L'Oreal Sublime Bronze

It's that time of year again. No, not beach season, shorts weather or even picnics in the park, but time to start thinking about that tan. By now all of you know that laying out in the sun unprotected, and God forbid subjecting yourself to a tanning bed, is a no-no. More than a no-no, it's an absolute catastrophe. Why do that to yourself, set your body up for skin cancer or even just sunspots and wrinkles? It's not worth it. Step away from the baby oil and no one has to get hurt. But what to do if you're not blessed with naturally golden skin? Fake bake it I tell ya! L'Oreal Sublime Bronze comes to your rescue with a multitude of formulas for every need.

For those tan-aphobic, worried-about-streaks girls like myself, or those of us who are just so ghostly pale that any color is visible color, there's L'Oreal Sublime Bronze One Day Tinted Gel. I tried this out last summer and fell in love, here's my tricks of the trade. Right after a shower works best but it's not necessary, apply body lotion even if you're not a lotion girl. I rarely use lotion but I swear it's a crucial part of this process. Then, while the lotion is still tacky apply a thin coat of the bronzer on top and wash those paws immediately. I'd even go so far as to recommend wearing gloves to apply or you will be left with bright orange mitts. It's that easy. At the end of the day wash it off with soap and water, you can even reapply at the beach when you put on a fresh coat of SPF 100. You're doing that, right? The color is believable and coverage is easily buildable for reach-your-peak-color.

Not a tan-aphobic, L'Oreal's got you covered too. Sublime Bronze comes in an aerosol mist, gel and lotion. My personal preference is the gel just because it feels better on the skin but the mist is undeniably convenient for covering those hard to reach areas. I'm about as pale as they come and L'Oreal Sublime Bronze gives me the closest to natural tan I'm going to get on my skintone although it's not absolutely flawless. If you're a newbie I highly recommend starting early and practicing some patience. Take it for a spin now while you can still cover up your legs in pants if things go horribly wrong and you end up dreaming about zebra-like stripes like my BFF.