Staff Review: Holly Julier's Year-Round Tanning Routine

Okay, so I'm going to talk you through my exact tanning routine and what I use to keep my tan all year round. So firstly, my absolute holy grail cream is the Australian Gold Peptide Pro. When I'm going on the sunbed, my first product is this. This is my main body tanning lotion. I absolutely love it because, for me, I just love the formula, I love how it smells, I love the results it gives me. It's got tyrosine in there, which is, it supports melanin production and colour development. There's also collagen, hyaluronic acid, amino acids, aloe vera, vitamins and moisturising oils. So for me, this is my initial colour-building step, just ensuring that my skin is super hydrated, conditioned and prepared before I go on the bed while using a lotion that's designed to intensify my colour. Hydration is the key step here. I will not use a cream on my skin that doesn't hydrate my skin because it's pointless otherwise. Dry skin will not tan. A tan won't last on dry skin, so that's why I love this cream. I do use this on my face, however, I do like to use the Outer Dark Facial Maximizer, which is something I would... I do like to use this quite frequently. Your face is different to the rest of your body, it's exposed so much more day-to-day. You wash your face consistently, skincare, makeup, the weather. Like if you're wearing clothes that cover all your body, but your face is out in the sun, so it's, that area of your face is just a lot more sensitive, so you have to be a lot more careful with what you're applying to that area of your body. So I apply this evenly over my face before the sunbed. Always remove your makeup first, you don't want to be having makeup on in the bed, especially not with cream on top, because you're just basically exposing your pores to so much bacteria and you do not want that. If you're someone that feels your body tans very easily, but you struggle with your face, then this is definitely one to add in. It's such an easy way to make your overall tan look much more even. Then, obviously, actually going on the sunbed. I don't, I don't go on the sunbed too frequently. I like to build my colour gradually, stick to the appropriate session times for my skin. I usually do 12 to 15 minutes. And the products are there to support my tanning routine, they're not there to cancel out the UV, so just be smart about it. And then in the evening after a sunbed, after I've showered, I like to use the Nantucket Nectar Devoted Creations Tan Extender. This I think is a step that most people are likely to skip. I used to be the same, I didn't think that it was important to use a tan extender. However, I feel this is a really important maintenance step to just get in the habit of doing. Instead of using a standard moisturiser, just grab a good tan extender and use that instead. Your tan doesn't just stop developing and then magically stay there. Your skin is constantly renewing itself, and then when it becomes dry and your skin cells shed and you exfoliate, that's when your colour fades. So a tan extender is basically moisturising your skin and helping your skin to stay soft, hydrated and conditioned so that that tan lasts a lot longer. I think if I had to choose one step that I would never miss and I would recommend you not to miss, it would definitely be a tan extender. I feel like it's a super underrated, underexplored item that you definitely should get onto if you're not already. Then, when I go on holiday, I do have a slightly different routine or when it's just hot and I'm in the sun. I like to use Even More Black. This is a hybrid cream, so you can use it in the sun as well as the bed. But I personally feel it gives me a better colour when I use it out in the sun. I just love it, I love the smell of it, I love how it just feels like a moisturiser on my skin, so it's, I'm happy to put it on in the morning and then just go about my day. And I do like to use sun protection if I'm in the sun. Occasionally I will... occasionally, no, I use the Australian Gold SPF 15 spray underneath the Even More Black, which is super important because SPF, again, is a step you should not be compromising on. You need to protect your skin and look after it. I know you want to get a tan, but getting darker isn't worth deliberately burning or damaging your skin. So, yeah, and then my favourite budget product, I would say the facial maximizer is definitely affordable. It lasts you a long time because a little bit goes a long way, and I... since I've started using one, I just wouldn't go back.