Trying fake tanning for the first time at the grand old age of 33 might seem wild. Where have I been all these years? However, as a Black woman, the fake tanning world has always been unknown to me and completely unchartered territory.
I grew up in an age of little-to-no beauty content for women of colour in the mainstream media and fashion magazines, which is majorly changing now (and about time too). Over the years, I had acquired a bit of random knowledge by grazing pages of ‘how to’ guides, but beyond that, I knew little about the world of fake tanning.
At 33, now was the time to put that little knowledge into action – all in the name of a wedding I was attending in 2021 (not my own – alas!). It just felt like one of those occasions where you want to look your best – and with a dress lined up that was all open at the back with a deep plunge in the front and a split that would rival Angelina Jolie’s 2012 red carpet moment, this was my fake tanning moment.
While trying on the dress, I looked down at my legs and body in dismay, my feet fresh from slippers for the best part of 2020 and my skin tone feeling a little uneven from certain areas being more exposed to the sun.
Then whilst casually scrolling on Instagram, my favourite skin blogger Evie (who is also a woman of colour) was talking about using fake tan to get that ultimate glow – and that was my penny drop moment! I could fake tan my problems away.
Prior to this moment, I had honestly never even thought of fake tanning – it just seemed to be a section of the beauty aisle that was not for me. I was also yet to see a campaign that I really saw myself in, that even gave an inkling that this type of product might be for me too.
Armed with my inspo from @sknperfct, I went straight for the Bondi Sands Pure Self Tan Foaming Water in Dark. After a quick Google, I found the brand actually featured a wide range of women of different ethnicities in their campaigns. Finally: there were women that looked just like me in a tanning campaign. Where had I been, and when did this happen?! Maybe it was while I had the blinkers on walking past the tanning aisle in Boots!
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Google also armed me with information on how to apply my tan, which is more than could be said for YouTube. There was little showing other Black girls applying and at the end of the day, I wanted a little reassurance. Here are the tips from Google I ended up following:
- Exfoliate 24 hours beforehand; I used my favourite scrub from & Other Stories, and I applied with exfoliating gloves for extra scrub factor.
- Shave 24 hours before, and not again before tanning.
- Avoid deodorant and perfume before applying your tan.
- Use a thick moisturiser like the NIVEA Body Lotion for Dry Skin beforehand, but also apply a bit extra on the sides and soles of your feet where you don’t want the tan to adhere to.
- Starting at your feet, work your way up your body applying the tan with a tanning mitt in long sweeping motions.
When I went ahead with my first tanning experience, I made all the classic mistakes that I had seen all my friends make at 16. Tan on the soles of my feet – check! Tan on the palm of my hands – check! Not tanning that space between my toes – double check!
But after finishing, I felt and looked amazing so didn’t care about these minor issues (although if you happen to experience any of these, read our guide on how to fix or remove fake tan here). I was glowing from the inside out, and had that ‘just been on holiday’ feeling. My stretch marks were also muted and tonally I was looking nearly all the same shade for probably the first time in my life.
Responses from other Black women ranged from “OMG that’s wild – what made you do that?” to “I’ve used it loads before myself.” But many were intrigued and said they were inclined to try fake tan now after my experience.
I certainly don’t think the beauty industry has been including women with darker skin tones in the conversation about fake tanning for a while now however, and there’s still a way to go. At the end of the day, why not? There is definitely a market for it – as a first-time user, I’m sold!
Next up, read our guide to the best fake tan formulas around, as well as the best fake tan drops for your face.
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