I'm as pale as a milk bottle. Whiter than white. Always have been. Sometimes red, then white again. I'm not made for the sun. You get my drift don't you?! Just my luck, the thing all us women know; you always look better brown. Luckily for me the natural tan is out. Passé; ages you prematurely and we all know that the sun is evil! So I get to this time of the year (or perhaps 2 months earlier if you happen to live in a country that has a summer season!). I need to get my pale little body out! And it will be little, trust me. I've been low-carbing it desperately for the last 10 days. Eating nothing but bloody smoked mackerel. It will be worth it just to lose that last half a stone and get back to 7 and a half stone (I'm only 5'1 remember). It's working but the worst part of it is that alcohol is not conducive to its success-disaster!
Anyway, I'm almost there and it's time to tan. I've tried them all. I don't like St Tropez although granted, I haven't used it for a very long time. My experience of it was that it wore off very unevenly. Others I have tried don't last well. However, having done the rounds, I love Xen Tan. It's dark but still looks natural and it lasts longer than any other.
It's not easy to find a Xen Tan spray tan but my research leads me to an amazingly decadent beauty boutique in Primrose Hill called Lost in Beauty. Think old school boudoir luxury mixed with cutting edge niche products. Walk in and you already feel spoilt. The top floor resembles a vintage, Victorian apothecary decked out with old style cabinets fittings and a chandeliers. If you have to leave the house for a spray tan then it's definitely worth stepping out in style! It's a one stop shop for everything beauty and make-up. They do everything here. I feel like a kid in a candy store drawn by all the luxury make-up, skin care brands, jewellery and hair products. It's every girl's treasure trove and then some. 'Stay focussed', I tell myself. You can see why this wonderful space is named 'Lost in Beauty'. I'm here for one thing and one thing only; to turn my pale limbs golden brown. I could have had a make-up lesson, a facial from a world-renowned beauty therapist or just a simple Minx manicure. I WANT EVERYTHING! But there was no time for that because after stepping downstairs into a velvet swathed boudoir I was efficiently sprayed from head to toe in less than ten minutes (no drying time necessary) and sent on my merry way ready to face the beautiful people on the White Island, with a gorgeous but more importantly realistic and lasting tan.
Thank-you Lost in Beauty !