Maintaining that Summer glow

I don't know if it's just up North, but I've definitely noticed the weather turning a little cooler the last few days. I might be being a bit eager here but it feels like Autumn is well and truly upon us and I couldn't be more excited about it! Whilst I love Summer, Autumn is a little more my thangg. Cosy knitwear, ankle boots and a steady stream of hot chocolates is right up my street and I just love those chilly, fresh mornings you get in late September.


Having said that, there is one thing I want to cling on to from Summer. This year, I managed to get a tan! Only a slight one mind you, but I definitely have some white bits on the go at the moment and I'm keen to keep things that way. With sun being in such short supply in the North I've been reaching for a bunch of tried and tested favourites to hold on to that tan as long as I can!

You've probably seen the Clarins Glow boosters a thousand times by now. Customised tanning is the concept of dreams and with a promised hint of glow too what's not to love? Okay, so at first I didn't get along with these. If you don't give the instructions a quick once over you might not notice that there's a button on the bottom to dispense the product. You might spend countless evenings wildly shaking the bottle to get it to actually come out. And you might find yourself moaning that the tiny drizzle that did come out didn't give you any colour at all. But this story doesn't end there!



Once I'd got the knack of actually dispensing the thing, I think I got a little carried away in my quest for gorgeous bronzed skin. During a bit of a moisturiser drought I used a lot of drops with the last tiny scrapings of my moisturiser. When I awoke the next morning I looked more like I was channelling patchy giraffe chic rather than the I've just spent two weeks in the South of France look I was going for.

A little bit more trial and error and I think I finally have this nailed. Both of the Clarins Golden Glow boosters give the most beautiful, natural colour. The customisable idea means that you can have as much or as little of a tan as you want and you can work your way up to your desired shade if you're a little nervous of fake tanning. And as long as you moisturise evenly ( and be generous with your moisturiser) you get a beautiful streak free tan. Unlike other self tanners I've actually been finding this so convenient. I like to moisturise before bed anyway so adding a couple of drops of this seems much less of a fuss than reaching for my tanning mitt. Plus, you get to skip the whole dancing round the room and waiting to dry phase too. Winner.

Another product I've been loving is the body shop's Shimmering Dry Oil in the golden honey. This silky oil smells amazing and a little on bare legs does wonders. There's a subtle shimmer to make skin look really healthy and a slight hint of colour too. I find it really helps enhance my tan and on holiday I was whacking on a good dose every night after a day by the pool. It also has a lovely non-greasy finish too so you're not waiting around for yonks before you can get dressed and it won't transfer on to those lovely holiday whites!

What are your favourite products for enhancing your glow?!