The fake bake

Sun-kissed but peeling? Welcome to the wonderful world of a tan out of a bottle.

Short of booking a return trip to the sun, the world doesn’t mind roasting for that perfect tan. Considering we voluntarily sweat along with a room full of sweaty people, guzzle tons of green gunk in the hope for a firm behind and let a room full of ‘Terminator’-like machines pummel us into quivering messes; lying in the sun for a couple of hours isn’t too torturous a means to looking fan-tan-tastic.

However, it doesn’t take long for the party poopers to troop in — the UV rays, the skin cancer taunts, early ageing, wrinkles etc, etc. It’s a wonder the streets are at all filled with people in the mornings, what with all the warnings about the ozone layer playing havoc with our skin. That’s when the sun-kissed storm-troopers rush in — spray-on tans, bronzers and shiny foundation creams. Short of turning you into a lobster they promise to work the wonders of a tan minus the health hazards. So how does one pass up that opportunity?

“A tan automatically announces that you’ve been on holiday — that you have the luxury of lying around in the sun,” says stylist Anahita Shroff-Adajania. Tagged with that amount of decadence, it’s only fair that it should be sought after. “We  use skin stains, temporary water-resistant creams and sprays to get that perfect sun-kissed look,” explains make-up artist Subhash Vagal. Together with make-up artist Anil Chinappa, hair stylist Osh Bhabani and Anahita, they’ve created the tan perfect looks of Bipasha, Aishwarya, Hrithik, Abhishek and Uday in ‘Dhoom 2’. “We were shooting in exotic locales like Brazil and South Africa. We had to completely turn Aishwarya’s look around. No more the ice queen, her new avatar had to look like a hot beach bum,” laughs Subhash.

“A tan also makes you look slimmer,” adds Anahita. “So out come the ganjis and halter tops. The best bet would be to wear something white, but strangely even black goes well with tan lines becoming more striking.” Make-up goes subdued with nude lips and colours in shades of orange and peach, although make-up artist Mickey Contractor would rather give the person and their clothes the benefit of doubt. “It depends on your face, your clothes — you can pull off any colour you want to,” he says.

Before you start blossoming into an orange George Hamilton or a chef’s version of a well-done lobster, you might want to give the bottle a try. After all blondes have more fun as some bleach bottles proved. How far behind can the spray-on tan be?

Why we love the tan…

“Tanning lotions and bronzers are the most desirable make-up products. The sun-kissed look works very well for the average Indian complexion — not too fair or dark. Sun-beds are an absolute no-no as they can cause sunburns and cancer. It’s safer to use bronzers. They make you look healthier and sexier. I opt for a mild gold glow with a bronze spray and use a darker shade of foundation for my nights out. -- Rukhsana Eisa, Image consultant

“A tan adds to the fact that one looks fit and toned. I’m lucky since I’m naturally tanned, but I’ll always welcome a little more.” -- Bipasha Basu, actor

“I’m so glad the tanned look has become hot especially since everything fair in this country is considered beautiful. I think a tan adds colour and character—basically that extra edge. It makes one look sexy and healthy. I’m so happy we have so many options to get a tan today!” -- Malaika Arora-Khan, model

(With inputs from Shubha Shetty-Saha, Nisha Kundnani and Sheree Gomes-Gupta)

s_rituparna@dnainida.net