“I’m always looking for products that have a deep moisturising effect. Instant Facials will help your tan to last longer. They are hydrating and anti-ageing, so they counter the potentially dehydrating effects of using DHAs on your skin.”
Meet Abi
Friendly and full of life, Abi O has an instant bubbly warmth that makes it easy to see why she’s so popular with a vast array of British and global celebrities. But it’s not just her personality that sees her inked into every famous face’s little black book. Abi is the golden girl of spray tan, specialising in airbrush and tan-touring techniques delivered with her own range of natural tanning products.
She gave Lady Gaga her glow before meeting Prince Harry and is responsible for a good proportion of the decent looking tans you see across your TV screens. Her products sell in 4 countries and appear by invitation in lots of top London hotels and spas.
We caught up with Seoulista Beauty Ambassador and tan guru Abi to get some tips on tan and bagging celeb clients.
A brush with fate
Abi founded BeauBronz in 2001, after a close friend was diagnosed with skin cancer as a result of her sun bed usage. “I’d seen spray tans in New York and I wanted to find a way to get rid of all the chemical nasties.” she explains. Launched in her friend’s tan shop, word soon spread and before long the five star hotel spas came knocking, shortly followed by various media and celebrity opportunities.
Professor of tan-tology
Not content with making a skin friendly tan product, Abi is determined to educate the world on the highs and lows of spray tanning.
She says, “We’re totally agains the ‘Towie tan’, that all over deep, dark colour and not just because it doesn’t look very good. The active tanning ingredient used in tanning products is called DHA and if used in high concentrations it dehydrates the skin, causing fine lines which eventually turn into wrinkles.”
She elaborates, “Anything over 4% DHA on the face is a disaster. You can get a really great effect with less DHA, our products use between 1/3 and 1/2 of the DHA of a regular tanning product but because we use tan-touring [contouring with tan] for a sculpting effect, you need to use less product.”
“It’s not just what’s in your tanner, it’s about how you look after your skin afterwards. You have to pamper your skin with something natural and hydrating. I compare tanning to colouring your hair. If you colour your hair and then use some cheap and nasty shampoo, the colour doesn’t last, but the damage it did to your hair does. But if you use a decent conditioner, you minimise the damage done by the colour and prolong its life.”
How to get on a celeb’s direct dial list
Abi’s clients have include Lady Gaga, Duncan James and whole bevy of TV stars including everyone on ITV’s Dancing on Ice, from the judges to the competitors. With this in mind we thought she’s be a great person to ask about how to get celebrity clients.
“Be the very best at your job, whatever that is. There’s no room for error. Be clean, be early, be discreet. Confidentiality is essential. I never say I’ve worked with someone until they’ve said so publicly. And I make sure they are completely confident that they can discuss anything with me and it will go no further. Make your service second to none and they will seek you out. Put yourself out there. Be a people person. Make every connection count, whilst respecting personal space. Learn to spot an opportunity and respond appropriately.”
Abi’s tan-tastic tips
To have Abi airbrush you into a golden goddess will set you back £175, a celebrity price tag which is out of the reach of most of us mere mortals. With this in mind, we asked her for some tan tips that will work for any budget.
“Prep the skin properly. Don’t forget to exfoliate before you tan to get rid of the dead skin.”
“Don’t spray tan on a budget. A £10 spray tan looks like a £10 spray tan.”
“Check what machine your salon uses and make sure it’s a modern air brush machine. A disturbing number still use these very old school machines that were originally developed to spray paint fences. So you can just imagine what your tan looks like!”
“If you’re on a budget, you’re better off applying the product yourself at home. You can get designer tanning products for £20-£30. Ours its £26 a bottle and you’ll get 6-8 full body treatments out of it.”
“Take your time applying the product. watch video tutorials first, I have loads on my website. Practice with a friend so you can reach everywhere and help each other become total experts in home application.”
“Don’t forget to hydrate the skin afterwards. And not just once! Your tan won’t go patchy and will last longer, plus its anti ageing.”
Why Seoulista Beauty
“I’m always looking for products that have a deep moisturising effect. Instant Facials will help your tan to last longer. They are hydrating and anti-ageing, so they counter the potentially dehydrating effects of using DHAs on your skin.”
“I first used the Instant Facial on a long haul flight to Thailand, it was so relaxing, really simple to use and not messy. I really loved the fact that the product his so generous with the serum, there’s always extra left in the pack so you can do your neck, hands, décolleté, wherever you want on the body, all with one sachet.”
The post Golden Girl: Introducing Abi O, celebrity tan artist appeared first on Seoulista Beauty.