faux glow, yo..

even tho we are in a season where there is barely any skin showing 

(this morning on my walk to work, all you could see was from my nose to eyebrows)

(dang Sandy made winter come in with a fierce fury..ugh..)

it might seem silly to want to have a tan, but sometimes a girl just needs a glow, faux or not..

since i have sworn off tanning beds several years ago, and since lounging in st. tropez for the weekend isn't an option for me either, i resort to a good sunless tanner, in lieu of jetting off to a resort..

i've tried several over the years. 

many ending in terrible orange streaks, leaving me running for the shower with an exfoliator!

i finally found one a couple years back that has been my go-to when i'm feeling ghostly.

it's called: body drench quick tan sunless tanning spray

you can buy it HERE

here are some tips i've learned thru the years that will hopefully help you get on your way to looking like you just got back from cancun and not from charlie and his chocolate factory (no one wants to look umpa-lumpa-esk):

1) a good faux tan starts with a good base. i always start by shaving and exfoliating before i faux  glow.

2) in the winter especially, i want to look slightly sun kissed, not fully cooked, so i always moisturize before applying my tanner. make sure to pay special attention to naturally drier areas (knees, elbows, feet, etc..) as they will grab onto the tanner more. forgetting this step will scream "i have a fake tan!!!" and no one wants that..

3) starting from the bottom and working your way up 

(this keeps you from getting any crease lines)

(WHAT?!?! i don't know about you, i don't get any lines when i bend over... i kid...),

 spray small sections and rub it in completely (with GLOVED hands!) before moving on to the next section. this insures all areas are streak free before drying.

4) i work in this order:

lower legs (individually)

upper legs (individually), 

stomach, 

back (as much as i can reach),

chest and shoulders,

arms (individually),

light spray across the face

5) then, this step is also very important, i go over those extra dry prone areas with a dry towel to scrub off some of the tanner before it sets to much. i make sure to get the tops of my feet, back of the ankle, knees and their pits (hehe, that makes me laugh), elbows and their pits, and around my armpit.

and viola'! you're done!

*in a perfect world i would do this in the morning, let is set all day, then shower at night before bed. if i do this in the afternoon/evening, i'll use an old pillowcase so i don't rub any color off on my good white ones, and then i'll shower off the extra tint in the morning.*

you'll be on your way to a healthy glow before ya know it!

best of luck!

lemme know how yours turns out

xoxo