Sunless Tanning

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Friday, February 18, 2011

Becky DiStefano, GoLocalProv Beauty Expert

You’re over feeling pasty and pale; you can at least pretend to be on vacation or just returning with a gorgeous bronze glow that’s easy and not orange! Glow on, girl.

Baste

If the words “spray” and “tan” scare you, fear not. At Gloss & Glamour in North Providence, the pros of airbrush tanning ($30 for 15 minutes) will have you looking golden in no time. “The best advice I can give is: water is not your friend when you do a spray tan!” says owner Kristen Marrah. “You can’t shower 6-8 hours after the spray, so exfoliate, shave or wax and get a mani/pedi prior to tanning and do not wear lotion or makeup.” You can also host a “Glow Gathering” with friends to get glowing and when you bring 5 or more friends, you get sprayed for free!

Bronze

Self-tanners have come a long way from the days of shocking oranges and rusty browns. Your best bet is to exfoliate first but do not moisturize, as that can cause the tanner to run, smear or streak. For an easy, surefire way to get tan quickly, Guerlain’s classic Terracotta collection offers a spray tanner ($59, Sephora) that goes on like a dream: even, beautiful color and even has SPF 10. Or pick up Neutrogena Micro Mist Tanning Spray ($10, Target), which ensures a lovely glow and you can reach hard-to-get areas like your back and back of your legs.

Blend

If self-tanning or spray tanning is not for you, using bronzer can give you a glow that washes off at night. Bronzers come in a variety of forms including gels, lotions, loose powders and pressed palettes. We love Lancome’s Poudre Soleil Sun-Kissed Bronzing Powder ($37, Nordstrom, Providence), which adds a kiss of color to cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. Or go for Flirt! Totally Bronze Style Box ($25, Kohls) which has bronzing powder and bronze eyeshadow shades to give you a sunny look.

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