Summer is in full swing and last weekend spent an afternoon at Jordanelle reservoir with some good friends.  While donning a borrowed incredibly high-cut black bathing suit, my pal Rai commented that my legs were so white they almost appeared blue.

Blue Rai?  Seriously?!  Geez, by trying to protect my skin from sun damage, I end up taking on the look of the Cullens.

And unfortunately I cannot allow myself to bake in the sun, mainly because I want to avoid skin cancer risks, but also because I would just burn and freckle.  Such sad circumstances warrant a great sunless tanner. (more…)

There are so many similar products on the market that sometimes it takes a little something extra to make a product grab your attention. After they’ve got you hooked it takes quality and innovation to keep your attention. Model Co accomplishes both handily.

The Model Co Self Tanning Glove is a great product to work with. It is so much faster than any other self tanner I’ve used and there is no mess to worry about at all. The glove is soft but tough, and can be rubbed from head to toe. It has cocoa butter, and to me it smells like cake batter, yum.  With no chemical fumes, the scent wasn’t just tolerable,  it was a relaxing and enjoyable. The packaging is also great for travel, no worries about bottles or tubes opening accidentally. Tuck the slim packet in your suitcase and call it good! It takes only a few minutes to dry and set, so you can quickly get dressed and finish your day. The color can be deepened with an additional application within 48 hours. If you are exceedingly fair skinned, like myself, this is not the product for you, since the deep color ended up a bit orange on me. Perhaps if they make a lighter version… Also, it needs to be said that you shouldn’t rush this. Take the time to make sure you thoroughly wipe every inch of skin you want tanned. Any spot you miss will be glaringly obvious, trust me, I couldn’t wear short sleeve shirts for a week! I prefer a tinted product for this reason, but if you are a veteran self tanner with medium to dark skin who needs a quick touch up, give these handy gloves a whirl.

The Lip Lights gloss is another product that makes you wonder why nobody thought of this sooner. With an ultra bright light in the cap and a mirror on the tube, you can get perfect application of the smooth shiny gloss no matter where you are. I have yet to pull this out and begin to apply it without getting comments from men and women alike. Most men love the all purpose nature of the mirror and light, while most women just want to know where they can buy it! The color selection is fairly neutral, which is perfect for summer, but you know me, I like a little more color to choose from. Even with the neutral color, I find myself choosing this gloss from my purse far more that I would’ve initially imagined. It has a smooth lightweight texture and isn’t sticky.  Sienna Sunset is a very flattering color, and no added fragrance or flavor make it a nice choice for anyone.

Currently Sephora is the only major nationwide retailer to carry this Australian based brand, though boutiques in 11 states also carry the Model Co line, including Henri Bendel in New York. Like many of our favorite brands, these are products created to fill a need, with a lot of though and planning in each one.  Model Co strives to be revolutionary and innovative, and I have a feeling we will start seeing a lot more of them in the future.

After skimming through my newly received Summer 2008 “Calendar Girls” Sephora catalog, I noticed on the back cover a blurb about Sephora’s 2008 Sun Safety Kit.

What really grabbed my attention is that this kit contains some of my favorite new skincare finds:

• Cosmedicine’s Medi-Matte Oil-Control Lotion
• Tarte’s 24/7 Lip Sheer
• Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Moisturizer
• Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer with SPF 15

Yes, these are all just trial-sized items, but between all 11 products in this kit, you will probably have enough products to get through the summer with them!

*Sephora is also donating $21.55 from each sale to the Skin Cancer Foundation.  Another fringe benefit for doing something good for your skin!

As Mo pointed out, warmer weather brings about new skin challenges.  Many of us are looking for a safer, effective, fool-proof way to get a little color and moisture on our skin. 

From my experience, there isn’t exactly any one sunless tanning product that is 100% fool-proof.  However using a sunless tanner while following Bionic Beauty’s tips for Sunless Tanners will dramatically improve your chances of achieving a beautiful glow!

Here is a new sunless tanning product to consider.

Clinique Touch of Bronze Moisturizing Body Lotion 5 fl. oz. $18.50:

Safe is the new sexy, so find a sunless way to give your skin a natural-looking bronze radiance. This daily body moisturizer with a touch of self-tanner provides an allover, faux glow. Just smooth on this mistake-proof formula to gradually build or maintain even colour. Skin feels soft, looks luminous.

Like I said, nothing is 100% “mistake-proof,” maybe “nearly mistake-proof” is a more accurate description.  Clinique’s Touch of Bronze when applied using Bionic Beauty’s tips, is a very natural looking, moisturizing sunless tanner.  If you don’t use her tips, you might notice some blotchy patches around your ankles or knees, so take heed to BB’s advice!  I also like that the Clinique lotion doesn’t have a strong scent and my sensitive skin tolerated it well (even my newly shaved legs)! 

I felt like Clinique’s product works marginally better than my other favorite drug store brand Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, mainly because it feels slightly more moisturizing and is better suited for sensitive skin.   However, you cannot beat the price (around $7) for Jergen’s product and the fact that you can purchase it at your neighborhood grocery or drug store.

For another great sunless tanner product, check out Mo’s review of Urban Decay’s Santa Tanita Body Bronzer.

Don’t forget to use a SPF while using these sunless tanning products. “Safe is the New Sexy!”

I’m what most people call pasty.  Any paler and I’d be clear, ya know what I’m saying?  Thankfully, pale is coming back in style, but many a summer of my youth was filled with laughter at my brightly shining gams poking out of a pair of shorts. Never one to conform, I went out and bought just about every self tanner I could find from the moment I learned what it was. I was kidding about the non-conforming part, I wanted to look like everyone else. Back in the day I ended up looking more like a distant cousin to the carrot, but self tanners have made a lot of progress since then.

Urban Decay’s Santa Tanita Body Bronzer is unlike anything I’ve tried before. For starters, it’s a light airy mousse that comes from a unique spray can. A nice poufy blob covers your lower leg or most of your arm. The lightly colored mousse gets a little darker as you rub it into your skin, leaving a perfect guide to see where it’s been applied, reducing the chances of streaking. It also leaves a subtle shimmer all over and adds to that “sun kissed” look. 

There are a few things that set this bronzer apart from others. One is the smell. Lightly scented and not at all chemically like some. I’ve actually had people remark on the scent of some of those gradual tan lotions when I put them on before work or a day running errands. I’m sure my friends know my tan is fake, but I’d rather not announce it to the rest of the world. The best feature this bronzer has to offer, by far, is the speed with which it sinks in and dries. Once you’ve got it all rubbed in you can tell, there’s no slick or greasy feeling left and you can put your clothes on immediately! There is nothing worse than putting on self tanner and then sitting on the edge of your bed or couch half naked for the next 15-20 minutes waiting for it to dry so that you don’t stain your outfit.

But your real concern is all about the color, right?  Does it make you orange? Do you look tanorexic? Please tell me it won’t turn me into George Hamilton!!  Well, decide for yourselves:

On your right is my leg au naturel, on the left is one quick application of Santa Tanita. I was happy with the subtle color change. Anything too dark on me would look funny. The color is buildable and it’s so quick and easy to use that getting a little extra color is a snap.  Ghost white is totally hot right now, but should you want a dash of sun-kissed bronze without  exposure to all those harmful UV rays, Santa Tanita just might be the perfect product for you!

P.S.  The night I sent this post out I applied a second, more liberal, amount of Santa Tanita Body Bronzer. The yellowish-orange cast on my legs led my husband to remark that it looks like I went to a tanning salon and went a little overboard.  The lesson to be learned here is that a light hand is the way to go with this product!