I’ll admit in all shallowness, one thing excites me more than anything about the summer time: busting out short skirts! But there’s one problem.

While slipping on a slinky mini dress the other night, I looked down at my legs in horror. Walking around in bermudas all day had given me a beautiful golden tan…from the knee down. Nothing is more annoying than those pesky little tan lines that seem to cue strangers onto the shape of the shirt you wore the day before. Luckily they can be done away with (tanning bed free…because damaged skin is never, ever sexy).

Your first option is to pick up some sunless tanner and fill in the blanks. Pick a shade that matches the depth of your tan, not what your normal skin tone would be. Exfoliate that skin well to avoid streaking, and apply! If you want to get perfect color, and if you have a little more patience, a gradual tanning lotion might be a better bet. It’ll take several days to build the color, but you’ll be better able to get the exact shade of tan you want. Read More »

The beach is wonderful.  It is the symbol of summer.  In fact, most of my childhood memories of that glorious 3-month-long stretch of nothingness are of living in my swimsuit and being constantly covered in sand with wet hair.  Ah, the good ‘ole days (except when that pesky salt water got in my eyes)…

Now if I want to go to the beach, I have to make plans and gather the accessories (hat? check. sunblock? check. iPod? check….and etc.).  I also have to find a beach near my apartment that isn’t littered with used needles and garbage.  Once I have completed those tasks, I get to lay out in the sun, listen to the waves, feel the breeze, and watch…guys in mandals and thongs walk past.  WTF.

There are some things (okay, a lot of things) that aren’t appropriate for the beach.  For example, socks aren’t appropriate for the beach.  Neither is a leather jacket (OMG can you imagine the amount of sweat?).  However, these things are small beans compared to the catastrophes that I have witnessed by the seaside (or lakeside – whatevs): Read More »