5 Most Natural Self-Tanners: Get Your Summer Glow On Safely!

Summer is around the corner so it's time to get our tans on safely! Nicely bronzed skin gives you the appearance of looking healthy and more slim. Say good-bye to the days when self-tanning products made you look orange, and smelled yucky. The ones below not only give you the most natural-looking tans, but have pleasant scents too!

1. St. Tropez self Tan Bronzing Mousse and Mitt

This unique mousse formula is super light-weight and can be used for both your face and body. The application mitt ensures smooth coverage while protecting your hands from the tan palm syndrome that is so common with many self tanners. I really like this product as it works well when used on all skin tones, dries quickly and is easy to apply. 

BUY: St. Tropez self Tan Bronzing Mousse, $18 and Mitt, $6.50

St. Tropez self Tan Bronzing Mousse, $18 and Mitt, $6.50

St. Tropez Tan even looks natural when used on the fairest of them all.

2. Tanceuticals CC Self Tanning Body Lotion

This fabulous product gives you is a smooth and natural, darker shade of bronze. It’s also easy to apply, dries quickly, feels great on the skin and lasts about seven days. I love the amazing coconut scent!

BUY: Tanceuticals CC Self Tanning Body Lotion, $24.95

3. Shiseido Brilliant Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Gel

This tinted self-tanning gel for the face and body offers a sheer bronze color and a pearly shimmer. It smoothes on evenly and absorbs quickly to bring out the ideal shade and depth of any skin tone. Within a few hours, you will develop a natural, incredibly even bronze color. Plus, it provides hydration benefits to keep tan skin smooth.

BUY: Shiseido Brilliant Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Gel, $30

4. Fake Bake Flawless

Fake Bake Flawless is one of the best “liquid” self tanners. Flawless is applied with a mitt (included) in effortless gliding strokes for a perfectly even tan. The dual function cosmetic bronzer assists in making the application even easier (shows-where-it-goes) providing an instant golden tan. The tropical scent not only smells good, but dries super fast and gives you a perfect bronzy-tan color! 

BUY: Fake Bake Flawless, $25

Fake Bake Flawless, $25

5. Xen-Tan’s E! Live from the Red Carpet Perfect Blend

This sweet, cucumber melon scented self-tanner is one of my favorites because it has an adjustable dial that allows you to customize your tan from light to dark--even a self-tanning rookie can achieve a flawless application. Plus, you can achieve the perfect tan no matter how dark or light your skin is naturally!

BUY: Xen-Tan’s E! Live from the Red Carpet Perfect Blend, $45

Remember to exfoliate before you self-tan (and moisturize after) for best results!
Check out my blog on the best body scrubs and oils for details.

Skin Cancer Awareness Month: Facts, Best Sunscreens & Chic UPF Hats

May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month and studies show that 52% of American Women grade themselves a C or lower on their sun care habits. Melanoma is easy to prevent if you are careful about sun exposure and protection.

“About 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 65% of melanoma cases are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun,” says Perry Robins, MD, President of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “Everyone, regardless of skin color, should make staying safe in the sun a priority and incorporate sun protection measures into their daily life.”

Now that the sun is finally shining, it's time to break out the protective hats and sunscreens. Read on for more...

We all know it's important to protect your skin to reduce cancer-causing sun damage so wear a hat when outside this Spring or Summer. Not only will you stay cooler, but you will protect yourself from the suns harmful rays. I really like the hats by Coolibar--they have a large selection, great prices and UPF protection of 50+. 

The Shapeable Travel Sun Hat style below looks good on most women and has the perfect sized brim that you can bend to best suit your style. It's packable too!

Coolibar Shapeable Travel Sun Hat, UPF 50+, $45 (shown in tan)

There are so many sunscreens to choose from so how do you know which ones are best? I have researched and tried just about every sun block product out there. Below are my top five picks in terms of sun protection and how they feel on the skin.

1. La Roche-Posay Ultra-light Sunscreen Lotion Spray goes on sheer white (blends right away), is fast absorbing and has a silky finish. I am obsessed with this water resistant sunscreen for the body--it feels moisturizing yet weightless on the skin. The combination of patented high efficacy sun filters and powerful antioxidants make it the ultimate in sun protection. It's also great for sensitive skin and fragrance free.

2. L'Oreal Quick Dry Sheer Finish Spray 30 goes on sheer white and is fragrant. This oil-free and water resistant spray dries super quick and delivers long-lasting, broad spectrum protection. A nice and effective sunscreen that can be found in the drugstore.

As part of the L’Oréal Paris USA partnership with the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the brand has launched "It’s THAT Worth It™ - a global public health call-to-action that urges women of all skin tones to prevent melanoma by using sunscreen and to help save lives by supporting melanoma research for a cure.  The campaign features celebrity spokespeople Eva Longoria, Aimee Mullins, Lea Michele and skin cancer survivor Diane Keaton.

By joining the "It’s THAT Worth It™ Thunderclap, you can lend support and help stop melanoma through prevention and research.  As a thank you, L'Oréal Paris will make a donation to MRA of $1 for each supporter who signs up for the Thunderclap and $1 for each L’Oréal Paris Advanced Suncare product sold in the U.S.

Visit www.itsthatworthit.org to join the movement. Watch as everyone’s messages are simultaneously shared around the world on May 20th.

 

The Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Spray is perfect for on the go application and for using in hard to reach areas like your back. I use it while on vacation since it's water resistant, non greasy, and offers great protection and it's available in department stores and at Sephora

4. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen, SPF 55 goes on like a creamy moisturizer, is light-weight and leaves a non-shiny finish to your skin. I love that you can find the broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen in almost any drugstore (I like to buy it in bulk)! It's fast absorbing and water resistant for up to 80 minutes. 

5. SkinCeuticals Sheer Physical UV defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 offers powerful broad-spectrum sun protection. It's lightweight and goes on transparent so it's perfect to use on your face. Contains 5% zinc oxide and 6% titanium dioxide and is gentle for sensitive skin. Dermatologists recommended.

According to the American Melanoma Foundation, here are some facts about Melanoma:

  • One American dies of melanoma every hour.
  • Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults 15-29 years old. The torso is the most common location for developing melanoma for females in this age group.
  • Besides breast cancer, young women under the age of 39 have a higher probability of developing melanoma than any other cancer.
  • Exposure to tanning beds before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 75 percent.
  • More than one million people visit tanning salons every day. Of these, approximately 71 percent are girls and young women ages 16-29.
  • One in 58 men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma in their lifetime.

Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month With Shiseido + Why Pink?

One of my favorite all time skincare and make-up brands is Shiseido. In support of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the luxury brand is partnering with Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) to support their philanthropic arm, Cancer and Careers, for the seventh consecutive year.

Here are some interesting facts regarding breast cancer and it's connection to the color pink.

By donating $5 for every Lacquer Rouge in Diva (VI418) sold throughout the month of October, Shiseido will give back to the non-profit  organization dedicated to supporting working women living with cancer.  

The  new  bright pink  shade of liquid lip color with lacquer-like shine is gorgeous and can be purchased at www.shiseido.com  for $25. Three more days left to shop for a cause!