Fake Tan Update

Whilst I'm on the subject of tanning...Several posts back I told you all how much I loved Loreal's Glam Bronze leg tanning spray. I still love love love it.

A couple of weeks ago I tried it in conjunction with a sunless tanner with impressive results. I used the sunless tanner for a 2 or 3 days (neutrogena I think) and then, on the day my legs were to be bare, I used the Glam Bronze on top of my sunless tan. It looked so good! Nice and bronze and really natural looking. I used it, not only on my legs, but on my arms, shoulders and chest as well. I used a seperate bronzing product on my face . The Glam Bronze deepened and evened out the sunless tan on my legs. Everyone mentioned how tan I was and my mother-in-law, who knows all about my faux tan habit, said, "What did you use on your legs. It looks natural. I have to get that."

The only thing that worries me is that it is difficult to find on the internet, and appears nowhere on the Loreal site. Which means it will probably disappear soon. I'll have to go to Target and stockpile all the cans I can find.

If you're looking for it, it's called L'Oreal Glam Bronze Micro-Fine Spray Foundation For Legs. Good luck!

Tan Like Cam

In this month's InStyle mag, Cameron Diaz details how she protects herself from the sun while at the beach.

"First, Diaz instructs, you have to slather on SPF 30 sunscreen while nude. While the sunscreen sets, you must not touch anything or sit down for at least 20 minutes, 'preferably 30.' Only after this step are you allowed to put on your swimsuit. Next, when you arrive at your destination, Diaz advises repplying the sunscreen, letting it sink in, and then slathering suntan oil on top. 'I like even tanning, and I don't like to burn,' Diaz says. 'I am a professional tanner, and I have strict quality controls.'"

Wow. That's a lot of sunscreen. What is the point of the suntan oil on top of all that SPF 30? How can the harmful tanning rays get through? It's good advice, but there is no way I will walk around my house naked for 30 minutes, waiting for sunscreen to dry, while my kids are yelling, "I see your coo-coo mommy!"

But, again, it is good advice. It's better to use a lot of sunscreen to protect against cancer (and my real worry, wrinkles).

Cameron says she uses Kate Somerville Protect SPF 30 on her body. It runs $28 and can be had at Neiman Marcus or http://www.katesomerville.com/.

Or, you can pick up some Banana Boat for under $10 bucks at any drugstore.

It's My New Fave

As of about an hour ago I have a new favorite leg bronzer. Last year I couldn't live without Neutrogena Sheer Body Tint for all my bronzing needs. I would mix the bronzing foam in with lotion and use it on my whole body.

Well, unfortunately, Sheer Body Tint is kind of hard to find. I had run out of all my spare cans, and needed something to replace it so that I could wear a dress to a thing in a couple of days and not frighten people with the reflection from my legs. So, I picked up a can of the only othe viable option at our local super target, Loreal Glam Bronze Spray for Legs.

I took a few minutes to test it out a few minutes ago and BINGO, it worked like a charm. I was afraid to try a spray because of disastrous experience that I had with a Sally Hansen spray bronzer a few years ago, but Glam Bronze is light years ahead of the Sally Hansen. When you spray it on and just leave it it looks funny, too matte and unnatural. But if you spray it on and then rub it in, it spreads out to a nice consistency and color. I'm going to try a combo of self tanner and the Glam Bronze spray and see how that works out. I'll let you know.

Tan Yourselves Silly

Summer is coming fast in our little corner of the world. We don't have much of a spring here and most of it takes place in late Feb and early March. Then we go straight from mufflers to shorts. And I have very fair skin. It takes weeks and weeks to get any decent color on my legs. And unfortunately self tanners make me look like an Oompa Loompa. So last year, in a fit of desperation, I picked up a can of Neutrogena Sheer Body Tint. It is a tinted foam that gives you a temporary bronze color that you wash off in the shower.

At first I was real iffy. I had tried a spray on bronzer a few years ago with hideous results. Also the spray went all over my bathroom. The first time I tried Sheer Body Tint I was also disappointed because it went on really streaky. But with practice I came to love it and it was indispensable to me last summer. I actually mix it with lotion and apply it as a tinted lotion instead of in the mousse form. It is much easier to control it that way, and you can correct mistakes really easily by smoothing them with lotion. But it does take longer to dry.

I use it on my legs, arms and shoulders, and mix it into my foundation or facial moisturizer. It is a very natural looking bronze, not orange at all. It doesn't rub off on my clothes once it's dry, and them you scrub it of in the shower.

One warning, don't use it if you are heading to a pool party. It's gonna come off in the water.

I found this at Longs Drugs, you can also get it at Drugstore.com for about $10.