EVELYSS / Guides / Beauty

When to Fake Tan Before an Event: The Day-by-Day Timeline for Parties and Weddings

“Fake tan isn't a last-minute job, and your party dress knows it. Everything that goes wrong usually comes from doing it the night before, in a hurry, in dim light. Book it into your week like a hair appointment.”Her take

The countdown for a party or night out

Use this timeline for a Saturday-night party and move it to fit your date. It assumes a standard mousse or lotion that you leave on overnight, so check your own bottle's development time and adjust if needed. Rapid or express tans have shorter development times, but leaving them on for longer usually makes them darker.

• Tuesday evening: wax, if you're waxing. It's harder on skin than shaving, so give it about 48 hours.
• Wednesday evening: shave and exfoliate all over, then moisturise.
• Thursday evening, about 48 hours before the party: lightly moisturise dry spots such as elbows, knees, ankles and wrists, then apply tan.
• Friday morning: rinse as directed in lukewarm water with no soap, pat dry and moisturise.
• Friday evening: top up any patches with a light second coat or a gradual lotion if you want it deeper. If the product has a guide colour, rinse it off on Saturday morning.
• Saturday: moisturise in the morning and dress with care. The colour should look settled by now.

Why one to two days ahead works best

Tan needs time to develop on the skin, and it needs a first rinse to wash off the cosmetic guide colour. The look often seems too dark or uneven until then, so tanning 24 to 48 hours ahead gives you time to see the real shade and fix any problems before you have to get dressed.

That window also means you're wearing your tan at its freshest. Most self-tan fades in about a week as the top layer of skin sheds, though it varies with your skin and the product. If you tan a full week before, it may already be patchy by the day itself. If you tan on the day, you risk a sticky feel, dark palms and guide colour on your dress.

When to exfoliate, shave, wax and do your nails

Sort your skin first, because all of this can strip the colour. Shave and exfoliate at least 24 hours before applying, particularly on rough areas such as knees, elbows, ankles and the backs of hands. Wax about 48 hours before, because waxing can leave skin more sensitive than shaving and make the tan take unevenly. Shaving right before tanning can also let colour settle in the follicles and show as dots.

Do a home manicure or a salon appointment before you tan where you can, as soaking and filing can lift colour from your hands. Then wipe your nails and cuticles after tanning to stop any colour from settling. If your manicure must happen after, ask for no soak and warn your technician. Keep your hair appointment or colour earlier too, since the salon basin and rinsing can leave marks along your neck and hairline.

Timing for a wedding or big event

For anything with photographs that will last, do a full trial first. Tan at least two weeks before, using the shade you plan to wear, and take a daylight photo the next morning. It tells you whether it suits you, how long the colour takes and whether it transfers. Test transfer on an old white T-shirt or a spare piece of pale fabric, never on the outfit itself, because a trial mark on a wedding dress is the exact disaster you're trying to avoid. Also test any new product on a small patch of skin first.

Then tan two days before the event, with a small top-up the evening before if you need it. If you've booked a professional spray tan, have the trial with the same person and follow their advice on rinsing and timing, as the process and the products can differ. White, ivory and pale satin will show any transfer, so let the colour settle and put on moisturiser well before you dress.

What if you've left it too late?

If you have under a day, go lighter than usual and skip the darkest shade. A gradual tan will add a little colour with far less risk of streaks. You can also use wash-off body make-up, with the note that it can transfer to fabric, so test it on a spare piece of similar fabric and let it dry before you dress.

On the day itself, focus on what's visible: a small amount of bronzer on the collarbones and shoulders, a little body shimmer on the shins, and a warm blush on your cheeks. Skip a fresh full-body tan the morning of a daytime event, as it can transfer and may not have developed properly by the time you arrive.

How to keep it fresh until the party

Moisturise daily with something simple, because dry skin takes the tan with it. Keep showers lukewarm and short, and stay away from baths, swimming and saunas. Pat skin dry instead of rubbing, and avoid scrubs and strong exfoliating acids on tanned areas until after the event.

Fake tan isn't sun protection, so you'll still need your usual SPF if you're heading somewhere bright. Before you put on anything pale, check that your moisturiser has absorbed. Run a clean white tissue over your skin to check for colour transfer, and pack a make-up wipe for any marks around your hands.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Prep the day before, wax two days before, tan one to two days out and rinse on schedule. For a wedding, trial it two weeks ahead, in daylight, and keep the trial tan away from the dress.

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