Sun-Less Tans

There are few things as satisfying as having that fresh, back-from-the-beach glow, which highlights every facial feature perfectly and always seems to instantly tone abs, legs and arms without one trip to the gym. We all yearn for that look and put our bodies through whatever means necessary to achieve it. Countless hours laying out under the sun, or even bi-weekly trips to the tanning salon.

The problem: new reports according to the Associated Press have shown that our chances for skin cancer increase by 75% if we start using tanning beds before the age of 30. A pretty startling statistic. But were not here to focus on the negatives, instead we have some solutions. Ways to give our skin the same healthy glow without the harmless ultra-violet rays.

Personally, I am a huge proponent of the spray-tan. I know, you hear the horror stories about turning Oompa Loompa orange, but I promise, choose the right place, and the right color combo for your skin, and you’ll be loving the airbrush look.

Usually the person performing the air-brush on you will have a pretty good sense of what color will make you glow and which will make you glow-in-the-dark, so don’t be afraid to ask their opinion. You should however, also be cognizant of the fact that if you don’t follow all of the “rules”, you will fall victim to streaks and blotchiness.

1. Make sure to shower, shave and even scrub before the tan. The scrubbing will make the tan take to your skin better.
2. No lotion before-hand, it has the opposite effect of scrubbing!
3. No showering until six hours after you receive the tan. You may be slightly unnaturally dark the first day, but once you shower, all the residual will come off and you will be left with a stunning color.

If you are just not a fan of the spray-tan, and can’t be convinced to try it out, there are other options. Self-tanning creams and lotions, can work wonders as well. Our personal favorite is Clarins Self-Tanning Instant Gel. It’s on the pricier side, but well worth it in the end if you are looking for that streak-free sunless tan.

Last but not least we have the one thing no Diva’s make-up bag should be without, bronzer. If you opt out of the spray-tanning, or the self-tanner creams, might as well go the make-up route right? Finding the right bronzer is something that every girl has to try on her own. I am a fan of NARS’s Laguna  and Mac’s refined golden powder. You can try those out or make your own discoveries and let us know what you like. We’re always open to trying new things.

So the bottom line is, you can still have the same tan you try all summer to perfect… but forget radiation poisoning… how about we just be radiating?