Glow glow glow (and even better: a golden glow!), we just can't get enough of it. Swedish beauty junkie Natasa Gavrić, also known as @glowbynats leads the way to healthy sun-kissed skin in a few simple steps. She is a big fan of our Self-Tanning pads since way back, read more about why and steal her best hacks to achieve summer fresh complexion and radiance all year round.
Nataša, tell us a little bit about yourself! Who are you, what do you do when you’re not @glowbynats and how did your interest for skincare and glow start?
I’m a 27 year old beauty nerd from Gothenburg, Sweden. I work with marketing and spend my non-working days (and sometimes nights) photographing face creams on marble trays. My beauty interest started in the early teens when I discovered Youtube and totally fell face forward into makeup tutorials. During the later teens I got some classic skin issues and the interest for skincare took over. Today I don’t favourise but love all things beauty!
Self-tanners for face can be bought in hundreds of different versions, how come the Self-Tanning Pads became a favourite?
The most important thing when choosing self-tanner is to pick one that is compatible with your skin tone to get the most natural result. Go for a self-tanner where you gradually can build up the shape depending on desired result. That’s why I love the pads! They’re lasting, provide fast (yet subtle to begin with) results and really are 100% fool proof, perfect even for the beginner. I also really like the format itself, I haven’t seen a self-tanner in pad before, super convenient to bring with you!
What does your beauty night routine look like and what are your best tips for an even self-tan?
My skin is pretty dry (especially during winter) and we all know that a dry surface is your self-tanners worst enemy! For an even and glowy result I have the following routine:
- A thorough cleansing. I like to double-cleanse with oil + water-based cleanser in combination.
- A mild peeling, for example an AHA serum or maybe a gentle enzyme peeling if you have sensitive skin.
- I choose to apply a richer night cream but feel free to choose whatever suits best for your skin, if you don’t feel dry at all you might not even feel the need to apply one at all.
- Last but not least, I use the pads! Just take on and sweep it evenly across the face and neck and you’re done!
The absolute most important thing with self-tan in general is to prep the skin properly. Don’t rush it and increase gradually for a natural result, patience is your best friend!
You recently tried our relaunched Self-Tan Drops as well, what is your first impression of them and how would you combine these together with the pads in a weekly routine?
I like them a lot! They are so easy to blend into your day cream (or night cream if you’d rather use them at night), and if you’re a self-tanning veteran they’re perfect since you can really adjust them depending on if you just want a touch of “sun” or a more intense shade. For my skin tone (when it’s in its most pale condition), one drop is perfect just to “bronze it up” a bit and not be totally transparent, while 2-3 drops give a really nice sun-kissed look.
I have found a combination of drops and pads that works great for me and it looks like this:
- I start the week (first 1-3 days) with applying the drops during daytime/nighttime just to build up colour quickly.
- As a step two I use the pads every other night the rest of the week to maintain the colour. I exfoliate regularly but experience that the “tan” is constant and stays natural and glowy with this routine.