The final days of warm weather are here: Cutoffs will be replaced by culottes, sun hats will be swapped for beanies, and lightweight serums are headed to the back of the medicine cabinets to make way for fall’s richer formulas. But the impending shorter days don’t have to mean the end of just-back-from-vacation, lit-from-within skin. So, with Labor Day in the proverbial rearview, we asked James Read, the London-based faux-tanning expert, for advice on keeping that sun-kissed glow just a little longer.
“I love the [James Read Tan] Accelerator to prolong my tan,” says Read, who recommends applying the melanin-stimulating cream immediately following sun exposure or a spray tan to help enhance and preserve the color. If a desired glow starts fading faster than expected, he says replicating it is as simple as applying a wash-off self-tanner (like St. Tropez Tanning Essentials One Night Only): “Leave on for thirty minutes to set the base [color] and wash off,” to prevent getting too dark. An even simpler daily ritual will ensure that color doesn’t budge for months: “Mix a teaspoon of gradual self-tanner with your regular moisturizer,” (he recommends Sisley Paris Confort Extrême Body Cream) and apply to skin with a mitt for a flawless finish.
