I used to hate being pale. I desperately envied the girls who came back from spring break with perfect, even tans. My skin burns incredibly easily, so unless I cake on bottles and bottles of sunscreen, I end up the color of a boiled lobster. I mean really, really red. Fire engine, ripe tomato red. Eventually, my sunburns fade into tans, but that takes weeks, and my “tan” is pretty pale by most people’s standards.

After years of lamenting my pasty state, I finally realized: I’m never going to be tan! My skin has always been and will always be pale. Baby, I was born this way.

Here are the reasons why I don’t tan:

Skin cancer. Yes, this one is obvious. Warnings about the dangers of the sun are everywhere. But I have personal experience on this front. My dad has struggled with skin cancer for the past ten years, and helping take care of him after his worst surgery was particularly good motivation for me to protect my skin. He had to have a ping-pong ball-sized piece of skin cut out of his temple and the spot still has to be carefully watched.

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Everyone is expected to be tan in the summer, yeah?  And while you know all about the dangers of tanning, people still do it. That will never change.  I love being outside, and there’s nothing like a tan from natural sunlight.  But like always, you have to use protection (see what I did there?).  I used to go to the tanning bed all the time, so trust me- I see the appeal.  And I have a strong aversion to self tanners due to their tendency to make me a coconut-scented Oompa Loompa.

Well FakeBake sent me their Flawless Tanning Lotion ($24.95) which did not turn me orange, but it did leave me smelling as if Hawaiian Tropic invented an air freshener even after I showered.  The tan is pretty dark with the first application, and it stays on for a decent amount of time.  Self tanners can be tricky to apply without streaking or splotches, but I’ve got some basics for you.  The most important part of getting a good tan with a self tanner is patience. Read More »

Fourth of July has come and gone (and, thankfully, so has my sunburn). Summer is half way over! Before you know it, you’ll be back at school walking to class hungover way too early because in your summer stupor you seemed to forget that 11am is really still too early to have a class. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

It’s still summer and for the past 6 weeks you’ve been working on that tan of yours. And, glass half full, you’ve still got a good 6 or 7 weeks left to bronze yourself. You know what is best paired with a tan? White, coral, turquoise and brown – only the best summer pairings since you put jicama and guacamole together. But to all you Snow White ladies of the universe (I SO feel you, my fair ladied sisters) these colors are universally flattering on every skin tone and every hair color. I have yet to see someone who does NOT look good in turquoise. (Seriously, find me said person and I will buy you a drink.)

Anyway, here are some of my favorite ways to rock this killer summer combo, day or night. Read More »

Is it just me or is there another “revolutionary” new makeup product introduced every freaking day?! Just walking into Ulta or Sephora (or even Walgreens!) sends many chicas into fits of hysteria, reaching for the nearest brown bag to regulate their breathing. It’s all so overwhelming.

So how can you know which product – among the sea of thousands – is the best? Which does what you need it to do? Which ones are worth the extra money?

Let me help. I don’t know every beauty product out there, but I’ve tested a lot of them and I’ll let you know which are worth the money and which are not.

(Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me for review purposes. Because I can never have too much makeup!)

What it is: Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Why this should be in your bag: Because everyone looks better with bronzer, unless you’re rocking the Dita-Von-Teese “I’m so pale it hurts my eyes” thing. Not that I’m knocking the pale faces – I’m a fair-skinned lady myself. I just think I look dead without bronzer. As for why this specific bronzer, Benefit Hoola is SUPER-pigmented (check out the swatch comparison to Rimmel Natural Bronzer). This means that a little is going to go a long, long way. Plus, it’s matte, which is shockingly rare amongst bronzers, but means that you can wear it daytime or nighttime and not look too done up or like a twelve-year old glitter addict. Read More »

They say a leopard can’t change its spots, but you, my friend, can change your makeup shade. Now that summer is coming and we will all be getting a little sun kissed, it’s imperative that we make a few makeup tweaks to reflect our new skin tone! I cringe when I see a girl walking around with a face that doesn’t match the color of her body, and whether her makeup is too light or too dark, that obvious makeup line on her jaw is not cute.

If you don’t have the money or time to buy a new shade of powder every time you tan, what should you do? Blend, blend, blend! In this video I’ll share some secrets to keep you looking fresh this season instead of like you belong on the Jersey Shore. Read More »

Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really singer? A wicked new book? A product, like Yes To Carrots,  that truly changed your life? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com or tweet me and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, every week. Make your kindergarten teacher proud and share!

We all have those friends who seem to have a perfect something.

Perfect skin… and then they complain about their one teeny tiny pimple as they stare at my “wow, how unfortunate; her skin looks like it belongs in 7th grade” face.
Perfect hair…every strand is always in place, it never gets greasy or frizzy, it never gets Jew-fro-y in the humidity.
Perfect metabolism…you know those biatches who you wish you could hate as they chow down on their 4th piece of pizza in their size 27 jeans but you can’t hate them because they are so great?

Well, for years, my friend Jess has had the perfect tan; always radiant, glowing, never orange, never streaky, never Simon Cowell looking (I mean really, the dude should just wear a sign that reads “Some people choose alcohol, but self tanner is my drug of choice”).

Anyway, I never thought to ask dear ‘ol Jess what her tan-perfect secret was – I figured it was just one of those things that she would always have down perfectly and I would admire her glow whilst accepting the fact that I am and will always be Pasty McPasterson pals with Snow White. (What up, home girl?) Read More »

Uh, we're not in Acapulco anymore, dude.

By the time Spring Break draws to an end, you’re actually looking forward to going back to school, either because you’ve had about as much family time as you can handle, you’re starting to realize just how much money you’ve spent, or you just really miss your besties/$1 slices at 2am/late night episodes of Chelsea Lately on the couch.

But while you may be looking forward to seeing your friends, getting back to your favorite professor’s lecture, and maybe even that cute guy you were flirting with before the break, I guarantee you’ve forgotten about the other people you’ll be forced to deal with. The uber annoying ones who always pop up after our beloved break.

Here are the worst 5 people you’ll run into after Spring Break. Avoid them at all costs if you want to retain any of the serenity you gained during your time off: Read More »

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 »

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.

[I want it, I need it, I can’t live without it. There are so many things on store shelves and racks right now that we want to take home and hang in our closets. Things that are so cute, everyone should know about them. We’ll share ‘em with you here (because we’re that nice), but as far as actually getting them goes….well, you’re on your own with that one.]

I’ve never paid much attention to the Tory Burch brand. Seeing every girl and her mother walking around in those flats with the instantly recognizable golden medallion was quite enough. However, I recently stumbled upon these gladiators, and I have to say that they’re one of the nicest pairs I’ve seen.

I need em, I need em, I need em!

The Stanton sandal is made of leather and comes in black or tan. There are three square buckles: one each at the ankle, arch, and toe. The sandal appears more elegant than some other gladiators, which can have so many straps or buckles covering your feet that you might as well wear sneakers. What also makes this design a bit different is that the straps do not simply run parallel to one another. I like how two straps form an X across the top with two straps running along the sides, making it incredibly flattering on any ankle.

What I don’t love, however, is the $265 pricetag. I’d have to work long and hard (and turn up the charm for some major tips) to add these to my collection. A girl can dream, though.