TRIED AND TESTED: A celeb spray tanner gave me his 7 tanning commandments. They're game-changing.

Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your weekly review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellness. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Senior Lifestyle Writer Amy Clark learnt about how to get the perfect fake tan with celebrity spray tanner Jules Von Hep.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking my clothes off for arguably the world’s best spray tanner, Jules Von Hep.

The British celebrity tanner and Isle of Paradise founder has bronzed everyone from Kate Moss, Blake Lively and Sienna Miller to Poppy Delevingne, Lily James, Tess Holliday and Little Mix. And now, me.

The experience was more than a great tan. It was a therapy session. I left the bathroom of the hotel suite where Jules had set up for media interviews transformed. Not only did I look a solid 15/10, I bloody well felt it, too.

That is the magic of Jules. He doesn’t just do the best fake tans in the world. He’s in the business of making people feel amazing. (Here’s me feeling myself and my Jules Von Hep fake tan below.)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Not to sound like a wanker, but my heart feels so light today and I reckon it shows, greasy hair and all????☀️???? Have lived in this one piece from @cottonon Curve, big arse sunnies are @rubi_anz, sunscreen @meccacosmetica and @cancercouncil, shade-seeking behaviour by @calltimeonmelanoma and tan/smile by @julesvonhep @theisleofparadise ❤️

A post shared by Amy Clark (@theamyclark) on Feb 1, 2020 at 7:30pm PST

In an interview coming to the You Beauty podcast soon, Jules explained tanning is a tool for empowerment and individuality, but it's also about owning who you are, and looking like yourself. But the glowiest version of yourself.

All you have to do is take a look at his Isle of Paradise branding to see it.

This natural approach to fake tan is so refreshing, especially considering for some, being 'pale' is the worst thing you could be.

It's also why he's paid the big bucks and is flown around the world to tan celebs at a moment's notice (literally, he says he never leaves home without his passport, a bottle of tan and a tanning glove).

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by J U L E S V O N H E P (@julesvonhep) on Jul 8, 2019 at 7:15am PDT

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by J U L E S V O N H E P (@julesvonhep) on Aug 7, 2019 at 1:04pm PDT

Amongst the general chat about life, body image and why drinking at home will always be better than going out, it would've been remiss of me not to ask Jules for his ultimate, can't-eff-it-up fake tanning tips.

Keep scrolling for the celebrity spray tanner's seven commandments of faux glow. Follow these and you'll never have to deal with orange hands or patchy knees again.

1. Thou shalt exfoliate. And then exfoliate again.

Fake tan is really good at latching onto and accentuating any and every dry skin cell on your body. This is why you’ll never get a great result if you can’t be bothered exfoliating.

‘But I do exfoliate!’ you cry. According to Jules, gloves in the shower the night before isn’t enough. If you’re a regular tanner, his suggestion is to exfoliate once on both the two nights before you tan.

E.g. for a Thursday night tan, exfoliate with a good scrub or exfoliating gloves on Tuesday night, and again on Wednesday night with a chemical exfoliant body product like the MARIO BADESCU AHA Botanical Body Soap ($12), Skinstitut Glycolic Scrub 14% ($49) or asap Revitalising Bodymoist ($45).

2. Thou shalt not tan every single week.

Jules’ fake tanning schedule is two weeks on, one week off, and for a very good reason. Because fake tan looks crap on skin covered in dregs of tan residue. Jules’ best advice? Tan two weeks in a row, then take a week off and scrub right back down to start again the following week.

3. Thou shalt have a cold shower before tanning.

You know after tanning, when your legs look like they've got little dots all over them? What's happened there is your tan formula has seeped into open pores on the skin.

Jules always tells his clients to have a cold shower before tanning because the cold water will close up any open pores for a seamless tan application.

4. Thou shalt tan straight out of the shower.

According to Jules, the best time to apply fake tan is five minutes after you get out of the shower. This is because fake tan looks the best applied on hydrated skin. Freshly showered skin won’t drink anything up from your fake tan formula.

