The Strictly Come Dancing contestants burst onto our screens each weekend wearing glittering, barely there outfits – and, of course, deep tans!
We caught up with tanning expert Carly Hobbs, who is Sienna X’s Celebrity Tanning Ambassador, to chat celebrities, fake tan myths and how to get that Strictly glow...
What's it like to tan celebrities?!
VIP tanning is for everyone - I give all my celebrity clients,like Laura Whitmore, a super luxe, natural looking glow, and all my privateclients the same treatment. Using mist like Sienna X Express Tanning Mist, withso many shade selections, everyone gets a bespoke colour.
However, with celebrity tans I normally have to work a lotquicker - 7.5 minutes from spray to go - and often go a little darker thannormal so when they walk a red carpet or appear on TV they look flawless forthe cameras. I always love to add a layer of Sienna X Radiant Body Balm overthe top just before they do their TV, music or film thing - the flecks of goldin the formula pick up beautifully making the body gleam in all the rightplaces.
On average, how many bottles of tan would you use on ahigh-profile celebrity job?
On a massive job that runs, say, for a few months, and you endup tanning lots of celebrities every week, you can get through 50litres/bottles of tan, not to mention hundreds of pairs of paper pants andmatching hair caps!
How do you get the perfect Strictly-esque tan?
Prep is everything to get your glow Strictly worthy! Buff overthe whole body with Sienna X Body Polish, or even brown sugar and baby oil,this ditches dead skin cells and any patchy areas so the skin is super smoothready to absorb the tan.
Don't moisturise, but do rub a little cream over the elbows,fingers, wrists, knees, toes and backs of the ankles as these are areas wheretan can grab and give the game away. I then go for one light layer of Sienna XProfessional Mist – at home you could use the Sienna X Deep Self Tan. Alwaysuse a mitt, Sienna do a beautiful velvet one, as this gets your product andyour colour even, plus it makes the job super speedy.
Work it from the legs upwards and all over. Leave for at leasteight hours, shower off and then add a layer of the sheeny Sienna X RadiantBalm to give the tan an expensive finish. You can even use a little of this onthe tops of cheekbones to make you look extra pretty!
What'sa common mistake people make when self-tanning?
Not prepping and going too heavy when applying the colour can bea pain in the beauty bum when it comes to tanning. Do exfoliate pre-gettingyour glow on and then when doing the tan remember a little goes a long way -use a few pumps for the whole body, then using only the excess on mitt to goover hands, feet and face. Remember to swipe a baby wipe over the palms,between the fingers and over all your nails as well so there are no tell-talebronzed-ness left where you'd never tan.
What are your top three tips for ensuring a perfect tan?
1. Plan in your tan time, don't rush and apply the colour infront of a mirror, sounds a bit vain but it actually helps you get every singlecurve bronzed to perfection.
2. Shave at least 12 hours before your tan, shaving and thentanning too soon means the pores are too open and you might get little bronzedspots. Really can't fit it all in? Shave then rinse off with cold water toencourage the pores to close.
3. When you rinse off your guide colour, pat down with a towel,never rub. You have to respect your tan and buffing at it will mess it up.
Treat it nicely gently tapping it dry and smooth on lots of moisturiser andyou're good to glow