How many times do you apply bronzer and end up looking like Lindsay Lohan? If this has happened even once, it’s one time too many. The trick to bronzer is simple: less is more. In this quick video, I’ll show you how to get a faux tan on your face that looks natural.

It’s better to use bronzer than get melanoma, ladies! Protect your pretty mug and still look summery fresh.

Now that a lot of us hold weekly office jobs, it makes perfect sense that we want to soak up as much sun as possible on the weekends. However, too many girls make the mistake of not wearing sunscreen while sitting in the sun to compensate for their pale bodies…and end up looking like a lobster instead. Not only is a red face less attractive than a pale one (and much easier to fix with a little bit of bronzer), but burning your skin opens you up to the dangers of melanoma and skin cancer.

About 60,000 people each year are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer, and we want to help you learn how to treat your red and itchy skin to avoid this! Well, that and show you some really easy ways to look cute despite being a different color than most members of the human race:

Keep skin hydrated: If your first shower after the beach left you with tears in your eyes because the water stung so bad, you need to keep your skin hydrated with lotion. The most soothing gels and lotions have aloe vera in them, and this will help soothe your skin and prevent itchiness (and therefore scratching and scarring). You can also use hydrocortisone if your burns are really bad.

Drink liquids with vitamins: Water helps to keep your skin hydrated, but is also really important to keep you hydrated after a long day in the sun. To get the most bang for your buck, be sure to drink things with vitamins C and E in them, as they are crucial in repairing damaged skin cells and ensuring that your body is healthy once your sunburn clears up.

Exfoliate: GENTLY buff away the dead skin. Don’t do this too roughly, as it will irritate your body, but just enough to make sure that the skin cells underneath are not trapped. And you’re not flaking off on your couch/bed/friends for the next two weeks. Read More »

I want to go to Italy with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Christina Aguilera goes “Burlesque.”

Afghanistan solves the swine flu problem.

Jessica Simpson on the cover of Vanity Fair.

Protecting yourself has never looked so chic!

The best and worst sunscreens for summer.

So yesterday I got my first sunburn of the year. (At least, I think it’s a sunburn – it may also be a result of my drunken face-plant…) Honestly, though, I’m not gonna complain ’cause Syracuse hasn’t seen the sun in months. I am, however, going to dust off the sun products that have been under my bed for the past 8 months.

If you want to prevent painful burns, wrinkles, sunspots and , most importantly, cancer, you really need to remember to preserve your skin. And preserving your skin means more than slopping on some SPF 4 when you lay at the beach. The sun can harm your skin at any time, so learn from my burned mistake (I was drinkin’ a beer outside) and protect yourself.

Below are some makeup products that include SPF built right in! I’m not suggesting this is a substitute for using sunscreen, but if you’re just going outside quickly, or want to add some extra protection you gotta try these great finds. Unless, of course, you want to look like this when you’re 30. Read More »

Matt Lauer has a run-in with Bambi.

Another reason it’s great not to live in Alaska.

Celebrities are really narcissitic.

Make your dreams come true.

Enough with the fluff – send an honest e-card. Read More »

If you just got back from spring break and resemble a lobster, don’t  worry, while I was bitter about your tropical vacation I will not mock you.

I actually feel quite sorry for you; sunburns are the worst! They hurt, they peel, and as if the pain isn?t enough, well you also look like someone put you in a frying pan for 5 hours.  (I bet you wish you had listened to your mother and put on some SPF!)

But since that sunscreen will not help you now, here are some tips to take care of your toasted skin and cover it up (as much as possible, anyway!).

Basic Care Tips:

-Take cool showers and apply cool face cloths to your burned areas. This won’t help the healing much, but it will make you feel so. much. better.

-Don’t wear perfumes, or oily makeup/products. These will only irritate your skin more, making you even more uncomfortable.

-Keep yourself covered – loose clothing is best.

-If your burn is more serious or your skin is bubbling, you need to see a doctor to treat the burn!

The best thing for your skin now is aloe vera, a plant with sunburn healing powers.  You can find aloe in gels, toners and lotion.  Here are some aloe products that can help soothe, repair and reduce the redness of your burn. Read More »

Spring Break is fast approaching and for all of you Spring Break newbies, you might be wondering what to bring. Whether you and your pals are driving out to the local beach for a couple days or flying out to the Bahamas, here’s a few tips on what you should be packing.

