Louise McSharry: Want to fake a sun-kissed glow on your face? Here's how to do it...

Belfast Telegraph

10-05-2025

Many tanning brands have developed hybrid products which combine the effect of false tan with skincare ingredients. These serums generally give the face a natural looking glow, along with the plumping and hydrating effect of hyaluronic acid.
False tan can have a drying effect, which can cause problems for people with dry or sensitive skin, which is why this is a great option if you're looking to make your face match a tanned body, be it naturally or artificially. I like Cocoa Brown's Sunshine Serum (£15), which is easy to use and fairly priced
If that sounds like too much for you, you may prefer to add some tanning drops to your skincare routine. These allow you to fully customise the level of glow or tan you want to achieve, depending on how many drops you use.
Simply add as many drops as you like, according to your chosen product's instructions, to your usual moisturiser and you'll gradually see a bronzing effect. I like Pestle & Mortar's Glow Drops (£35), which are enriched with hyaluronic acid and deliver a truly natural-looking glow.
If you don't want to commit to a bronzed effect that will last for a few days, bronzing drops may be the product for you. These were made famous by skincare brand Drunk Elephant via its D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Drops (£35). Similar to tanning drops in that they are combined with a moisturiser or facial oil, they'll make you look instantly glowy and will wash off at the end of the day.
If you're not looking for an all-over tint, classic bronzing products will work beautifully. My absolute favourite product to achieve a sun-kissed look is Makeup by Mario's SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer (£35) which is incredibly easy to use thanks to its balmy texture.
It's almost impossible to make it look unnatural thanks to how easily it blends and melts into the skin, and I find the lightest shade looks great on fair skin without being too orange.
Unfortunately, the darkest shade probably won't work for people with very dark skin, an issue that comes up repeatedly when it comes to bronzer. It would be great to see improvement there, as there is no reason for international brands to be failing when it comes to inclusivity in 2025.
Buying Irish
Sculpted by Aimee is going from strength to strength, with major developments in the brand's skincare range over the last couple of years. The latest launch is a trio of radiance-boosting products: Brighten Up Energising Eye Cream, Hydrabright Illuminating Serum and LiquidGlo Brightening Essence. Each formula contains a carefully considered list of ingredients, like brightening caffeine in the eye cream and barrier-enriching niacinamide in the serum. I've just started using them, but so far I'm a big fan. These products are available individually, or as a trio for £60 via sculptedbyaimee.com.
Something old…
It would be easy to feel overwhelmed by all the hair products on the market these days. Once upon a time, you really only had products to clean your hair and help the style stay in place, but these days it feels like every second week a hair brand is identifying a new problem for them to solve with a brand new product. Not all of them feel warranted, but there is no doubt that humidity causes problems for lots us when it comes to our hair. Fortunately, hair brands have been pumping out products to solve that problem, and, even better, finding ways to incorporate solutions into products which also perform other tasks. Umberto Giannini's Weatherproof Hold Anti-Humidity Frizz Free Hairspray (£9.95) is a good example of this. It delivers medium-strong hold while preventing your style from being impacted by humidity.
... Something new
I've yet to try a Colour Wow product I didn't like, but there is no doubt that the brand's Dream Coat Supernatural Spray is a real favourite. It is incredibly effective at preventing frizz in humid conditions as well as protecting the hair from heat. Now, Colour Wow has taken its Dream Coat knowledge and parlayed it into a brand new hairspray. Texas Hold 'Em Big Hold Hairspray (£29.50) not only promises to protect your hair from the impact of humidity, but it also delivers strong hold and heat protection. Think big, Dallas Cowboys, Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias hairstyles, built to last. This product also offers a new 'flash-fixate' method of application which the brand says leaves the hair less wet, which certainly appeals to me. A thin veil of hairspray is always preferable to wet chunks of hair which often dry in solid chunks — I'm never really going for solid chunks in my hair.