want to ruin your nice clothes. I also stay away from wearing tight clothes as they can cause lines on your new tan.

Now it's just a matter of waiting for the product to develop and this largely depends on which one you used as they are all different. As a general rule, the longer you have it on, the deeper your colour will be. If the product has a long developing time, I don't mind sleeping with it and then washing it off in the morning.

After the product has developed and you have washed it off. The last step is to moisturise and keep applying moisturiser every day. That way you will get a longer lasting tan.

I hope that my tips help you achieve the best natural looking fake tan. Do you have any tips that I should incorporate into my routine?