Beauty and the Beach: Bronzers for Your Outer Glow

Credit: Flickr/EvilErin

Coat your bod in bronze before you head out to tan

Try these products to put some sun on your skin before you hit the beach

Summertime has arrived in BC, at long last, and while we’re all still a bit dazed, we’re likely also unprepared. I have a closet full of cute summer clothes I’ve hardly worn yet, but bare legs with a skirt? Not with the pale skin I’ve been sporting all winter and spring.

Sunscreen? Applied daily of course, but mine’s expired from last year, hasn’t yours?

Here are some new beauty finds I’m loving this summer, that will take you from a subtle glow to full-on bronze goddess, whatever your pleasure.

Sun on Your Face

1. Sunforgettable

Does your morning summer skincare routine start with sticky sunscreen and then makeup and powder over that? No thanks. How about sunscreen and mineral powder all-in-one? Genius!

Sunforgettable, has full-spectrum sun protection in this smart, purse-sized applicator with built-in brush, and it comes in three shades. Brush on and you’re protected. Available  at physicians and medi-spas, $63

2. Urban Decay Baked Face and Body Bronzers

I like the idea of a big pan of powder bronzer I can dust on my face as well as my shoulders, collarbone, and anywhere I can pretend the sun kissed me. Urban Decay’s Baked Face and Body Bronzers are baked like a dough (rather than pressed, as powders usually are) in a quaint Italian village on tiny terra cotta dishes for hours.

Nice story, but what does that mean? It means these babies are hard milled and last forever, plus can be applied either wet or dry. Just remember – this does not contain sunscreen, so apply some before using this or any bronzer. Available at Sephora and some Shoppers Drug Marts in three shades, $31. 

Full-body Glow

1. Avon’s ‘mark. change is gonna come’

First things first: to avoid streaks from bronzer or self-tanner, take a minute in the shower to prep your bod with a gentle scrub.

Avon’s ‘mark. change is gonna come’ foaming body exfoliator, $15, is my new fave because it’s not greasy or oily (nor does it leave that dangerous super-slippery film in your tub or shower afterward). Instead, it’s a foamy, gentle product with Fair Trade Certified brown sugar and vanilla.

2. Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil

There’s shimmer (nice) and then there’s glitter (nasty) when it comes to many bronzing products. The Body Shop’s new Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil, $14, is ideal for bringing pale legs out of hiding this summer.

Smooth on your entire body after a shower for a subtle bronzy shimmer that’s lightweight and non-greasy. Note, this isn’t a self-tanner, so when you wash, it goes too. 

3. Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse

I love a 3-in-1 product. Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse with SPF 15 is cream (used safely on face and body), self-tanner and sunscreen all in one. It’s a light white mousse that doesn’t have that tan-in-a-bottle scent, plus it goes on smooth and quick. Available at Sephora, $42.

Freelance writer, editor, stylist Catherine Dunwoody puts the ‘style’ in lifestyle stories. Based in Vancouver, Catherine is a regular contributor to TV Week, BC Home, Western Living, Nuvo and numerous other publications and television programs.