Back in the day when Speedo one-pieces were cool, I had no interest in tanning. Although I fought through “sunscreen smear down” sessions with my mom, my skin was still, for the most part, shielded from the sun all summer long. It wasn’t until my friends started wearing bikinis and lots of Hawaiian tropic, that my Irish complexion got it’s first taste of sunburn. I quickly realized that getting the perfect tan wasn’t really in the cards for me…well unless I wanted to look like a leather handbag years later.

It’s scary how many times my skin has peeled, even blistered. I’ve accumulated many freckles, and one of them could easily be cancerous. At least that’s what I hear. Freckles appearing after a sunburn have been associated with an increased risk of melanoma skin cancer – the fatal kind. And even worse, it’s been estimated that nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop skin cancer at least once, according to MedicineNet.com.

Clearly we are all guilty of neglecting our skin for vanity’s sake. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy that bronzed glow? But ten, fifteen years from now, we’ll be kicking ourselves when the wrinkles, blotchy sun spots or melanoma develop.

So what can we do now to prevent further sun damage? Read More »

It’s a balmy 38 degrees out in Boston, and that can only mean one thing: Spring is coming! For the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to get the springtime out of my mind. All I want to do is wear a sundress and have a picnic in the park with a cute boy. Only problem? I’m about as white as a baby’s bottom. Literally. Which has gotten me thinking- should I go the sunless tanning route? Honestly, I’m torn.

Love it: I love the idea of being bronzed all over without having to deal with sun damage and future wrinkles, or even worse, cancer. It’s awesome that cosmetic companies have come up with so many different ways to fake a tan without harming your skin in the sun, or even worse, in a tanning bed. It’s so easy to just slather on your favorite sunless tanning lotion after a shower. Plus, most of them have a delicious summer-y smell. Mmmmmmm! Read More »

So you are not going on spring break… I share your pain. I will be returning home, where it is also cold, to substitute teach bratty kids instead of drinking pina coladas in the sun. FML.

It sucks listening to everyone talk about their plans, but it will suck more when they all come back with sweet beach tans, and I, well, still glow in the dark. Seriously, the other day my best friend called me pasty (harsh, but true).

And this, my friends, is why I am looking for a bottled glow.

Tanning beds scare me with their cancerous connotations. Spray tans scare me too; I don’t want to look like I have a bad case of Lindsey Lohan. So I am going to suggest to you some of the best self tanners out there. I know – self-tanners sound pretty intimidating as well. I will admit I had a horror story experience with one in the 8th grade. Here’s me, so excited to wear my new green halter top, turned totally orange, passed my crush walking down the street. Ultimate humiliation. But, don’t let that turn you off of self tanners! That situation was caused by a serious lack of knowledge about what I was doing or what kind of product to use.

The great thing about the products below is that while they are not an instant bronze color, they will gradually give you a natural looking, healthy tanned glow. Hopefully this will help you keep up with your Spring Breakin’ roommates without coming back to campus looking like the orange eighth grade version of me. Read More »

Wow.  Awkward

MTV continues to kill the music

Angelina Jolie DOES NOT AGE

Aww…Has Been’s in love!

Keep his lingerie?

Would you wear Avril?  Yeah, me neither.  But Tokyo would!

Mmmm, Kool-Aid

Sarah Palin lovvvveesss her tanning bed

Tina Fey is “sexist!”

The infamous Cat Rap

Megan Fox tells Miley and Vanessa “F*ck Disney“

Carry your “toys” in style...

My Dinner with OJ

Have you seen this show Sunset Tan? If not, let me enlighten you. Employees who work at a tanning salon (Sunset Tan, natch) are filmed as they deal with celebrity clients, co-worker dramz, and a whole lot of spray downs.

Reality show meets real life, people. You can walk into their store and onto their set simultaneously.

Nick D’Anna, a member of the cast, answered some questions for me about the show.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE SHOW?

“The show was brought to us by E!…” Nick explained. He went on to say that the owner of the place was interviewed and E! loved him…then they decided to interview the people who worked there and it took off from there.

IS THERE A STIGMA ATTACHED TO BEING ON THE SHOW?

“Sure. People think it’s fake or that we’re fame whores, but you can walk in any day and there we are…” Read More »

As summer looms closer, many people start to realize their blindingly pale skin and hit the tanning bed. But, according to a new study published in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, tanning may not only be a self-esteem booster, but a real addiction as well.

The study used a testing tool to gauge the presence of a substance-related disorder to determine whether some college students could really be hooked on tanning, as if it was a drug or substance. 18% of the students who admitted to purposely tanning their skin scored positive on this test, indicating they could be addicted to UV light.

Our society tends to associate being bronzed with attractiveness, and I don’t know why that is. I have to admit that the tanner I am, the better I feel about myself. But I have to ask myself if it’ll be worth it in the long run. What do you think? Could you be a tan-o-holic?