If any woman is synonymous with radiance – both inside and out – it’s Ashley Graham. Today she’s making that status official as she’s unveiled as St Tropez’s new global brand ambassador, following in the footsteps of supermodel Kate Moss.
“It feels awesome,” she tells me over Zoom, the picture of sun-kissed skin and effervescent energy. “St Tropez is such an iconic brand that I’ve been using for so long, it’s so easy to use.” As someone who models all manner of ensembles – lingerie and swimsuits included – Graham always needs “that extra glow for photo shoots,” and has been using its products since the start of her career.
One of the most successful models in the world, Graham has been at the forefront of the body positivity movement. A champion of “beauty beyond size” who has broken boundaries in the modelling industry – and indeed, the world – she is emphatic that true beauty lies in embracing yourself, rather than the way you look. Resplendent in swimwear that shows off her Bahamas-bronze skin, her St Tropez campaign images are a breath of fresh air. Graham is, quite frankly, what we all want to look like after a bit of self tan.
“In everything I do, I really want people to understand that they should be confident within their own skin,” she tells me. “I think that’s what St Tropez’s products really do – they don’t just give you a glow from the outside, but they [help] radiate a glow from the inside out. I believe that everybody here on earth should know their worth; they should know who they are and how beautiful they are. [And St Tropez tan] is not about how it makes you look, but about how it makes you feel.”
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Since so many of us are not feeling our best given our current global circumstances, Graham touts the benefits of a lick of self tan, to give you an immediate mood-enhancing glow. “You just feel a bit better about being locked up in your home, or your town, wherever you are,” she says. “I feel like if I can do it, you can do it.”
Here, she shares her top five tips on how to get the ultimate year-round tan:
Use a mitt
“You definitely need the mitt – the mitt is your friend. It has the microfoam [side] which is so good for putting [fake tan] on. The St Tropez Express Bronzing Mousse is my absolute favourite, it’s so easy to put on and it doesn’t streak.”
Prep like a boss
“Do you lotion your elbows, hands, knees and feet? It’s key! Otherwise [self tan] does a weird thing in the creases [of the body]. I also exfoliate lightly beforehand, and shave. I shaved my armpits [recently] for the first time in a very long time. My husband was like ‘It’s time!’”
Embrace a face mist
“I use the Purity Face Mist a lot on my face before I go to bed because when I wake up in the morning and see my face is glowing and I’m a bit tanned, I don’t really need that much make-up. I’m more of a brow and mascara girl and less of a foundation and concealer girl at that point. It makes beauty a lot easier.”
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How to tan your back
“To get your back, spray the Purity Face Mist on it. What I usually do is put my mitt on backwards and work it up as high as I can, just over the bra line, and then I do as much as I can [over my shoulders]. For that line in the middle that I just can’t reach because I’m not that much of a yogi, I spray around 20 sprays back there, and then it looks completely even.”
Look after your tan
“When I’ve left the mousse on for two or three hours, I do a lukewarm shower so I don’t heat up the tan to have it melt off. [Then] I’ll put on a moisturiser right after so I don’t feel dry. The [good] thing about St Tropez is that it has vitamins C, D and hyaluronic acid – really yummy stuff and it keeps your skin so moisturised.”
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