Calvin Klein never looked healthier than on New York’s spring/summer runway, where his models glowed with flawless skin tanned to perfection. Now it’s our turn to rock copper tones thanks to some high-colour tricks and a few terracotta hued products. Who needs a Cuban vacation when you can fake it?
Prep work
Now, we certainly don’t want to sacrifice our baby soft skin. Before lathering on the self-tanner, it’s imperative to exfoliate. Use a wash mitt or a textured exfoliating cream, remove dead skin cells by rubbing your forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. No need to press too hard – make light, circular motions, and you’ll achieve the desired effect. For healthy, brilliant skin, moisturize with a gel rather than a cream. Otherwise, hello, shiny T-zone!
Making it up
You don’t want to look like someone forgot you on the barbecue, so make sure you get your dosage spot on. Avoid dousing your face, neck and décolleté with bucket loads of golden-coloured gel – rather, for a discreet and elegant look, makeup artists advise to aim at the protrusions only, like your forehead, your nose, chin, cheekbones and breastbone, as if the sun had naturally kissed them from above. Coloured creams and lotions should be used only with those who have normal to dry skin; while bronzing powders should be applied with a fat brush to combination or oily skin. For a nice cool contrast, decorate your lips with an icy pink.
Faux sun for fun
Contrary to makeup, self-tanners don’t disappear with washing, which makes them the perfect solution for those pressed for time. Start by rubbing a generous amount of self-tanner into your face, neck and bust. Use a hairdryer to both increase the speed of absorption and enhance the resulting colour. Then reapply a second time, though only on the protruding areas. This added step pumps up the glam factor, and makes a world of difference.
Here are some of our favourite sunny products.
Caudalie Gentle Buffing Cream
$44
By telephone or Internet order at Sephora
1 877 SEPHORA • www.sephora.com / www.caudalie.com
Decléor Aroma Pureté Matt Finish Skin Fluid
$40
At The Bay and select spas
1 800 363-7284 • www.decleor.com
Fresh Bronzing Face Luster in Tunisian Bronze
$57
By telephone or Internet order at Sephora
1 800 FRESH20 • www.fresh.com or
1 877 SEPHORA • www.sephora.com
Simili sun
BeneFit Talk to the Tan Bronze Facial Tint w/ tan-i-tude
$28
At The Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix and Sephora
1 800 781-2336 • www.benefitcosmetics.com
Check out tons of self-tanners in our shopping section.