1. Sexy swim suits, duh

Bring bathing suits that you know will flatter your figure and make you look smokin’! It’s best to bring around two or three so you can alternate and let one dry before wearing it again. I don’t know about you but I hate putting a wet bathing suit back on, so remember to leave some drying time between each use. You may also want to bring something a little more….athletic? You know, for those banana boat/jet ski rides. You know that bikini isn’t going to hold everything in place…

2. Cute sweatshirt or sweater

While the temperature may be steaming during the day, you should pack a light sweater or hoodie in case it gets chilly at night. Vacation ain’t so fun when you’re freezing your butt off. Read More »

It seems like just yesterday I was packing my gloves, hats, and facemask to come back to school and start 2nd semester. And now, all of a sudden, it’s spring break. Time is of the essence and even though most people only have a few days or a week to pull themselves together, here are my last-minute spring break tips.

Invest in Sunscreen- I know. I sound like your mom. That’s because I’m quoting my own mom. But seriously its been months since your skin has been exposed to the sun. The only thing more tragic than coming back with cornrows from the Caribbean is returning to school with a 3rd degree burn and 4 inch blister on your face (true story).

Begin Drinking Dangerous Amounts- (And this is part of the blog where I veer away from anything my mom has ever said.) In just a few days you will be drinking more alcohol than your liver could ever imagine and unless you want to die, it’s essential you start building up your tolerance ASAP. I know that a lot of people have midterms this week but that’s no excuse to be letting your guard down. There should be beers at every breakfast and shots with every snack. If there is any point during the day where you could legally drive, you are not preparing yourself responsibly for whats going to happen during break.

Start Sleeping- When you’re not drinking, you should be sleeping. Sleep so much that you will never want to sleep again. Because you won’t be sleeping. Not for an entire week. Chances are that if you’re not in the mood to get some, your roommate will be. There’s no hope for any 8-hour nights in any spring break destination. Read More »

My mother is 100% Italian. My father, a 100% Irish. My brother got my mother’s olive skin tone: the two of them could sit outside for hours, lathering up in baby oil and bake to a beautiful golden brown. I was the fortunate one (insert sarcastic undertone here) who got my father’s Irish skin. The two of us can’t go to a windy afternoon baseball game without using SPF 45, unless of course, we want to find ourselves covered in sunburn and blisters.

Last summer, I thought I was invincible when it came to the sun. My friends can get tan with SPF 4 or 8, so why couldn’t I? On two various occasions, I felt the effects of not listening to the realistic side of my brain in terms of summer sunshine. I spent a week in June in San Antonio, Texas, where it was roughly 95 degrees every day. As this was a more family-oriented – go out to dinner, do family related things – sunbathing took a back seat, until the last dreaded day, when I thought it was appropriate to lay at the pool, for three solid hours, with nothing – and I mean, not a drop of sunscreen – on my body. Read More »

Just the thought of having to put on a bikini makes me want to move to someplace cold and dark. Maybe someplace like a cave? Instead of coming to terms with the fact that I can’t wear a parka all summer long, I stress out and start having intense cravings for cookies. I completely sabotage any hope for my summer body and instead ingest junk because I can’t bear the thought of a flabby ass. Does this make any sense? NO. IT. DOESN’T.

I know I’m not alone here, so lets just kick the bad habits of self-sabotage!! Stop staring at yourself in the mirror with self loathing and use these helpful tips to make the transition from winter hibernation to summer rejuvenation (I don’t know that’s all that rhymed?) easy! AND WEAR SUNSCREEN!

*Stop grocery shopping on without a LIST! If you make a list of healthy options it will be MUCH easier to stick away from buying Haagen Daaz on a hot summer’s day. Watermelon will have to suffice.

*Make your own smoothies. Believe me, I love Jamba Juice just as much as the next girl, but hidden calories make “healthy” smoothies not so healthy.

*HAVE A POPSICLE!! Low fat fudgicles only have 50 calories!

*Find a workout partner and do things outside; ride a bike, play volleyball, tennis, swim. Make your workout plan feel like you aren’t working at all by making it a social activity. Read More »