Another tip? Drink as much water as you can leading up to tanning to help keen your skin hydrated, and if you're tanning before going on a flight for a holiday, don't drink on the plane. This is a surefire way to dehydrate your skin and stuff up your tan, Jules says.

For more info about why a fake tan is the only safe tan, get this episode of the You Beauty podcast in your ears below. Post continues after audio.

5. Thou shalt moisturise before AND after tanning.

Generally speaking, you want to apply fake tan on skin that’s free from any barriers (moisturiser, oil, deodorant, fragrance etc.). The exception to this rule is dry bits.

When Jules did my tan, he spent time working moisturiser into my hands and wrists, feet and ankles, knees and any other areas where I have chafing or skin irritation. Then, after applying the tan, he went in AGAIN with moisturiser to the same areas. My wrists have honestly never looked so good post-tan.

His all-time favourite tanning moisturiser? Vaseline's Intensive Care Body Lotion Aloe Soothe, 750ml for $12.99. Bargain.

6. Thou shalt always remove deodorant before tanning.

This one might seem simple, but Jules said he'll never not have to remind his clients to come to a tanning appointment (or start tanning at home) without deodorant or antiperspirant on. When I went for my spray tan with Jules, I spent the entire day sitting in what felt like a puddle of my own sweat sans antiperspirant, but it was worth it for the tan.

This is because the ingredients in your deodorant will turn your tan green, hence why you might've found green patches under your arms after tanning. The same goes for fragrance.

7. Thou shalt protect your eyebrows and hairline.

This one's for anyone with fair hair or light eyebrows.

When fake tanning your face, pop some lip balm, Vaseline or moisturiser over your eyebrows and around your hair line to stop the hair from going orange. I would know, because this has happened to me multiple times.

Finally, I'll leave you with one of the most important things Jules said about tanning in our interview:

"The whole reason you are using fake tan is to look like you've been in the sun. You're not wearing it to look like you're wearing fake tan."

Words to live by.

Feature image: Supplied/Amy Clark. 

Have you got any game-changing fake tanning tips? Tell us about your experiences and tips in the comments below!

Mamamia's Tried and Tested series drops every week. Want us to trial and review a product or treatment you've seen everywhere? Easy, just send an email to submissions@mamamia.com.au. 

You can catch up on more from our Tried and Tested series here:

• TRIED AND TESTED: "I tried the Kardashian-style wig that genuinely looks like real hair."
• TRIED AND TESTED: I trialled Bondi Boost for 8 weeks to see if it's really magic for thin hair.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I tried 7 new tinted moisturisers in 7 days to see which ones are winners.
• TRIED AND TESTED: The $12 Revolution skincare products that seem too good to be true.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I had a HydraFacial, the 'vortex pen' that sucks the gunk out of your pores.
• TRIED AND TESTED: What it's actually like living with hectic "influencer" nails for a week.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I had cosmetic acupuncture, the ancient 'cure all' beauty treatment.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I had my brows laminated and now they look perfect with zero effort.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I tinted my own eyelashes at home for the first time. It didn't go to plan.
• TRIED AND TESTED: The $49 K-Beauty AHC eye cream that sells every three seconds in Korea.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I tried 7 new-ish concealers in 7 days to see if they live up to the hype.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I let a stranger massage the inside of my face for an instant facelift.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I used these weird-looking face massagers to see if they actually work.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I tried Sephora's new 'clean' skincare line that starts from $9.
• TRIED AND TESTED: The $69 straightening brush that's just as good as the $230 ghd Glide.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I tried 7 new foundations in 7 days to see if they live up to the hype.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I had my pubes 'sugared' off to see if it really hurts less than waxing.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I had my lymph nodes stroked for 90 minutes in a lymphatic drainage massage.
• TRIED AND TESTED: The viral 'exploding' nail polish remover that looks too good to be true.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I shaved half my face with this $10 supermarket razor for better makeup.