How stars have gone from St Tropez to St Tro-Pale by ditching fake tan & why it’s the secret to looking 10 years younger
HOLLYWOOD’S awards season kicked off for 2024 with the 81st Golden Globes – and so did a new era of beauty.
The night, which honours achievements in both film and television, saw a new trend of celebrities ditching fake tan in favour of their natural pale skin.
Musicians, actresses and artists flaunted porcelain arms and minimalist make-up, despite artificially bronzed skin being the norm at star-studded events for decades.
The move is due to ‘less is more’ beauty trends doing the rounds on social media.
Experts believe celebs are ditching faux tans and heavy make-up to look younger, seeing as these products can sink into fine lines or cling to dry skin to make you appear older.
On the Golden Globes red carpet, Little Women star Florence Pugh oozed elegance in a red ruffle dress with a plunging neckline to contrast against her English rose skin.
Fellow actresses Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman and Emma Stone also looked paler than usual in sleeveless gowns.
Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer let her Prada dress do the talking, as its white mesh blended effortlessly in with her skin.
“Whilst it can give you a youthful, radiant glow, fake tan can also enhance the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles,” beauty expert Mia Lyndon says.
“The determining factor is the products you use and how you apply them.
“If excess product settles into the contours of your skin when you apply fake tan, then these areas can appear darker and more pronounced.
“Fine lines are the ultimate culprit for this.”
Back in 2011, leading self-tanning brand St Tropez was selling three bottles of bronzing mousse a minute globally.
But in summer, it was noted that fake tan prices are rocketing, with retailers cranking up the cost by 50% within a year.
St.Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse went from £22 in 2022 to £33 last year— a rise of 50%.
Similarly, Dove’s Visible Glow Self-Tan Body Lotion has gone from £4.50 to £7 — a 56% increase.
It seems that amid the cost-of-living crisis, it pays to be pale.
Fake tan, false lashes and neon nail art are being left behind
Mia Lyndon
The shift is also down to the rise of ‘less is more’ beauty trends on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Women are now favouring skincare and anti-ageing products to achieve ‘natural’ beauty over immediate beautifying from make-up and self-tanning products.
It’s likely that celebs are tapping into this idea for a youthful – but pale – glow on the red carpet.
“Trends like the ‘less is more’ movement were forecasted to be huge in 2024 – and it seems like the Golden Globes have already proven this right,” Mia says.
“We’re seeing a shift towards simpler, natural-looking beauty, meaning things like fake tan, false lashes and neon nail art are being left behind.”
The Golden Globes, hosted annually in Los Angeles, California, has seen a number of copper complexions throughout the years.
And despite ‘less is more’ trends, English actress Kate Beckinsale kept her fake tan streak on the iconic carpet for at least another year.
She sported a St Tropez-esque glow with false eyelashes and deep cheek contour to match.
Similarly, supermodel Heidi Klum showed no sign of embracing the pale look anytime soon.
