Prepping for a big function puts the “fun” in “function” for me. I love the lead up- facials, manicures, pedicures, hair treatments, the whole nine yards. Since Dîner en Blanc is just a few short days away, I thought I would show you some of my party prepping secrets! And no, not everyone goes to these lengths nor do I think they must…I simply enjoy it.
Skin
Since the Dîner en Blanc dress code is strictly white (not cream, ivory, champagne or pearl), I think outfits look best with a bit of color if you are fairly pale like me. For years, I have been searching for the perfect self-tanner. I have tried the $8 products, the $30 products, even the $50 products with mild to moderate success. Most are the 3 s’s: sticky, stinky and streaky.
Fortunately, California Tan sent over their line of sunless tanning products for me to test out this week, and we have a winner! (FYI, I have no less than 5 NEW sunless tanning brands at home to test out, so there was some serious competition).
Since I only have a few days left, I decided to go with the more instant option.
I started off with Step 1: Body Buffer Exfoliator.
You might not think this is important, but I have had a LOT of experience with applying self-tanner and you need to exfoliate and moisturize prior to application. I loved this product because it does both without adding an excess of oil to your skin that would prevent color from sticking. The main active ingredients are fine-grained volcanic stone to slough away dead skin and aloe to provide moisture.
Step 2 is the Instant Sunless Spray. Now this does take a little bit of skill to get even coverage, so listen up!
*Spray tanner works best in even, light layers as opposed to slopping on a gallon of the stuff in one spray.
*Put a towel down before using; you don’t want your gorgeous marble floors to turn a lovely bronze.
*IF you do apply too much and it beads up, I used a tissue and lightly dragged the edge over my skin to pick up extra product. Don’t wipe- it will cause streaks and uneven coverage.
*Hold can about 10 inches from your skin and use a continuous spray; go quickly over elbows and knees.
Step 3 is After Glow Spray, a coppery liquid that smooths the color and adds a bit of luminous glow to your color. It locks in color and moisture to extend your tan.
This product takes about 4-6+ hours for the true color to develop. It has a built-in color indicator to let you know how the product looks when you immediately apply it, but that doesn’t mean it is the exact color the finished product will be.
Here are some photos to give you an idea of how my color turned out:
On the left, the arm on the bottom is my natural color. The arm on top is just after a light application. On the right is the next day after a shower.
Here is my color a full 24 hours after application- gorgeous, deep bronze and not orange!
You find a retail location to purchase products on their website here.
Teeth
I recently asked oh…about a few thousand women (seriously) for their recommendations on the best at-home teeth whitening products. The resounding answer was Crest Whitestrips. I received the 1 Hour Express in a recent Target Beauty Box and decided to give it a whirl. With the amount of coffee (and maybe a little wine) I drink, I noticed my teeth getting not so gleaming white. Here is how it turned out!
I would say all in all, my teeth were whiter, brighter and somehow more shiny. I took these photos in the exact same light, same spot in my house.
Hair
Last weekend, I did a little damage to my hair. Ok, a lot of damage- I tried to re-create the 80s, and it wasn’t pretty. Hair spray, teasing, and a bubble styling wand were all involved on some level to achieve that deep fried hair look. I have no less than 10 hair repair products at home that I have tested, and finally found one that truly made a difference. Infusium 23 Moisture Replenisher Leave-in Smoothing Crème, which you can pick up at Walgreens for $6.99.
This actually transformed my hair back into the pre-coloring, pre-teasing, pre-heat styling days. My hair was silky, smooth, and surprisingly not weighed down after applying. Don’t you love it when a drugstore product beats out all the expensive brands? Me too.
Ok gals, I rounded up my faves, so please let me know if you have any products you love as well! Cheers, and I will see you at Diner en Blanc in a few days!
Disclosure: I received California Tan products for review purposes as well as Infusium (via Influenster), but as always, all opinions are honest and my own.
