Summer is here! Yes, the time of the year that we’ve been waiting for is finally here, and that summer glow that we crave 8 months of the year is within grasp! Yes, it’s this close!
So, what do you do if you want to make that elusive glow last longer than a few days?
Well, you’re in luck! Here are 5 ways to extend your summer glow.
Prep the Base: Getting a great summer is all about that base. No, not that one. We’re talking about your skin. If you’ve ever had a patchy tan, you know how important getting your skin ready is. This consists of 2 parts:
1.Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate! Removing dead skin preps your skin’s base so you can get that even tan- this works for both self tanners or the good old fashion sun tan.
We recommend using either sugar (up the stuff in your kitchen) or a body sugar! Our favourites are Body Shop’s Strawberry Body Polish ($22) and Clinique’s Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator, ($33).
2.Hair Removal! Getting those smooth tanned legs starts with getting a smooth shave.
Our favourite is Schick Hydro Silk TrimStyle and Skintimate. The Schick Hydro Silk® TrimStyle® razor combines Schick’s hydrating Hydro Silk razor with a waterproof bikini trimmer for all your leg and bikini area needs. Pretty much the only thing that you need to prep your legs.
3. Moisturize!
Tanning your skin is essentially burning the top layer of your skin, and you need to add as much moisture to it in order to keep it from peeling so you have the soft supple skin.
For those lazy days, we love Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer (easily used in the shower!). Our holy grail, however, is Philosophy’s Amazing Grace Body Firming Emulsion. Not only does it purify, but it also gives you the illusion of firmer skin. And who doesn’t want that for the summer?
4. Add a bit of bronzer or self-tanner to your daily makeup.
No one wants to have their tan faded quickly, so the quickest way to extend that glow is by adding a little of self-tanner to your moisturizer (or foundation). Our favourite by far is Vita Liberte’s Phenomenal 2-3 week tan mousse. It is the only thing that we’ve found on the market that doesn’t have a sticky feeling or a funny tanning smell. Plus, you get an even tan with it. Add 1/4 of this to 3/4 of foundation or moisturizer every 2-3 weeks and enjoy the glow!
5. SPF, YO!
We know it goes against everything that we talked about above, protecting your skin is the number one thing for us! So practise safe sun! We recommend Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense to not get very burnt. Doesn’t mean that you won’t get tanned, but you’ll be protected from the sun’s harmful rays!