Help! I need a tan!

Even though the calendar has not officially marked the beginning of summer, the shorts and tank top season has arrived here in southern California!  I thought that in case the warm weather has snuck up on you and you find yourself looking a bit pale in your summer wardrobe, I'd share 3 of my favorite products that will get you tanned and glowing in no time!

BE Faux Tan Sunless Tanner

The super-sized bottle from QVC

It really is better than real :-)

 This is the BEST sunless tanner, in my humble opinion :-)  I've used this for almost 4 years and have not found anything comparable.  It has a deep, dark brown guidance color,

which provides and immediate light tan to your skin and helps make sure you're applying it evenly.  There is no shimmer or sparkle and it has a very faint vanilla scent.  And it's a green base tanner (don't worry you won't end up looking like the witch on Wizard of Oz :-) which provides the truest, non-orange tan you can get.  During the summer, I like to look pretty tan so I apply this 2 days in a row and then one other time during the week.  If you just like a little bit of color, you can probably just apply it one time per week.

Tips:  

*Be sure to wash your hands immediately after applying!

*Exfoliate your skin thoroughly once a week

*Check out my other articles from May 2010 on sunless tanning for more tips on how to apply, etc.

Where to buy:  

Bare Escentuals - Regular Size Bottle

BE Faux Tan - QVC

*QVC offers the best deal  ~ the bottle is almost 4 times the regular size and comes w/ a brush....this lasts me all year (applying mostly just during May - Sept).  It is only offered 2 times a year so if you want it, order it now!

Malibu Hemp Golden Glow Skin Firming Bronzing Moisturizer

(what a mouth full! :-)

I first tried this a few years ago and then forgot all about it.  This past winter, I scared myself with my deathly pale skin so I decided to give this a try again.  After a week, my skin had a nice hint of color, felt thoroughly moisturized and I was hooked on hemp....the lotion that is :-)  This is easy to apply and smells kind of like cherry-vanilla.  I've continued using this in between days that I'm not applying my BE Faux Tan, and I feel it helps the tan wear better and keeps my skin moisturized.  So if you want just a hint of a glow and don't want to mess with a sunless tanner, this is a great option!

Where to buy:

Walmart

Lorac Tantalizer - Deep Body Bronzing Luminizer

This is a new product for me this year and I can't tell you how much I love it!  This is not a sunless tanner but is a "tan-for-a-day" type of product.....think of it more like makeup for your body. It provides an immediate tan and stays on until you shower.  It is water resistant (doesn't wash off in the shower until I apply soap) but it can rub off a bit on your clothes if you get wet or sweaty.  I first applied this when the weather was all of a sudden 100 degrees and I couldn't bear to wear pants that day.  My legs were looking rather pasty and white but after one layer of this, I confidently walked out the door in my shorts! I've also loved using this on the tops of my feet or anywhere that I may have "goofed" with my sunless tanner to help camouflage my mistakes.  This product comes in two shades and has the most wonderful, strong vanilla/coconut/almond scent....love it!  It does have some sparkle to it....some people don't like that but I think it just helps the skin look more radiant.

Where to buy:

Sephora - Lighter Shade   Deep Shade

Ulta - Lighter Shade  Deep Shade

Hopefully that was helpful for you!  Happy tanning!