Themes from the Marc Jacobs Fall 2009 show:

Cardigans
Cut-out shoulders
Patterned tights
Zippers
Elbow-length gloves
Scarves
Built-out shoulders
Origami draping
Carrot pants
Pencil skirts
Cocoon coats
Bright colors
Natural waist
Loose bandage-style dresses
Full skirts
Asymmetrical hemlines
One sleeve dresses
Tulip skirts/dresses
Pink with red

What’s your take? Do you like the diversity of the collection? Or, is it a bit too much?

Though I know the merits of protecting my skin from the sun, I am a total sun worshipper. I love the feel of sun on my skin. Unless it’s over 90 degrees (and especially not 106 like we’ve had in Austin lately), I’d rather sit outside in the sun then be stuck indoors in the air conditioning. And, I love the way my skin looks with a tan. I feel I look healthy, fit and just generally sexier when I have a tan. But, I really don’t want to suffer from skin cancer at 35 or develop wrinkles before the last possible and inevitable moment. I’ve seen women with leathery skin and it’s definitely not something I’d like staring back in my mirror. Thus, I liberally apply sunscreen and take steps to protect my skin from the sun.


So, the conundrum…
How to have a tan (or at least the appearance of a tan) without exposing my skin to the harmful effects of the sun?


Here are some options for getting that sun-kissed look while avoiding the sun’s kiss of death.

Ways to Get a Tan Without Sun

Airbrush Tan

Airbrush tanning is a great option to achieve the appearance of a tan without having to spend any time in the sun. Airbrush tanning is not the same thing as spray booth tans. With airbrush tanning, an individual actually does the airbrushing, paying close attention to detail and your specific body shape. Spray booths give the same amount and motion of spray regardless of your height or body shape. Also, you have to apply barrier creams and wear annoying plastic booties and head covers. For these reasons, airbrush tanning is far superior. The specialist who applies your spray will pay close attention to make sure you don’t experience streaking, uneven spray or unwanted color. The problem with airbrush tanning is it only lasts a few days, so maintaining a tan in this way can become pretty costly.
But, airbrush tanning is perfect if you need a last-minute tan for a special event.

Self-Tanner

DIYing a fake tan is more cost-efficient and less involved than airbrush tanning. Depending on how deep you’d like your tan to be and how soon you want to see results, there are a couple of different options.
Daily Lotion
Jergens recently came out with their Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. This product applies just like a regular lotion, but gradually adds color to your skin like a self-tanner. It’s almost completely streak-free and dries in a mere 2 minutes. There’s even a special formula for your face. Many drugstores are now coming out with their own versions of the Jergens product. I’ve tried the version from CVS and have found it to work just as well for about half the price. The benefit to using a daily lotion is the ease and simplicity of use. The downfalls are depth of tan and the time it takes to see results (about 2 weeks). I did get a fairly decent tan by using a complete bottle for fair skin and then upgrading to the version for medium skin. But, of course, that was over the course of a couple months.
Sunless Tanning Lotion
If you’re looking for a darker tan and/or quicker results, opt for a true self-tanner. Self-tanners can be tricky to use, they do tend to leave streaks and they sometimes can leave you looking like an oompa loompa. When they first came out in the 90’s (?), self-tanners were pretty much a disaster. You could always tell which women had fake tans by the orange lines on their legs and their discolored palms. Lucky for us, self-tanner technology has come a long way. Today’s tanners are much easier to use, almost completely streak-free (when applied correctly) and much more believable as legitimate tans.
Read more for How to Apply Self-Tanner and Self-Tanner Recommendations.

Tricks to Create the Appearance of a Tan

Color Choice

Wearing certain colors can create just the right contrast to make it appear like you have a healthy tan. Most people agree that white is THE color to wear if you want to look tan. One comment I saw floating around on the web is, ‘wearing white is like standing next to the whitest person at the pool.’ You’re bound to appear tan up against the stark white of your suit. Other than white, try bright, warm shades of yellow, orange, pink, turquoise and blue.

