Going For the Bronze

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am blindingly white. In fact, hey, Chlorox! If you need a spokesperson, I'm perfect and available!! Call me!! Now, normally, I'm quite proud of my "Southern Belle" complexion (Why, yes, I have been under a parasol all day. Why do you ask?), but "fishbelly white", as my Daddy used to call it, is not a good look for legs in shorts and sundresses. Then again, neither is "Oompa Loompa orange". I can tell you that from experience. *shudder*

Tanning beds scare the crud out of me. Laying out in the sun only makes me burn, and it's not exactly "healthy". (oh, I am big on quotation marks today!) I'm not quite up for sunless tanner, yet, and finding a good one is like finding the Holy Grail. Basically, what I needed was something that would give me just a little color, so you could tell where my white tanks and light khaki capris stopped and I started. Was that asking too much?

Photo Credit: Walgreens

Thankfully, the folks at Jergen's didn't think so. This year, I snapped up a bottle of the perennially popular Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer ($8.99, Walgreens) and the companion Face Moisturizer ($8.19, Amazon) before they sold out. There are pros and cons to these; the pros being that they deposit just enough buildable, streak-free color to give you a little glow, but not scream, "I'VE USED A TANNER!!!!!" They dry quickly, don't transfer to clothing easily, are long-lasting, and the body lotion really does firm well. You can actually feel it working as you apply the lotion. The cons are a little rough, though: there is a definite fragrance, and not one I find particularly pleasant. It's a far cry better than the original fragrance from when the products launched a few years ago, but it's still fairly awful and doesn't fade. They're a little sticky, too, but the worst thing about the products is the packaging. They only come in tube form, which means that you'll be picking up the tubes and trying to squeeze out lotion with greasy, slippery hands. The tanner gets all over the outsides of the bottles, which leaves streaks on your counters. A pump would be greatly appreciated, at least by this user. Final Verdict: 8 out of 10. Fantastic product with just a couple of kinks to work out.

Photo Credit: Sephora

Now, I don't know about you, but the first thing I notice after I use a tanner of any sort, even one this light and natural-looking, is that my makeup is too light. Not much, but enough to look a little chalky. I recently had the opportunity to sample Too Faced's new Primed & Poreless SPF 20 Bronze Tint Skin Smoothing Face Primer ($30, Sephora), and I have to say, it helps.

At first, I was really concerned over how dark and sparkly the product was coming out of the tube. It honestly looked like metallic copper fabric paint. In fact, the first thing I thought (okay, said out loud. To myself. Because I'm crazy like that) was, "Oh, my God, I can't put that on my face." However, for the sake of you guys, I went through with it. Almost as if by magic, the primer disappeared into my skin, leaving only a very subtle glow and an evened skin-tone. My pores do appear smaller, and my skin looked radiant. The primer is silicone-based, which gives it a silky texture, but it's also very lightweight. I don't feel bogged down under a mask, and that's fantastic in this humidity. When I put my usual foundation over it (lightly, I must add), the color came through just a bit, which aided in making my light foundation work on my darker skin. Best of all, it's SPF 20, which alleviates the extra step (and cost) of sunscreen. I also noticed that my makeup stayed fresh throughout the day, including my eyeshadow, and I had forgotten to use my eye primer. I wish the price was a little lower, but it's a large tube, so you do get what you pay for. Final Verdict: 9 out of 10. This is a Summertime life-saver, and a winner all around.

Photo Credit: Sephora

Lastly, for those of you who like a little extra oomph around the cheekbones, I can not recommend enough the (again) Too Faced The Bronze and the Beautiful Bronzing Powder palette ($38, Sephora). This palette gives you three increasingly potent bronzers in a beautiful mirrored package, complete with the softest, most wonderful bronzing brush I've ever encountered. It delivers the precise amount of product and blends effortlessly. The bronzers begin with Snow Bunny, the lightest, that deposits a minimal amount of color, but a maximum amount of highlighting shimmer. Next in line is Sun Bunny, a medium shade that works for even the lightest complexion. Lastly, we have Pink Leopard, which looks fabulous over a tan, and also works for sculpting. I like to brush a little Snow Bunny over the other shades for a little extra shimmer. The price may seem a bit much, but each bronzer runs $28 individually, and this way you get all three, plus brush. The sizes are marginally smaller than if bought individually, but after months of daily use, I've barely made in a dent in my set, and have the option of blending shades for a custom look. This stuff, to put it bluntly, rocks. Final Verdict: 10 out of 10. It's on my list of products I can't live without.