How 2 Girl by Courtney Bingham

We all love to be tan, let’s face it ladies, as a famous actress once told me… “Fat looks better tan!” So true. I don’t know about you but I always feel sexier and more beautiful with a nice golden tan. Sure there are women out there with fair complexions that rock them and make them look gorgeous… Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman to name a few. As for me, a tan works wonders, after dealing with removing some sun damage this year, the realization of how horrible too much sun is for you became a harsh reality. I had to have 3 moles cut off, it was scary and painful and I swore I would always wear sunblock and protect my skin from then on. If I could give you one tip it would be STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM TANNING BEDS, they should be illegal in my opinion. Skin cancer is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, laying out even if you don’t burn or you don’t see any sun spots can and will come back to haunt you down the road… Okay, I just got fired up… so back to my point. I have become a HUGE advocate and fan of self tanner. Sometimes when women hear self tanner there is automatically a negative condonation that comes along with it. The fist things that come to mind are Orange, Oompa Loompa, streaks and an uneven tan.

I am excited to tell you that I have tried almost every self tanner in the book. (Seriously, I have. I’ve even stained all of my white sheets brown and orange many times… it wasn’t pretty) but after much trial and error I have found 2 products that I want to turn you on to. Yes, out of all the self tanners out there 2.

First things first, there is NO difference between self tanner for your body and self tanner for your face, This is purely a marketing gimmick. They are exactly the same, I promise you.

After turning orange, being streaking, splotchy and basically looking like a hot mess I have tracked down the best products on the market. Of course there are airbrush tans which I love, these can be done at most salons but they are going to cost you! Every time I used to go depending on the salon I was out from $50-$90. That’s just crazy!

I found the same exact result of getting an airbrush tan in an aerosol can. It’s called Tahitian Tanning Mist $13 and I am obsessed with it! This spray won Allure’s Best In Beauty Award-FOR THREE STRAIGHT YEARS! It goes on sheer so you can add more layers if you want it darker and the spray comes out completely even and flawless, you can’t mess it up if you try. When you spray it on your face make sure to close your eyes and not breathe in! The coloring of this spray has a brown undertone as opposed to orange which is not your friend. If you are worried about applying it wrong and you’re a beginner at self tanner then I would suggest this hands down.

My favorite lotion and I am constantly raving about it on twitter. St. Tropez Bronzing Lotion. $40 This has a brown undertone so no orange glow.

Makes your skin look deeply bronzed, the key ingredient is Dihydroxyacetone (tanning agent). The lotion is dark—like liquid chocolate—but diffuses as you smooth it on skin; the self-tanner smell is subtler than most. This is the next best thing to a salon bronzing. Realistic—but definitely noticeable—color appears within a few hours and lasts for several days. It won the Allure Best of Beauty 2011 and Allure Best of Beauty Breakthrough 2009

I recommend applying using latex gloves when applying a lotion, not necessary for a spray (you can find them at the beauty supply or even Home Depot) This keeps your palms from getting really dark while applying. Go easy on your feet and hands.

* Before applying any self tanner it is really important to exfoliate. I like using the gloves, or that green and yellow sponge you buy to wash dishes works amazing! After you shower and any dead skin is off you don’t put on any moisturizer, leave your skin clean. Now you’re ready to go.

A great tip is to put lotion on your finger nails and toe nails to prevent the tanner from spraying or getting on your nails and wrecking you polish. I also apply lotion on the inside of my wrists, this is where it can tend to get too dark and not blend so the lotion dilutes it a little. I like to put cotton balls in my ears so they don’t get to dark. I put my hair in a bun and put a shower cap over it.

Make sure to really rub in your lotion. If you have any streaks with the spray (unlikely) but if you do take a large powder puff and lightly go over the streaks, this will remove the excess spray and blend it in.

Make sure to apply lotion the next day and everyday after, the more moisturized your skin is the longer the tan will stay. As it starts to fade or get flaky get in that shower, exfoliate like crazy and apply it again.

What is the perfect RED nail polish for your skin?

I love wearing red on my nails but I have found out numerous times that there are certain reds that looks fab and others… not so much. The bad ones end up making me look pasty. It’s not sexy, so here is a quick little guide on how to get the perfect shade just for you!

If your skin is light with yellow undertones: Warm coral or tomato red.

*Try Coral Canyon by Essie $8

If your skin is light with blue undertones: Cool rose red or deep berry red.

*Try Essie Well Red $8

If your skin is medium: A reddish hue with some violet to it gives a great contrast to olive skin tones.

*Try OPI Rock-Apulco $7

If your skin color is dark: You can’t really go wrong, all reds look amazing on darker skin but choosing a polish with a little metallic to it will really pop!

*Try Dior Red Tea No 853 $27 (star splurge)