The subtle tanning trend of ‘skin finishing’ won over obviously-tanned at the Golden Globe Awards 2016, says St.Tropez Skin Finishing Expert Michael Brown.
St.Tropez was the tanning brand behind the shimmering skin of Lily James, Louise Roe and Gina Rodrigez, who were all a hit on the social media waves. Professional Beauty talks to St.Tropez Australia Skin Finishing Expert, Michael Brown his top tips for professionals needing to achieve a tan that’s heading for the red carpet .
What is the best level of tan to aim for when tanning a client for a red carpet event?
“Gone are the days of the darkest of dark spray tans,” says Michael Brown. “If your skin isn’t that dark naturally, there is nothing worse than looking like you have altered it too much. Skin Finishing is now the trend, it’s all about creating a warm, healthy glow, rather than a dark tan. Also, adding highlight to the frontal ‘pop’ points of the body, rather than the entire area creates a beautiful highlight and shade effect to contour the body.”
What’s a top tip to ensure a celebrity is red carpet ready?
“I use St.Tropez Express Formula Spray Tan on all my celeb clients such as Jesinta Campbell,” says Brown. “When tanning their hands, I ask them to ‘claw’ their fingers – this helps the tan to get into the webbing of the fingers and prevent an uneven finish.”
What should a tanning professional advise their client in the days before a big event?
“The best advice is to get your skin in tip top condition,” says Brown. “Just as we would with our facial skincare routine [to create a flawless base for] foundation. Encourage clients to moisturise the days leading up to their tan; this ensures the formula locks into skin rather than just sitting on top. Also, all exfoliation and hair removal should be done the day prior to your tan – this will help to avoid skin drying out, which can lead to patchy, uneven colour.”
What is your top tip for professionals to achieve a flawless finish on the red carpet?
“A professional should work in a system, not just spraying bits and pieces at random,” says Brown. “Follow the body in up and down, slow movements. If the body curves, follow that curve – the body shape tells you where to go. Also, adding a little extra depth on larger areas can work to create a body contouring effect.”
What is a common mistake professionals make when tanning for an important event?
“It is essential that there are no tell-tale signs of a spray tan,” says Brown. “To help with this, protect the areas that have a tendency to ‘catch’ tan and overdevelop by applying moisturiser as a barrier. These areas include, the elbows, hands, wrists, knees, feet and ankles. Also, always wipe finger and toe nails with a cleansing wipe straight after a tan, as well as the palms of the hand. I also recommend using sticky feet for the client to step on, so the base of the foot does not discolour.”
Check out these A-listers who nailed their tan on the Golden Globes 2016 red carpet.
Lily James
Created by Jenn Streicher, Lily’s look was all about 1970s French Riviera. “We wanted Lily to have a subtle bronze glow, as if she just returned from a fabulous trip,”says Streicher. “Lily is naturally a fair-skinned English rose, so achieving the perfect golden shade played a major role in the overall look.
Get the look: To achieve the look, Lily was spray tanned with St.Tropez two days before the event “for a healthy, head-to-toe glow,” says Streicher. “To enhance the tan, I took St.Tropez Luxe Dry Oil and spread all over Lily’s exposed arms the morning of the event. The formula provides the most natural bronze and a very subtle shimmer that reflects beautifully off the flash bulbs of cameras.”
Louise Roe
Louise Roe’s look was more Grecian goddess, which was enhanced with a light layer of St.Tropez Self Tan Dark Bronzing Spray.
Get the look: Contouring was key to giving this look its statuesque feel. Another layer was applied over the natural contours of the body to enhance definition and provide an overall toned look.
Gina Rodrigez
Carissa Ferreri created Gina Rodrigez’s princess inspired Golden Globes look. “Our inspiration was drawn largely from Gina’s beautiful dress, “says Ferrari. “She felt like a princess, so we wanted to create something regal and fairy tale-like. The dress highlights Gina’s clavicle bone, especially since she didn’t wear any neck jewellery, so the gorgeous tan skin played a major role in the overall look. I loved how her skin was radiant and perfectly polished.”
Get the look: “Gina’s beautiful skin is one of her finest assets – I really wanted to play that up,” says Ferrari. “We prepped the skin with St.Tropez Tan Enhancing Moisturiser to create a flawless canvas. Then I took St.Tropez Luxe Dry Oil and spread all over Gina’s arms and décolletage to enhance her natural olive skin tone.”
Have your say: do you have any tips for achieving the perfect red carpet ready tan?