Who doesn’t love a healthy summer glow? In the summer I like my makeup routine to be a little quicker and lighter. Once the cooler weather rolls in, my entire skincare routine takes a little longer. Achieving the perfect glow requires the the right combination of tanned skin, bronzer and shimmer. I look for light weight products with SPF and a touch of shimmer to give my skin a sun kissed look.

I am a big advocate of skin protection and always try my best to wear SPF. My biggest (and only) regret is having gone tanning for my high school Jr. Prom. I do not know what I was thinking! The following year my mom was diagnosed with basil cell skin cancer. Her diagnosis along with a little more wisdom made me realize that tanning is not safe or beneficial to my life. For the last 8 year or so, I have been much more careful in the sun. I wear SPF, sometimes a hat and try to limit my time sitting in the sun for no reason. My routine is not perfect and sometimes I do get a little sunburn (luckily I didn’t get 1 sunburn this year). Although I am conscience of the sun I do not hide from it. I like to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while I can. I just think it is important that everyone try their best to protect their skin on a regular basis. I definitely do not tan as well as I use to, but I am okay with that. The thought of developing wrinkles and/or skin cancer because I wanted darker skin for a few months is terrifying! I always say, “a tan will fade, wrinkles and skin cancer won’t!”

There are a lot of great self-tanning products on the market. I use at home sunless tanners and have used Mystic booths (check out my previous post). At home self-tanning definitely requires trial and error and usually a little patience.

I recently found the perfect combination of makeup products for glowing skin. This face routine is quick and leaves me with a pretty sun kissed look. After applying a light weight moisturizer and primer, I apply Clinique’s Moisture Surge CC Cream with my fingers. This product is so light and creamy. I love the way it feels and how it evens out my skin tone. I actually think this is going to be a great fall/winter product when my skin starts to lose moisture. Next, I apply Clinique’s True Bronze Pressed Powder in Sunkissed to my cheek bones, bridge of my nose, forehead and a touch on my jaw line. I have been using this bronzer for months and can’t get enough of it. Last, I apply Clinique’s Cheek Pop in Melon Pop to the apples of my cheeks. I also like this bronzer and blush combo over my BareMinerals Original foundation.

xo Miss Alyss

It is hard to believe Labor Day Weekend is upon us and the summer is coming to end! I also cannot believe I neglected my blog all summer, so I am starting fresh this fall and committing myself to a blog a week. Like many of you I want to hang on to my summer glow as long as possible. Here are some of my favorite tanning products of the summer. DO NOT forget to exfoliate before applying self tanner and to always keep your skin moisturized!

Mystic Tan
This May I decided to splurge a little on a Mystic tan for my cousin’s wedding. In prep for the wedding I got my 4th and 5th Mystic tans ever. I loved the results. Mystic definitely gave me the perfect glow and lasted a solid week. I highly recommend doing a practice run if you are planning on getting a Mystic spray before a special event, especially if you have never gotten a spray tan. Before your appointment be sure to shower and exfoliate. It is also a good idea to wash your hair. During the spray you wear a hair cap and your first shower after your spray should be a quick rinse.

The booth at my local Beach Bum Tanning salon was much newer than the one I used in the past. I have to admit it was also a little intimidating! For a second I thought I going to have a Ross Geller moment. Yes, you have to turn 3 times. Yes, the spray is startling. Yes, it is a little claustrophobic. However, it is totally worth it! The Mystic spray is ultra fine, has a light scent and dries fast. The tan develops over an 8 hour time frame. I asked for the medium shade and let it develop over night for about 8 hours.

VS Tanning Spray
Early in the summer I purchased the Victoria Secret Self Tanning spray and was pleasantly surprised with the results. The mist is not as fine as a Mystic spray, so I did have to rub it in to blend. I started with at my feet and worked my way up each leg then washed my hands before moving on to my upper body. I thought the color was great; golden tan (not orange) and no streaks! Unfortunately, this product is only sold in the summer months.

