That Golden Glow

March 29, 2010 | Style | permalink

Spring has officially arrived and with it the promise of sunny days, warmer temperatures and less clothing. It's the prospect of wearing less clothing that throws me into a seasonal tailspin. Currently, my corpus is paler than an anaconda's underbelly. I don't go in for commercial spray tans. The all-angles jet spraying makes me feel like a car in for a seasonal detailing. No, I prefer a DIY at-home tan. Determined to acheive a golden faux glow (and to wear a sleeveless top to a drinks party this past weekend ) I trawled through my basket of self-tanners priced from spendy to thrify. I freely admit that I am a big self-tanning sucker who is always questing for the newest in orange-free fake tanning formulas. I'll try any product as long as it doesn't make me bleed or cry or turn me into a creamsicle.

marilyn monroe

Here are some highlights from my stash and some new finds too:

$pendy

Glow Fusion $45 is neither stinky nor streaky. It takes a few applications and a little time to build your glow but for the truly pale and freckled it looks very natural.

Sevin Nyne $35 was created by Hollywood tanning expert Lorit Simon and one of her clients actress/recidivist Lindsay Lohan. Now there is a girl who knows her way around a fake tan I thought as I read that the product promised to deliver "a kiss of color instantly' as it turned darker over the usual four hours. It delivered. My pasty hyde looks naturally sun-kissed in two applications and the formula smells like caramel instead of the usual stink. Thanks Lilo! Both sold at sephora.com.

Scott Barnes Body Bling Original $38 at skinterra contains a bronzer so you can see if you are applying an even, streak-free tan. My olive-skinned gilrfriend looks great with a little Body Bling to amp her natural skin tone. If you are lighter than a washer load of whites you will end up looking orange.

Watch SB's application demo on youtube.

Mid-Priced

Strike Gold Self-Tanning Lotion With Bronzer $15 ( 2 for $20!) let's you see how you are applying the cream to aid in a streak-free finish. A girlfriend (a nubian goddess complaining about her ashy skin) tried this and loved the boost it gave her natural coco color. I'll attest to it's imparting natural-looking color to skin as pale as wallpaper paste. bathandbodyworks.com

Jemma Kidd Year Round Body Glow $28 is a deliciously fragranced bronzer to apply for the day and then shower off. No cooking time required. It has a lovely creamy texture that's easy to apply. Available at Target stores and at target.com.

Thrifty

Palmers Sunless Tanner & Instant Bronzer with SPF 15 $ 8.99 brought to you by the cocoa butter specialists is very moisturizing and perfect for a top-to-toe bronzing. Wear it straight onto the beach and let it cook a bit before reapplying sunscreen.

Don't forget to give your skin a complete exfoliation. I like St. Ives Timeless Skin Daily Micro-Dermabrasion $4.99 followed by lashings of a heavy moisturizer to prep my skin for the tanning ahead. Both sold at drugstore.com.

Comments

georgia says... I just tried the Sevin Nine and it is great. No metallic flecks just a very natural look.

D.Coral says... Living in Florida without a tan but want to ration the sun exposure ? Self tanners are the trick.Thanks for all the brand suggestions and performance tips.

Mac says... Thanks for the reviews. But here's my issue with fake tans... In the past decades, mainstream society has finally embraced the reality that dark skins of all shades can be beautiful. We've rejected the notion that a woman can be "too black" to be attractive and celebrities like Alek Wek, Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks continue to pave the way. So why oh why can't we also accept and celebrate the pasty and freckled? Why do I have to slather myself with artificial tanner and obscure my anglo-Scottish-Irish roots? Nicole Kidman , Karen Elson , Dita Von Teese et al look wonderful pale; can't we embrace this look in the trickled-down, non celeb world? I want little girls who are dark, pale, and every shade in between to grow up proud of their natural colouring. *stepping down from soapbox now*

cynthia kling says... Mac -- we can be all inclusive, accepting but as aesthetes we know that some looks just aren't good. This blog isn't suggesting that everyone get the Coppertone tan . . .but if you want it, here is how

georgia says... I agree with you Cynthia! I am a pale face and I feel better with a little color so that I look healthy without indulging in unhealthy sun tanning. I never thought I was engagaing in some oppressive beauty ritual.

Lisa Anderson says... I'm a transplanted New Yorker living in Los Angeles and hose is a definite no no here. It's bare, tan legs or pants. I've started using Nivea sun-kissed firming moisturizer for light to medium skin. It works best if you already have a bit of color and just want to even out your skin tone.