If you are planning on becoming a little more bronzed for your wedding day the safest option is to fake it! We would advise that ideally you use a product applied regularly in the weeks leading to your big day, that gradually builds up to your desired tone.

This way, there are no shock changes in your appearance, no unsightly dark marks rubbed off onto a white or Ivory dress and the tone will not be so dark as to make your new Husband look deathly pale on your wedding pictures together. Regardless of which product you choose to use, certain steps can be taken to achieve a natural looking glow without those telltale signs that pinpoint a fake tan.

Exfoliating is an extremely important aspect of the whole fake tan process. A patchy tan is caused by skin flaking off at different intervals. Exfoliation gets rid of the dead skin cells and provides an even canvas for a tan to be applied to. Avoid using oily products, as they can create a barrier that stops the tan clinging to your skin. It's best to exfoliate the day before you tan, rather than immediately before you apply it. If you're waxing, do it the day before. not only will it take off the tan if you do it afterwards, but if you don't leave 24 hours in between you can get dark dots on the skin where tan collects in the follicles. Shaving, on the other hand, is actually best done the day after a tan for the neatest result.

Choose a bright room with a full-length mirror, where you have enough comfort and privacy to be able to wait until your tan dries. Never apply your product with bare hands, wear latex or vinyl gloves. When you're actually applying your tan, you want to work relatively quickly; a long-handled lotion applicator will help you reach that annoying bit between your shoulders easily and without having to rely on external assistance. To avoid smudging the bits that you've already done, work from your feet upwards and do your arms last of all. Take care to get between your toes and round the back of the ankles, across the ears and under the armpits and carefully into your hairline, as that's where the telltale signs of fake tan can be spotted. Dab Vaseline on the hairline and eyebrows.

The dry areas of the body, such as the knees, elbows, wrists, ankles, feet and hands soak up more tanning product, making them darker. Apply a moisturiser very liberally to these areas thus ensuring your tan is as even as possible. Use a fragrance-free moisturiser, as those with fragrance can alter the colour of your tan. Mousses will generally dry quicker than creams or lotions. If your tan is still tacky, use a hairdryer on a cool setting to gently blast your body and help it dry. Try not to get wet or sweat for at least six hours, wear dark loose clothing and avoid underwear if possible.

After you've tanned your entire body, remove the gloves and apply moisturiser to your nails, across your knuckles and down your wrists. Carefully dot some fake tan on the back of one hand. Rub the backs of the hands together, working up past the back of the wrists. With your hands still back to back, briefly interlink the fingers. lastly, rub the wrists together, as if you were applying perfume.

If you are having your fake tan applied professionally such as a Spray-on-Tan, do still follow the exfoliating instructions before you attend your appointment and ideally go two days before your actual wedding day, this will allow any colour residue to be completely eliminated before you step into your wedding dress.

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