Q&A

The glow-down

We caught up with celebrity tanning expert and TanTruth ambassador Sophie Tague to discuss the importance of consultations and the role of beauty professionals in promoting safer tanning

You've been tanning professionally for 20 years. What's changed in what clients want from a tan?

“The first thing is that it's so much quicker and easier now. When I started tanning, it was a rub-on application and took about an hour. It was messy, and you wouldn't go out wearing the tan.

“Since spray tans came out, it's been such a game changer. But what people want most is something quick. People are time-poor these days, and they want a quick fix – something that feels good on the skin and looks good instantly.

“What I love about TanTruth products is that they're very wearable. Once you've had a spray tan with their product, it smells good, it doesn't feel sticky, and that's really what people are looking for these days.”

How should professionals approach creating a bespoke tan?

“It's all about fact-finding. What is that client looking for? Do they want a natural glow or a wow tan?

“I always say people have a ‘tanning personality’. It's about talking to the client first, rather than assuming that because she's pale, she wants a pale tan, or because she has a darker skin tone, she wants a dark tan. It really varies depending on the look they want to achieve.

“It's also about layering your tan. Somebody might want just one light dusting of tan on their face and something heavier on their legs, for example.”

What's the biggest mistake you see tanning professionals make?

“If people don't tan the hands by layering gently and making sure they apply barrier cream, the hands will always show.

“They're the most important area, but they're actually the trickiest area to tan. If you get the hands right, you're winning.”

You've tanned people for everything from fashion weeks to Strictly Come Dancing. Does that require a different approach?

“One hundred percent. When you're tanning for Strictly, the darker, the better!

“You can really have fun with that tan and layer it on. It's all about looking bright and vibrant in the clothes they're wearing and their whole look. For an everyday tan, you want something more subtle and wearable.”

You're an ambassador for Melanoma UK. What role can beauty professionals can play in UV exposure safety?

“People need to understand that fake tan has come such a long way. It's mainly younger girls who are still using sunbeds, and I think they assume fake tan is going to look orange and be time-consuming.

“I explain to people that one spray tan in the right shade can give you a much better look than four or five sunbed sessions. Not only that, but most tanning products these days contain ingredients that are actually good for the skin.”

What do you look for in a tanning formula?

“I look for something very wearable. People want instant gratification. TanTruth has a beautiful finish. It looks great straight away, but fades beautifully because it has lots of key nourishing ingredients.

“Fade-off is really important. We want it to look good not only on days one, two, three and four, but on days five, six and seven too. “I'm a real fan of TanTruth’s clear tan application, especially the mousse. You can go to bed in it without having to wash your sheets. It also smells pleasant. There are a lot of very expensive brands out there, and I think people sometimes forget about salon-based brands like TanTruth.”