Legs, Legs, Legs

Although I'd been at the beach all weekend, I threw on some of my old Clarins self-tanner this morning. I was baring my legs for the first time this spring/summer, and I HATE baring my legs.

Above is my self-tanner, which still works great. This is amazing considering it's older than my  toddler and is now discontinued. So get this at Sephora instead...

The combination of a little sun and self-tanner made my legs the most perfect, bare-able color yet. I can't stay in the sun long as my skin hates it and I get heat rash every time. I'm actually dying to scratch the hell out of my back right now. So when I go to the beach, which I love, I sit in the sun for about ten minutes, and then it's under the umbrella for me. If you're like me, I highly recommend using a little self-tanner after avoiding the sun at the beach for most of the day. It's a perfect combo.

Also, I'm picking these up at Duane Reade next time I'm in their beauty section, so in like an hour. I found them on Cat Marnell's post on xojane.com, who not only gives the best product advice, but is also a protege of a world-class expert on self tanning. (I'm pretty sure I've said this before on this blog, but get Jean Godfrey June's book Free Gift with Purchase, it's not only very entertaining but is full of useful beauty tips.)




Sephora
130 West 34th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue
Duane Reade
1350 Broadway at 35th Street, north side of Herald Square

Winter White

When one is going to a warmer locale with winter legs, one panics and wants to do things one normally would never do. Please, remain calm and do not visit a random tanning place and get sprayed. There are too many unknown variables that could produce a frighteningly dark or orangeish hue. Control your color with a good self-tanning product from a reputable brand. Try Clarins at Sephora. They have a decent selection of self-tanners, with or without sunscreen, and for body, face or just legs. I bought the Sheer Bronze Tinted Self Tanning For Legs, $29.50, but I'm putting it on my arms too (will I be breaking a beauty commandment and turn to stone if I put the leg cream on my arms? I'll keep you updated). The tint is key, advice I got from Jean Godfrey-June in her book Free Gift with Purchase.* The beauty director of Lucky Magazine and a devoted self-tanner, she notes that the tint makes application much faster and effective as you can see what's going onto your skin. And she's right. Just remember the tint color is not going to be the color of your tan.

The staff at Sephora also recommends Bliss's "A Tan For All Seasons." They say women love this spray's ease of use. It's a little more expensive at $36. I'm a longtime Clarins fan so I stuck with brand loyalty. Here are some application tips from Ms. Godfrey-June's book, which I recommend buying for your girlfriends as a holiday gift. It's not just funny but also full of great beauty advice and fashion magazine lore:

-don't sweat the pre-tanning exfoliation (unless you've got scary feet)
-blend, blend, blend
-go gently in nooks and crannies, like ankles and elbows
-don't sit in your bathroom waiting to dry - put on some dark clothes and go

And regarding that last tip, I was amazed at how quickly the Clarins dried.

*buy this book for insider beauty advice. It's very entertaining and is a great holiday girlfriend gift.

Sephora, 130 W. 34th between Broadway & 7th, 212-326-9461