Regular readers may have noticed that we’ve been writing quite a bit about the Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar lately. It may not be quite as big as some of the UK’s other Harvey Nichols stores, but this dedicated beauty destination has been packing quite a punch, drawing some of the biggest names in beauty to Liverpool (often in person).
Last month, His & Hers had heard a rumour that Amanda Harrington (the woman behind the Hollywood A-listers’ tans) would be paying a visit to the Beauty Bazaar to mark the launch of her self-tanning range into the store. Naturally, we couldn’t resist clearing the His & Hers diary for the morning to hear the woman behind Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper’s tans (not to mention the golden glow of countless other A-listers) talk tanning!
Amanda has been called the “Michelangelo of tanning” and is often called upon to make film stars and cover stars alike look like they have a natural sunkissed glow.
What we learnt: Amanda Harrington talked about the early days of her career when she’d be called upon to give various celebrities a spray tan to prepare them for shoots, filming and red carpet events.
Amanda explained her frustration at the limitations of spray tans, which she found hard to direct as precisely as she wanted to, drying to the skin, and no fun to breathe in. However, having lost her father to skin cancer, she felt strongly about encouraging her clients to get a tanned look without risking any sun damage to their skin. So she set about creating a tanning method that would give her the flawless results that she wanted for her high profile clients.
As a trained body artist, it’s perhaps no surprise that Amanda Harrington was drawn to using brushes to direct your tan exactly where you want it, making it easy to build the colour and contour.
If you’re using her self-tanning range for the face, you simply prep with a primer which contains hyaluronic acid (one of His & Hers’ favourite skincare ingredients) to hydrate, smooth and plump the skin, and which delivers a gradual self-tan. This can be applied every two to three days for a sun-kissed glow. Then spray two pumps of the face mist onto the face lifter brush and apply it in circular motions, intensifying the colour where you need it the most (hello cheekbones!)
The result is a natural looking tan which is incredibly easy to apply and control.
His & Hers’ verdict: This is the next-generation self-tan that you didn’t know you needed. Forget applying self-tan and hoping for the best and embrace a tan that’s as easy to control as your trusty bronzer, but which lasts for days. Once you’ve tried applying your self-tan to the body with a brush, you’ll wonder how you ever got by with a tanning mitt (plus, we rather like the idea of subtly shading areas of the body to hone and tone where the gym hasn’t just yet!)
The Amanda Harrington London tanning range is now available at the Beauty Bazaar.
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