Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but thong bikinis are definitely a thing for summer 2018.
We've tried to ignore it, but there's no getting away from it, and high street favourites like ASOS, Tophsop, H&M and Missguided are all selling the flesh-flashing style.
We blame Love Island.
This year, the swimwear silhouette of choice among the female contestants is a bum-baring Brazilian bottom.
The skimpy style was championed last year by the likes of Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski, but now it's made it to the mainstream and onto our tv screens every night.
Chances are, that as a Brit, your bum hasn't seen the light of day before. Understandably, then, you may want to do a bit of prep before brandishing your butt.
We asked a range of experts how to get booty beautiful...
Waxing
Go for a Hollywood wax
"Hollywood waxes are always recommended for thongs as it removes all the hairs in the crack and buttock cheek leaving the area smooth to the touch." says Zainab Siddiq, General Manager UK at Ministry of Waxing.
Pay a professional
"It's not advised to wax yourself, yet it is still possible. It's imperative to get the angle right so you don't cause any damage to the skin or break the hairs. Leave it to the experts!"
Regular waxing
"Hair growth is in three stages - Anagen, Catogen and Telogen - the cycle differs from person to person and the growth at each stage differs.
"You can wax every four to six weeks to ensure your always well groomed. Hairs tend to grow faster in the warmer months."
Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate
"Exfoliation and moisturising the area regularly will help keep the area smooth and free from ingrown hairs. Don't be tempted to shave!"
Moisturising
Technique
"Moisturising your bum is very important, just like any other body part," says Ingrid, the Brazilian Beauty Expert at Sol de Janeiro, the company behind the Instagram-famous Brazilian Bum Bum Cream.
Ingrid suggests you massage the cream onto your skin in circular motions to create heat and improve absorption.
How often?
"Everyday!"
Key ingredients
"We use Guaraná in our Bum Bum Cream. Guaraná, a native Amazonian fruit that has almost five times the concentration of caffeine than coffee. It is known to tighten and firm the skin.
"Together with cupuaçu butter, açaí and coconut oil, guaraná helps your bum look and feel its smoothest, tightest and positively most pinchable."
Fake Tan
Tanning expert James Read suggests you "exfoliate all over" and then get ready for a slathering of fake tan.
Cover all angles
"The James Read Instant Bronzing Mist has a 360-degree nozzle, which means you can use it upside down, making it a lot easier to get around the area you need to reach."
"I also recommend using a tanning mitt as this is the best way to apply the tan smoothly around the curves."
Layer up your tan
"Make sure you lightly moisturise the areas first and use a tanning mitt in downward strokes to avoid missing bits. I always do one layer, wait 20 minutes and then follow up with a second layer. This always ensures that you go over bits that you’ve missed and also means that your tan will last a lot longer and is a lot deeper in colour.
"Don’t over apply your self-tan. If you have any residue self-tan from your last tanning session, make sure that this is completely removed before tanning again. If you don’t remove the old tan first, once this starts to fade and dry out, it will take the new layer of tan with it, leaving you with streaks."
Use tan as concealer
"I think tan naturally hides cellulite, as it will help your skin look more toned. Make sure you really concentrate on the areas where you may have any stretch marks, taking the time to blend the tan properly into your skin with the tanning mitt as this will help even out the colour."
Contour your curves
"You can definitely create more shadow with some clever application.
"On day one, apply your self-tan all over your body including your bum and on day two use gradual tan and glide over the area where the sun would create a shadow - underneath the bum, on the sides and in the middle.
"Only leave on for an hour, and then wash off. This will help add definition instead of just adding another layer of colour, making your bum appear more toned."
Protect your posterior
"Always use a waterproof oil-free SPF to stop the chlorine and sea salt interfering with your-self tan."
We've tried to ignore it, but there's no getting away from it, and high street favourites like ASOS, Tophsop, H&M and Missguided are all selling the flesh-flashing style.
We blame Love Island.
This year, the swimwear silhouette of choice among the female contestants is a bum-baring Brazilian bottom.
The skimpy style was championed last year by the likes of Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski, but now it's made it to the mainstream and onto our tv screens every night.
Chances are, that as a Brit, your bum hasn't seen the light of day before. Understandably, then, you may want to do a bit of prep before brandishing your butt.
We asked a range of experts how to get booty beautiful...
Waxing
Go for a Hollywood wax
"Hollywood waxes are always recommended for thongs as it removes all the hairs in the crack and buttock cheek leaving the area smooth to the touch." says Zainab Siddiq, General Manager UK at Ministry of Waxing.
Pay a professional
"It's not advised to wax yourself, yet it is still possible. It's imperative to get the angle right so you don't cause any damage to the skin or break the hairs. Leave it to the experts!"
Regular waxing
"Hair growth is in three stages - Anagen, Catogen and Telogen - the cycle differs from person to person and the growth at each stage differs.
"You can wax every four to six weeks to ensure your always well groomed. Hairs tend to grow faster in the warmer months."
Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate
"Exfoliation and moisturising the area regularly will help keep the area smooth and free from ingrown hairs. Don't be tempted to shave!"
Moisturising
Technique
"Moisturising your bum is very important, just like any other body part," says Ingrid, the Brazilian Beauty Expert at Sol de Janeiro, the company behind the Instagram-famous Brazilian Bum Bum Cream.
Ingrid suggests you massage the cream onto your skin in circular motions to create heat and improve absorption.
How often?
"Everyday!"
Key ingredients
"We use Guaraná in our Bum Bum Cream. Guaraná, a native Amazonian fruit that has almost five times the concentration of caffeine than coffee. It is known to tighten and firm the skin.
"Together with cupuaçu butter, açaí and coconut oil, guaraná helps your bum look and feel its smoothest, tightest and positively most pinchable."
Fake Tan
Tanning expert James Read suggests you "exfoliate all over" and then get ready for a slathering of fake tan.
Cover all angles
"The James Read Instant Bronzing Mist has a 360-degree nozzle, which means you can use it upside down, making it a lot easier to get around the area you need to reach."
"I also recommend using a tanning mitt as this is the best way to apply the tan smoothly around the curves."
Layer up your tan
"Make sure you lightly moisturise the areas first and use a tanning mitt in downward strokes to avoid missing bits. I always do one layer, wait 20 minutes and then follow up with a second layer. This always ensures that you go over bits that you’ve missed and also means that your tan will last a lot longer and is a lot deeper in colour.
"Don’t over apply your self-tan. If you have any residue self-tan from your last tanning session, make sure that this is completely removed before tanning again. If you don’t remove the old tan first, once this starts to fade and dry out, it will take the new layer of tan with it, leaving you with streaks."
Use tan as concealer
"I think tan naturally hides cellulite, as it will help your skin look more toned. Make sure you really concentrate on the areas where you may have any stretch marks, taking the time to blend the tan properly into your skin with the tanning mitt as this will help even out the colour."
Contour your curves
"You can definitely create more shadow with some clever application.
"On day one, apply your self-tan all over your body including your bum and on day two use gradual tan and glide over the area where the sun would create a shadow - underneath the bum, on the sides and in the middle.
"Only leave on for an hour, and then wash off. This will help add definition instead of just adding another layer of colour, making your bum appear more toned."
Protect your posterior
"Always use a waterproof oil-free SPF to stop the chlorine and sea salt interfering with your-self tan."
0 coment�rios: