Sun (less) Goddess

We all know the ills of sunbathing and tanning beds: skin cancer, wrinkles, age spots, burns…you know the lecture by heart. But does that stop us from wanting to trade in our Anne Hathaway white skin for a little J. Lo glow? Not for a second! Whether you’re looking for a full body long lasting tan, or just a hint of bronze on the face and décolleté, we’ve got your sun-kissed look covered here:

-For an instantly bronzed look, sweep a matte bronzer (avoid shimmer bronzers which can accentuate double chins, large foreheads, and not-so-perfect noses) in an “E” shape along the hairline, into the cheeks, and over the jaw line. This technique creates the illusion that the sun has naturally hit you in all the right places.

-Orange….maybe you aren’t so bad! Orange is typically a word you want to run away from when it comes to your appearance, but we may have found the exception. Okay, so it’s more of a peach. Check out the Revolution Organics Beauty Balm in Sunkissed for a natural, peachy blushed look on your lips, cheeks, and eyes.

-You glow girl! Nothing says, “I’ve been kissed by the sun,” like a radiant glow. Sweep a shimmer highlighter above the cheekbones, on your collar bones, and on the tips of your shoulders for a glow that appears to come from within.

-Sun kiss your lips. Lips that have been slightly sunned have a hot pink hue. Mimic this look (minus the sun damage) with a raspberry-toned gloss. Already have some fine lines around the mouth from the sun? Get a bang for your buck with a product like My Youthful Smile, which has raspberry colored gloss on one end, and a wrinkle filling primer for smile lines on the other.

-A hint of all over color. For a subtle color change, try a gradual tanner like Nivea’s Sun Kissed Beautiful Legs moisturizer. Or, try mixing a bit of your favorite self tanner with your body lotion.

-“Yes I have been vacationing in the Bahamas thank you very much.” If you’ve got a wedding, reunion, or other big event you want to look perfectly bronzed for, consider getting an airbrush tan. After one too many streak disasters from the spray on booths (think the Friends episode where Ross gets one). An airbrush costs a little more than the booths…typically around $50. But with a professional preventing (or instantly fixing) any streaks, and a perfect tan that will last 5-10 days, it may just be worth it!