Moisturize

Moisturize your skin really well. Create glistening skin with an oil-based lotion. This will make you look like you just got off the beach. Be careful though, lotions like this can also leave oil splotches on certain fabrics.

Wear Bronzer

The ultimate way to cheat is by applying a fake tint in the form of a bronzer. Bronzers are typically for your face, but can also be applied to your shoulders, chest, etc. This definitely won’t give you an all over tan, just more of a flush.

How To Apply Self-Tanner

Applying self-tanner can be a bit daunting. Follow these steps to avoid streaks or unnatural-looking tans.

1. Exfoliate

Self-tanner will adhere to your dry skin first. Make sure to exfoliate your entire body before applying self-tanner. Use a body polish or body scrub with a loofah to make sure you get rid of as many dry skin cells as you can.

2. Apply

Try purchasing a basic kitchen sponge and using it to apply tanner as evenly as you can. Squeeze 4 lines of tanner along the sponge. Starting at your ankles, pull the sponge up your leg in an even line. Working around your leg, start at your ankles and work your way up. If you see any build up of product, use the sponge to smooth the tanner from bottom to top. Keeping a uniform motion like this will help you make sure you’ve covered all of your body and will prevent odd streaks from swiping the product all over your body. Use the same strategy on your arms, starting at your wrists and moving toward your fingers. Do not apply tanner under your arms. Apply a little more tanner to the sponge and apply to your chest and stomach, using the same vertical motion as before.

3. Face

Make sure your face will not break out by doing a spot test a few days before applying. Most self-tanners have a separate version for the face or specific directions for the face. Check into those options before doing anything else. You can completely avoid your face if the color you’re tanning the rest of your body is just a shade or two different.
Otherwise, apply tanner as you would your foundation; work from the nose in sweeping motions out to your jawbone. Avoid your brows and hairline. After applying to your entire face, dip a q-tip in a soap solution and go over your eyebrows and along your hairline.

4. Feet

To apply tanner to your feet, stand flat and apply to tops of feet making sure to go between your toes. Do not apply tanner to the bottoms of your feet and pay special attention that no product builds up on the bones of your feet (the same is true of your knees and elbows).

5. Hands

Avoid getting the dreaded orange palms by washing your hands immediately after applying the product (since you used a sponge, you won’t have as much on your hands). Then, reapply some tanner to the backs of your hands by rubbing them on your inner arms or legs.

6. Wait

One of the hardest steps to follow when applying a self-tanner is waiting for it to dry. You should stand naked for about 30 minutes. Stay fairly still for the first 10 minutes or so. Then, you can move around some as you wait for the product to dry. Be careful, it can seem dry long before it really is. Give your self-tanner a full 30 minutes before putting clothes on or sitting down.
After that, make sure you do not shower or go in the water for about 6 hours.

Recommended Self-Tanners

Department Store

Clarins Self-Tanning Instant Gel: This gel is instantly absorbed so there’s no need to wait for it to dry. You begin to see results in 2 hours. It’s also safe to use on your face (just make sure to spot test first).
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Self-Tan: This milky lotion glides on smoothly and dries quickly. You can reapply to achieve a darker color.
Lancome Soleil Flash Bronzer: This self-tanner glides on smoothly and dries quickly. See results in less than one hour.

Drugstore

Coppertone Sunless Tanning: Like the Jergens daily lotion, this lotion from Coppertone gives a gradual tan when applied as your daily body lotion.
Neutrogena Instant Bronze: This product has a bronzer built in that allows you to see exactly where you’ve applied the self-tanner. It dries in less than 5 minutes.
Jergens Natural Glow: Jergens Natural Glow acts just like your daily body lotion. Make sure to wash your hands after applying because they can start to look a bit orange after a few days of use.

What do you think about these tips for looking tan? Have you tried airbrush tanning or self-tanners? What about the tricks (clothing, bronzers, etc.)? Share your thoughts in the comments.