Friends have returned from their holidays with nice, healthy, sun-kissed glows but I’ve been stuck in the office and I’m more glow-in-the-dark than tanned. As such, I was thinking of trying fake tanning for the first time – as long as you can you guarantee I won’t come out looking like I’ve been dipped in carrot juice?
Mr Dandy: Dude, this is an exciting milestone! There’s no shame in wanting to look your best. Faux tanning has come a long way since the days of nasty bright orange skin. You have tons of options. For your first time, go to a professional to get it right. Spray tans can be really realistic. Weirdly, many menfriendly spas offer them only to women, so head to a man-centric place such as Mence (24/F, 19 Des Voeux Road, Central, tel: 2117 8068). A full-body spray tan takes just eight minutes and costs HK$300, or HK$1,000 for a 10-session package. Done right, they can even add tone in the right places to accentuate muscles. Sun beds work if you have the patience for them, and Hong Kong has no shortage. California Beach Club (3/F, Jade Centre, 98 Wellington Street, Central, tel: 2851 3357) has lie-down or stand-up machines.
A two-week package of unlimited tanning and spray tanning costs HK$728, but other packages are available. I sometimes do my fake tanning at home, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the novice. I first exfoliate then apply a self-tanning cream wearing latex gloves to avoid staining my hands. Try Clarins Men Shower Scrub and Clarins After Sun Moisturizer Self Tanning (HK$220 each; IFC Mall, Central, tel: 2295 0827).
My teenage nephew is coming to stay on his summer break. The first thing he wants is “cool clothes and T-shirts” that he won’t find at home. Where shall I take him?
Mr Dandy: Man, Dapper, I just can’t get over how uncool you are. That nephew is in for a treat, because the SAR is full of awesome, unique stuff. Some malls are entirely geared towards trend-setting teens. Everyone talks about Mong Kok’s Langham Place, which is good, but it’s not the only one. APM Mall in Kwung Tong stays open til midnight and has tons of cool brands. He can get there by MTR and should also stroll over to the outlets around the Camelpaint Building (62 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong). Then there’s the equally trendy Popcorn Mall (Tseung Kwan O MTR station). Another category is the lower-end rabbit warrens filled with funky stores and local designers. Among them are: Argyle Centre (next to Mong Kok MTR station); Rise Commercial Building (5 Granville Circuit, Tsim Sha Tsui); and Island Beverly Centre (1 Great George Street, Causeway Bay). There are more great brands than I can list but two amazing one-stop multilabel shops are: Juice by Hong Kong’s very own Clot (locations at www.clotinc.com) and Ice Fire (stores at www.ice-fire.com.hk).