skincare

Pale is Pretty! Fair is Fab!

A woman on a message board that I frequent uses the tag-line “pale is the new tan”. Every time I see the tag I snort and think, “I wish”. I have been waiting for the pale trend since puberty. As a teen I was teased for my flat hair (bigger was better back then), my flat chest (bigger has always been better) and my cleft chin (the nickname ass-chin still haunts me). I hated these features, but it was my pale skin that I hated the most. I dreaded the arrival of the warm weather because it always meant merciless teasing about my pasty skin.

In my late teens I became obsessed with achieving the perfect tan. I slathered myself in baby oil and baked myself in the sun. I never did achieve that perfect tan. I did, however, suffer several horrific sunburns. I can’t imagine the damage that I’ve done to my skin, and I still fear that I will one day discover cancerous skin cells. Oh, the stupidity of vanity!

During my early twenties, I discovered self-tanning products. I think I bought every single self-tanner on the market, from high end, to low end. Some turned me orange, some left me striped and some turned my palms and ankles brown. All of them smelled terrible. Oh, how we suffer for beauty!

This year, I say screw it. Pasty, you say? I prefer alabaster. From the looks of things, I don’t think I’m alone. I’m seeing more and more celebrities foregoing the “Cheeto tan” these days. While fake-bakers like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan turn themselves into hot messes, stars like Scarlet Johannsen, Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, and Nicole Kidman are helping to re-define what is sexy in Hollywood. Hopefully MTV’s Jersey Shore will help obliterate the tanning trend. Seriously, does anyone actually aspire to look like Snooki?

Olay has a great pitch line: Love the Skin You’re In. I like that. If you tan naturally and do it safely, great! But, I encourage the fair skinned masses to reject the notion that they must be tan in order to be attractive. Say it with me people, “Pale is pretty! Fair is Fab!”. Feels good, right?

Cut Costs Cuties!
Gemma

Brand: Estee Lauder
Products: Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent, Luminous Body Lotion and Body Oil

Looking for the perfect summer fragrance? How about one that recalls a dusk stroll along the shoreline after a day of sand and swim? One that harkens images of tropical flowers, refreshing citrus, and the warmth of the sun? Well, look no further than your local department store’s Estee Lauder counter. Yes, this is typically a budget blog, but any perfumista worth her salt will tell you that Estee Lauder produces
high quality products at reasonable price points. Bronze Goddess is no exception.

Cheesy name and tacky bottle aside, BG is a summer must. It has none of that “booze cruise” essence that some so-called “tropical” scents seem to have these days. It is less “I just got sloshed in Cancun” and more “I sunbathed the day away in Palma de Majorca”. Tropical coconut, tiare flower and sandalwood give it a “suntan lotion vibe” which is tempered by lush gardenia, jasmine, and orange flower. Citrus notes of mandarin, bergamot, orange, and lemon give it a sun-lit brightness, while calming notes of vetiver and lavender give it a restful quality. Notes of vanilla, myrrh and amber convey a luscious decadence.

The scent is available in multiple forms, and all wear very close to the skin. That is to say, they do not announce your entrance into a room, but rather reassert your presence when you hug your summer soiree host. This is a scent that you wear with you, and not for others. Bronze Goddess is best enjoyed in the Eau Fraiche Skinscent, ($52 for 3.4 ounces), the Body Oil (a tremendous value at $32 for 3.4 ounces), or the Luminous Body Lotion, (my least favorite as it fades quickly, for $32 for 3.4 ounces). Get a bottle fast as they are a seasonal offering only!

Cut Costs Cuties!
Gemma

caress_lg_htmlBrand: Caress

Product: Daily Silkening Bar

I was cleaning out the cabinet under my bathroom sink when I came across a sort of middle class swag bag that I picked up at a charity run some time back. There were actually quite a few interesting items in it, but the item I was most interested in was a bar of Caress soap. Caress is one of those “beauty bars”, and is not technically a soap. I have from time to time considered picking up a bar at the drug store, but I do tend to be brand loyal to Dove, so the flirtation never got past the consideration stage.

A free bar is a free bar however, so I gave it a go.

It turns out I like it quite a bit. The bar was just as gentle on my skin as Dove, and it smelled great. The bar is advertised as having “gentle skin brighteners”. I didn’t feel that it made my skin any more luminous than Dove, though. Also, I felt that the Caress did not moisturize as well as Dove. So, maybe this is something I might pick up on sale when I get bored with Dove, but its not worth a permanent switch. Caress Daily Silkening Bars can be bought in four packs on Amazon.com for just under nine dollars.

Cut Costs Cuties!

Gemma

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