Even Out Those Tan Lines

tan lines

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 »

Burnt To a Crisp? Read On…

20061222_sunburn.jpgNow 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 »

Who Wears Short Shorts?

mens short shortsIf your supply of Cucumber Melon Nair suspiciously starts going missing, blame your boyfriend. If designers like Prada have their way, men will soon take fashion cues from the runways and start wearing shorts that look like they came out of your closet.

I’m all for personal style and taking fashion risks, but short shorts on men make a fashion statement that, frankly, I don’t want to see. From easter-colored to formal, this new trend of thigh-skimming shorts just looks inappropriate—more suitable for the bedroom than strutting down the street. Besides, how many men do you know that could actually pull off this shorter length with their board-short tan lines and carpet of leg hair?

Fashion forward? Maybe. But looking through Prada’s collection, each short-shorts look more nauseating than the last, I can’t help but think fashion is playing a big joke on us all—-as evidenced by the pairing of formal shorts, sandals, and what suspiciously looks like a pair of slouchy wool socks.

Until I see this fashion nightmare in person, I’ll just hold on to the hope that this eyesore will stay confined to the runway and away from my line of vision.

Short Shorts For Boys?