Faux Bronze Glow: Beauty Trend 2008

June 12, 2008 06:00 PM | Comments (1) | Posted in budget beauty, summer, beauty tips, bronzer, make up, skin

What: Skip the (unhealthy) suntan in favor of summer’s best bronzers.

What the experts say: Tanning is so passé, but appearing sun-kissed is still as striking as ever. Yet, choose your bronzer wisely.

“The big changes in bronzer this year are the shift from shimmer to matte, as well as placement,��? editorial makeup artist Elke Von Freudenberg tells us. “Now we’re using bronzer to contour: under cheekbones, along the sides of forehead and at the bottom of the chin. Find a warm honey bronze; this works great on almost all skin tones without being too red, dark or orange. And don’t overdo it; nothing looks worse than too much bronzer.��?

What we say: Anything that mimics the look of spending our days frolicking in the sun without actually having to subject our skin to dangerous UV rays sounds perfect to us. We love the faux glow Charlize Theron flaunted at the MTV Movie Awards, and we’re willing to bet we can fake it just like her on the cheap. Sephora’s Bronzer Powder SPF 15 helps us fake that trip to St. Tropez we’ve been dreaming about—all while protecting our skin against the sun. Sure, at $15 it’s pricey—but the added SPF makes it worth the cost. For all of us whose skin tends to gush oil during the summer months, Jane offers Oil-Free Bronzing Powder, which gives us a gorgeous sunless glow while not clogging pores or emptying our wallets ($3.69). Our personal fave: Wet ‘N Wild Bronzzer Compact. Not only does it come in a variety of tones perfect for all types of skin, but also it doesn’t streak when you sweat. For $2.99, that’s a deal worth its weight in gold…er, bronze.

Photo: Getty Images

Gap Swimwear Daily Deals

June 2, 2008 01:00 PM | | Posted in sale, gap, swimwear, summer, skin, nautical, tankinis, bandeau, cut out suits, one piece

“THIS SALE HAS ENDED”

The Deal: 25% off women’s swimwear at GapBody until June 12, and their SummerWear campaign ends June 8.

The Lowdown: Find your summer suit both online and in stores. We’ve never understood the $300 bathing suit. Unless it’s covered with Louis Vuitton signature print, you can’t tell that it’s designer. The only requirement should be that it looks great on you. The best swimsuit is the one you don’t feel self-conscious in. If you can lay out on the beach or by the pool feeling at least fairly confident that your swimsuit complements you, you’re successful. There are so many mix and match suits to choose from that they flatter practically any body type. Their site has: triangle tops, halter tops, bandeau tops, tankinis, string bikinis, hipsters, skirt hipsters, boy shorts, and one pieces. We see trends all over their site—polka dots, animal prints, and nautical. Put together your favorites for as little as 20 bucks.

Pictured at top: Cut out one pieces are especially popular now—here’s Gap’s version for $37.50.