Sir John Shares His Top Tips for Achieving a Faux Summer Glow

As the man behind the beauty looks of Hollywood’s elite, Sir John Barnett— L’Oreal Paris’ Celebrity Makeup Artist—certainly knows a thing or two about looking #flawless. So it’s only right that we turn to the pro makeup artist for the tips, hacks, and products behind his clients’ signature glowing skin. Lucky for us all, Sir John agreed to share all that and more—just in time for summer. Read on for Sir John’s top three tips for achieving a faux summer glow. Ladies, grab your notepads and prepare to take notes!

Tip #1: Prep Your Skin

First order of business? Prep your skin. “Prior to self-tanning—especially on the face and body—exfoliating the night before is key,” Sir John says. Don’t know what product to use? Reach for one of his favorites for facial skin—L’Oreal Paris’ Pure-Clay Exfoliate & Refine Cleanser. “The cleanser helps to exfoliate [everyday impurities] and leaves your skin feeling smoother,” he says. For your body skin, Sir John recommends exfoliating with a sugar scrub all over. Just be sure to pay close attention to areas of thicker areas of skin, like your knees, elbows, and ankles.

Tip #2: Customize Your Lotion or Moisturizer

For a quick and easy everyday glow for his A-list clients, Sir John sticks to a tried-and-true hack that involves customizing your lotion or moisturizer with L’Oreal Paris’ True Match Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminators. A staple in Sir John’s beauty kit, these illuminators (which he calls “heavenly”) come in three different shades—Golden, Rose, and Ice. “For summer, I am all about a golden glow so the Golden shade is my favorite, but you can definitely mix and match the various shades,” he says.

Here’s how it’s done: Add a few drops of illuminator into a hydrating facial moisturizer—L’Oreal Paris’ Hydra Genius moisturizers would work well!—or body lotion, mix well, and apply all over. “You can dial up the glow by adding more illuminator over top on your cheek bones, collarbones and fronts of your legs after applying the moisturizer/lotion,” Sir John says. “In the summer, it’s always fun to go a little over the top with the glow.” Ain’t that the truth!

Tip #3: Tan…Minus the Sun

It’s no secret that Sir John is uber-passionate about skin care, so it makes total sense why when it comes to achieving a tan, he’s in favor of self-tanning formulas over basking out under the sun’s skin-damaging UV rays. “L’Oreal Paris’ Sublime Bronze Collection is awesome because there are so many different textures and types of [sunless tanning] products that you can use depending on the look you want,” Sir John says. Two of his favorites? The Sublime Bronze Towelettes for Body and the Sublime Bronze Summer Express Face Bronzer Cream. “The towelettes are literally foolproof—you just use the wipes all over the body for a streak-free tan, plus they are travel friendly,” Sir John says. “The face cream is a wash-off instant formula and is awesome for getting that sought-after sun-kissed glow without having to go in the sun.”

Want more great skin care tips from Sir John? He spills all his skin care secrets here!