As Fake Bake returns to the UK, Nancy Buckland Kirk shares her self-tan favourites to keep you glowing through autumn

23rd August 2022 Comments (0) Beauty, Lifestyle Like

The last three years have been a real time of change in the beauty industry, as brands have changed and altered, popped up and popped out. Anyone running a beauty brand will have had to deal with so many challenges in terms of getting each and every product from the research stage to the buyers’ beauty bags.

So I was thrilled to hear that Fake Bake, a brand I have loved for over two decades, is back in the UK after a little vacation. Now under new ownership and direction, and with some fresh launches to add to its iconic roster, it may have been born over 25 years ago in the US, but as the world’s leading independent tanning brand, it has always had a huge fan base in the UK, in terms of both its retail products as well as its professional salon formulations.

So what’s all the love about? I can honestly say, Fake Bake produces the best quality formulations in the most innovative ways. They don’t launch new products constantly, which I actually like. There’s nothing more overwhelming than constantly trying something that’s just been produced for the sake of it. Anything they do launch has to be, to be quite frank, a brilliant performer. Being the first company to use a combination of DHA and Erythrulose to produce natural, long-lasting results, the range allows you to choose your level of tan according to your own skin tone.

When I first started using Fake Bake, it was purely about the tan for me. Two decades on, and it needs to be a product which performs on lots of levels. I have dry skin, pigmentation and let’s just say, my skin texture isn’t as springy as it used to be. So within Fake Bake UK’s golden portfolio, these are the three Fake Bake beauties which I am glad to see returning:

Fake Bake Flawless Coconut Serum Self-Tan for Face and Body with Exfoliating Mitt (£29.99)

This is the gold standard of self-tanners, based around the brand’s award-winning Flawless formula. It comes with a colour guide, so you can see where you are applying it, and its lightweight, serum formula is packed with skincare goodies including coconut oil, hyaluronic acid, glycerine and silk amino acids, which hydrate your skin beautifully. I love that I can use the same product on my face and body with ease, and it lasts for days, and fades evenly, not a streak or patch in sight. Having written about self-tanning products for what seems like an age, it is rare to get the applicator right. Wearing a rubber glove inside a mitt might protect your palms but it is hard to control. This mitt is already lined, so it’s just genius.

Welcome back, Fake Bake Flawless. You are simply irreplaceable.

Fake Bake Body Glow Bronzing Glow Bronzing Lotion for Face and Body (£14.95)

When it comes to applying a product to give you an instant, all-over glow, then this formula has been hard to better. It is gently moisturising, and its subtle molten flecks help you create your own golden hour for your skin. I apply it the day or evening after using self-tan, as it adds extra definition and covers a multitude of imperfections. There is nothing wrong with them, but a little bit of golden help from this lotion goes a long way.

Fake Bake Bronzing Powder for Face and Body (£24.95)

This creamy bronzer has a triple-pigmented formula so you can go from a light dusting to something a little more dramatic. Like everything in the range, it lasts and lasts, so is great value. I use this sparingly, but I love the density of the shade, and the mirrored compact is a handy addition to any prized handbag or tote.

I caught up with two of my closest colleagues in the industry, who I am proud to also call friends, to ask them all about the relaunch of this iconic tanning brand.

James Harknett, who is simply the country’s foremost tanning expert, has worked with everyone from David Gandy to Lady Kitty Spencer, and with every glossy worth its style salt. As Fake Bake’s Global Creative Consultant he told me:

‘I am just delighted that Fake Bake is back where it belongs. Whether I am working at my base at the W Spa at the W Hotel in London, or at an editorial or advertising shoot, the Fake Bake professional formulas I use allow me to create the most luxurious, tailored-to-fit, seamless tans for everyone, from every demographic and age group. I love collaborating with the brand, and its ethos, and whether I am working with an A-lister, a bride (or groom!) or a new client for the first time, I know that I will be able to give them a tanning finish they will love, and enjoy, and hopefully return to me for.’

Victoria Halliday, of Victoria Halliday Consultancy, has over a decade’s worth of experience in the tanning and beauty industry, and is enjoying working with Fake Bake as it returns to our shores. Vic told me:

‘I am just so thrilled Fake Bake is back – let’s just say it is a brand which has been missed, and summer 2022 has been the perfect time to bring it back to the UK. Fans of the retail arm of Fake Bake I know are already delighted that their faves and must-haves are returning, and professional therapists are happy to have Fake Bake back on their beauty menus. The brand also has a lot of exciting plans for the future, and I’m really looking forward to watching them unfold.’

As for me, I am just glad to have my favourite self-tanner back in my life. I have tried, and tested, virtually everything on the market in my time, and I have never, ever been able to find anything to match my Flawless. What can I say? Fake Bake, it was love at first tan.

Fake Bake is available from a number of stockists online including:

https://www.idealworld.tv/gb/beauty/brand–fake+bake

You can also view and order at:

Feel Unique, Studio, Amazon, JD Williams, Very and Debenhams.

For more information about Fake Bake go to:

https://www.fakebaketanning.co.uk

https://www.instagram.com/fakebake_uk/