Tuesday, July 22, 2008

WFMW: Summer Glow and A Giveaway!

I've mentioned that I'm naturally pale. In fact, the only way I can tan is if I burn first, and since I have no interest in getting skin cancer, I decided to accept my white, white, Whitey McWhiterson skin. But oh, how envious I was when I saw other people's tans in the summer. When I was a teenager, I used a self-tanner, and even though I exfoliated and rubbed it in carefully, I turned out as orange as a traffic cone.

I still thought that was better than being ghostly.

In more recent years, a Mystic tan intrigued me, but I knew I couldn’t afford to keep paying for those. And last year, I tried a moisturizer with tanning lotion mixed in. I chose the one marked fair skin, because that seemed obvious. I woke up excited to see my skin and…nothing had happened. I looked exactly the same—the same color as my off-white sheets.

I kept using it for a while, then gave up. Then this year I read a column by Amalah over at the Advice Smackdown in which she said the same thing happened to her, but she was braver than I and tried the one for medium skin tones, and it worked.

Lo and behold, the miracle of a summer glow has happened to me as well.

DO NOT ask me to post pictures. At least not tonight; I really need to repaint my toenails. Just take my word for it: I am not unnaturally dark; I just have a very light golden color. When I wear shorts and skirts, I keep looking down to admire my legs. The other good thing is that you don’t have to do anything difficult to prepare. I shave my legs, and sometimes use an exfoliating scrub, but the scrub isn’t absolutely necessary. Rub the lotion in as evenly as you can, but it won’t leave streaks like a self-tanner. If you already HAVE medium skin, I think they have a darker version as well.

Okay, I was going to tell you about the bronzer I got to add some color to my face, but I need to do it quickly so I have time to get to the giveaway!

The bronzer is Sally Hansen Natural Beauty (by Carmindy of What Not to Wear, who I adore) Sun Glow Powder bronzer. I use a large brush and go lightly over the parts of my face the sun would naturally touch, if it didn’t burn me to a crisp: my cheekbones, forehead, nose, and chin. I love it, and isn’t it pretty, with that flower?

On to the First-Ever Hairline Fracture Giveaway! I wish I had one of those bronzers to give away, but I don’t. I do, however, have several skin products for you to try!

Included in this fabulous prize package: first, a tube of Eucerin Everyday Protection body lotion with SPF 15. Did you know even your hands can get sun-damaged? Next, a smaller tube of Aveeno facial sunblock, SPF 55. Then a compact of Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation in Buff—that sounds light and non-greasy for your face in hot weather. Finally, a packet of Jergens Natural Glow Express moisturizer in Medium. It’s not the same brand I used, but I bet it will work just fine.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post before Sunday at midnight CST. I’ll choose the winner randomly and post the results on Monday. Please make sure you include an email address—either linked to your profile or in the comment itself; if I can’t contact the winner, I’ll choose someone else. Oh, and I can only ship to the US and Canada...sorry if that leaves you out. Thanks for reading and making my life so much more interesting!

For more ideas that work, go to Rocks in My Dryer.

17 comments:

  1. My pale self can't tan. I might burn and peel, but the skin beneath is still just as white.Would love to try these!

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  2. Oh girl, I don't need the photos cos I've got a dear friend who is super 'pale' too...and like you say, the only way to change the colour to a darker tone is probably set herself on fire! *laugh*

    my friend's skin colour changed to what seems fit to your description when she was under the sun during a school excursion for more than 6 hours...but she get back her original colour in less than 1 week...*laugh*

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  3. You give us pastey girls hope.

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  4. Thanks for sharing!! I've always been curious about Mystic tans. Never actually heard a firsthand review before.
    C'mon by Wani's World and check out my WFMW post!

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  5. I'll join in...

    Everytime I think about tanning I think about that episode of Friends where Ross keeps getting spray tanned in the front... gosh that's a funny one.

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  6. I've tried the "fair" ones with not much affect. I'm game to try the medium!

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  7. I love the Jergen's natural glow lotion! I have been using it for a long time and it is my favorite!

    My email is on the sidebar of my blog. :-)

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  8. ahh ha! Now I'm off to search my cabinets! Time for a tan!

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  9. I have used the Jergens Natural Glow Express moisturizer and loved it!! I am not one for sun tanning either...to afraid of getting skin cancer!!

    Thanks for the great give-a-way!!

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  10. Sign me up. I have yet to win one of these bloggy giveaways but I'm not ready to quit trying.

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  11. All great tips. I will have to try some of these products.

    I also am fair and do not like to expose my face to the sun for long periods of time. It's not worth the risk.

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  12. I hate to admit it, but at one point, I even went tanning several days a week for several weeks. Still nothing!! It's oh so sad.

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  13. All righty, then. I'm always up for a giveaway! BTW, don't forget the Great Pop'rs Giveaway! The more you comment, the better chance you have of winning--Check it out!

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  14. Like you I am painfully pale. I have gotten past the point of caring and just embrace my white-ness. I am careful with sunscreen and have found a great one with SPF 85. I would love to try the products you mentioned too!

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  15. I hate the smell of those darn creams ... almost as bad as nair which gives my husband the willies. Apparently as a child his older sisters tormented him by telling him they'd replace his shampoo with nair. There is no way I am gonna get away with anything that smells remotely like nair sleeping next to him. Anywho ~ from one burner to another thanks for stopping in my blog the other day & have a great rest of the week.

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  16. I'm very pale also. I burn and still get no color. I was considering using one of these products and will note getting the darker color. Thanks.

    My email is unicornbeauty (@) gmail.com

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  17. Maybe I'm even whiter than you because the fair skin daily glow moisturizer works for me, though it took almost a full week. Although I DO worry every so slightly about what kind of chemicals they use and whether some day they'll figure out that they cause cancer even worse than the sun. But that's just my hypochondria showing.

    BTW, you don't have to enter me in the contest. I'm all stocked up on moisturizers and bronzers and sunless tanners, what with being whiter than you and all. ;-)

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