THE TAN COMMANDMENTS
A BRONZING can take you from pasty wallflower to a hot holidaymaker in an instant. It not only makes you look leaner but a bit of colour will help disguise any lumpy, bumpy bits. Plus a tan is a must with all this season’s neon brights.
But it has to be a fake one. Risking your life to be brown has long since stopped being cool.
There are hundreds of self-tanning products to choose from but if you want to avoid orange carpets, hands and dodgy white bits, a pre-holiday professional spray tan is a must.
The celebrities swear by two brands – St Tropez and Fake Bake. Their tans can last for up to a week and give a rich realistic-looking colour. Try the St Tropez tan at their Debenhams counter (from £15 0151 703 7062) or try the Fake Bake airbrush spray tan at Origin Rejuvenation Clinic on Castle St (£20, 0151 724 5052).
Origin also offer a Fake Bake club at £39.99 per month for unlimited tans – Hollyoaks stars Gemma Merna and Jennifer Metcalfe are already members.
BEACHY MAKE-UP
“THIS summer, keep make-up simple and light by day, but add a splash of colour to eyes or lips to be right on trend for evening,” says Liverpool make-up artist Liz Collinge.
“A flawless base is essential and ideally you should choose one with a high SPF and just a hint of colour. I would recommend Clinique Almost Make Up SPF 15, below, which gives sheer coverage and is oil free which will stop your face becoming too shiny in the heat.
“Cheeks should look fresh and natural. The best way to achieve this is with a cream blush such as Bobbi Brown Sheer Color Cheek Tint in Coral or Mauve. The translucent texture is easy to blend and very youthful looking.
“Eyes and lips work well in neutral shades for day but to transform the look for night-time, decide whether to emphasise eyes or lips and choose colours as dazzling as you dare to do this.
“A sweep of bright eye colour along the top and bottom lash line looks fab. My advice is to contrast with your eye colour for maximum impact ; MAC colours have intense pigments and are perfect for this look. Try orange with blue eyes, purple with green eyes and jade or yellow with brown eyes.
“Alternatively, if your lips are your best feature, make them the focal point. Orange and cherry red are great statement colours this season.”