VS Bronzing Lotion
The Victoria Secret bronzing lotion is great! This product gives you a pretty glow that washes off in the shower. It is the perfect finishing touch to your self tanning routine or when you just want a quick added glow. I used this lotion on top of my Mystic tan the day of my cousin’s wedding. Like the VS self tanning spray, this lotion is only available in the summer.

BM Faux Glow Face
BareMinerals Faux Glow (for face) tanner gives you a very subtle, buildable glow. The BM consultant I purchased this from instructed me to apply this product before my moisturizer. Sometimes I let my first application dry and apply a second. I have used this face tanner throughout the summer and will continue to use it into the fall. My favorite thing about this tanner is that it does not make me breakout!

What are your favorite self tanning products?

XO Miss Alyss

As May comes to an end I have decided to do a blog about my favorite products of the month. Lately, I have been trying a lot of new makeup and skincare products, but I narrowed my favorites down to five. Here we go!

Burberry Perfume

I am not a huge perfume fan, but I enjoy wearing light scents on a daily basis. I absolutely love the scent of Burberry. It is light, soft and not the least bit over powering. I think this scent has the right touch of vanilla and fruitiness to make it perfect for everyday. Burberry is my go-to perfume and I love that Perfumania sells it at a good price!

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief

Holy moisture! I recently received a sample of this Clinique gel moisturizer and was instantly won over. When I use this moisturizer it feels as if my skin has soaked up water. My face immediately feels soft, plump and hydrated. I apply this product to my face and neck both in the morning and at night. When I wake up in morning my face always looks refreshed.

For the past few years I have used a gel moisturizer in the summer months to prevent my skin for getting too shiny. In the winter I usually use something a bit heavier. I was presently surprised with how well this product moisturized my face for being a light weight gel. It is actually a great year-round moisturizer. I love this product and recommend it to everyone.

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream

A few months back when shopping at Ulta, the Clinique representative suggested I try Clinique’s Moisture Surge CC Cream because I had expressed my love for the Moisture Surge Gel Moisturizer. At that time I decided to hold off until the weather warmed up and I was ready to change up my regular foundation routine. I recently received a sample of the Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream (color light/medium) with a Clinique purchase from Macy’s. Clinique has great promotional offers through their website and department stores which is a huge plus for me. There is nothing better than great samples! I think this product is going to be my go-to face makeup this summer. The light/medium color is perfect for my skin tone when wearing self tanner, but I will probably also buy one shade lighter for my less tan days. I have used two techniques to apply this CC Cream. For the first two weeks I applied the cream using a makeup sponge and more recently have been applying this product with my fingers. Even though I tend to prefer using a tool to apply my makeup, using my fingers to apply this cream has a better result. This CC Cream feels creamy and hydrating on my skin. When applying it with my fingers it glides on so smooth and does a great job of evening out my complexion. I then go back in with a sponge to blend the cream around the edge of my face and neck. As I mentioned in a previous post, setting powders finish off your look and combat shine. I dust my forehead, cheeks and chin with the bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil to keep my CC cream looking great all day.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder

I have long, thick, dark blonde hair which I have proudly never highlighted or dyed. Since graduating from college and joining the real world, my hair has remained on the darker side as a result of not spending as much time in the sun. I have used John Freida’s Highlight Activating Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioner which is meant to brighten your hair without actually altering the color. This past month I decided to try the Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo With Citrus & Chamomile because it does not contain peroxide or chemical lighteners. The combination of citrus and chamomile work to lighten hair with the help with heat (from the sun or your hair dryer). I generally wash my hair 2-3 days a week and have noticed my hair becoming slightly lighter. This product has a pleasant scent and leaves my hair looking healthy.

Yankee Candle Banana Nut Bread

I know this is not technically a beauty item, but I love a candle that makes me happy and puts me in a good mood. Less stress helps everyone to look their best! The Yankee Candle Banana Nut Bread candle is delicious! It smells like fresh baked banana bread. I find it a bit funny that I love this candle so much because until recently I hated having food scented candles in my bedroom. I bought this one on sale at an Yankee Candle Factory store for around $10. Definitely a scent I want to stock up on because I burn this candle so often.

What were your favorite products this month?

xo Miss Alyss