Sunless Summer Tans

Faux tan. Sunless tan. Fake tan. Or, as the popular slang has coined the term: fake and bake. Whether you're scrubbing down in the shower and slathering it on once towel dried, or rocking out to your iPod playlist and stretched out in a UV lit box; sunless tanning -- and by sunless, I mean no time spent outdoors -- has become as regular as breathing. Sunless tanning in the form of creams and spray mists is a healthy alternative. Skin cancer friendly and alluring for those proned to outrageous, destructive sunburns, sunless tanning is the perfect solution. Ask the girls at Sunset Tan and they'll tell you that the "fake'n'baking" tanning beds are all the rage -- sans the drama. Either way, the main point in question is that we want to be tan; we want to be tan all year round; and we are too busy to spend a few hours outdoors to get there.

Ask anyone, taking a walk down Faux Tan Lane and you're asking for directions faster than a man rejecting them. What's the difference between creams and gels? What makes the prestige brands like Bare Escentuals better than the mass market brands like Clarins? Which products will leave me with a beautiful bronze and which will be nightmarishly orange? Do all of these products give off that horrible faux tan smell? Does the brand name have anything to do with the zebra streaks we all fear will occur? These are just some of the questions our minds scream out when we are faced with the dilemna of choosing a brand and daring our hands to apply it. Because we all know how it goes, once it touches the skin, it's only a matter of time before some color forms.

When I worked at Sephora I had the luxury of going sample happy. From eye shadows to lip liners to perfumes to haircare to faux tanning products, I sampled it all. I developed love/hate relationships with many products; loving the outcome but hating the smell or the process. Of them was the Bare Escentuals Faux Tan -- my favorite. I will admit though, the first time I saw it, I contemplated heading for the hills. There is nothing cutesy or extravagant about the packaging -- it's all white with FAUX TAN is brown, simple text. Not the first faux tanner that I'd jump for when the market is overflowing with catchy, flashy packaging. It's the cream itself that had me opting out for 5 hours in the sun. The actual lotion itself is a dark green color, totally matte and totally scary when you remember you're supposed to apply it all over yourself. But it works! Only $22 at Sephora, this little 4.5 oz bottle of faux coloring is absolutely amazing! HINT: I mixed it with a cheap, $7 bottle of sunless tanner so that the color wasn't so intensely spread. Another great find I've encountered over the past few months is Mystique tanning lotion. It's sold in different beauty retail locations -- such as Beauty Connection in the Farmers Market in LA -- and for $38, this little charmer comes with a body sponge to help buff a golden tan, all the while keeping your hands clean. From the mass market, my winners are Jergins or Clarins. I prefer the lotion to the gel; the gel left a sticky and then uncomfortably dry residue on my skin.

If you're just looking for a quick fix, an instant sexy glow for a hot date or a night on the town, there are two all time favorites of mine. From the prestige market, available for $28 and in two delicious shades of bronze, is DuWop Revolution SPF 15. This bronzer is not a sunless tanner but it delivers a quick alternative if you need a tan and you need it now. If you're looking for a cheap, mass market proned quick fix, may I suggest Sally Hansen AirBrush Legs. Although it is made for your legs, a little spritz here and there on the chest and arms won't hurt. Either way, here's a helpful hint: add a little moisturizer to your mix, it keeps your skin from drying out and aids in an even blend.

Bon apetite beauty bloggers, faux tans can be as delicious as double chocolate cake! All you need is a good eye, an even blend and a little courage to mix it all together!