Top Self-Tanners to Get the Perfect Glow

Keeping your glow in the winter can be a challenge. You've finally decided to step your game up with a glowing tan, but you've hit a wall. There are tons of self-tanners out there, and it's easy to get lost in the sea of choices. To add to the stress, you need a facial self-tanner to keep your face from looking pale against your new savage tan. After an exhaustive search, we've picked our favorites for body and face to give you a jump start on picking what's best for you. Don't worry, no matter your preference, there's something out there for you. No longer do you have to make time for the tanning bed with these amazing choices!

St. Tropez

This is a fan favorite for so many reasons! The scent is nice and light. They offer different depths of tanning, so even the fair skinned can have a natural looking tan that adapts to your skin tone. The best part is that you choose how deep your tan develops by deciding how long you let it set. You can count on even, long-lasting color for around 10 days, which is much longer than most others. The price-point is a little higher at around $40, but the bottle will last you through the season. It's 100% vegan and cruelty free, which we love! The consistency is a dense, fluffy, tinted foam that makes it so easy to apply and see what you've missed.

The two most notable types are Classic and Express. St. Tropez Classic is perfect for those who have lighter skin that are looking for a golden glow. St. Tropez Classic is meant for a lighter tan. If your skin has a little bit of a tan to it, you'll likely be much happier with the Express line. For those who want a deep, darker tan, St. Tropez Express is an amazing choice. One of our favorite products in their line is something we could all use: Self-Tan Remover. If you don't like the color or if you feel you let it set in too long and developed a tan deeper than you intended, just apply this miracle product and you can start on a fresh canvas! The icing on the cake is the St. Tropez self-tanning applicator mitt. It's undoubtedly the best on the market. No longer do you have to deal with self-tanner leaking through your mitt! St. Tropez truly covers all the bases.

Isle of Paradise

Isle of Paradise has so many options! Choose your self-tanning product from a line of mousse, self-tanning water, oil mist, lotions, self-tanning butter for more hydration, or facial serums. It comes in at a price point of around $25. This line is also 100% vegan and cruelty free. Its fast-absorbing technology is definitely a plus. With nourishing oils and hyaluronic acid, it also gives your skin a boost! Unlike St. Tropez's week and a half, it's estimated the Isle of Paradise tan will last for up to seven days. For those who don't mind refreshing, this is a pretty good choice.

Their uncontested best product is Happy Tan: Gradual Tanning Lotion. Most of us can get behind gradually getting to that perfect level that works. It's also great for beginners. Our close runner-up is their Disco Tan: Instant Tan, which only lasts for 24 hours, but it's perfect for that special event or outing where you need a quick tan. This instant formula adapts to all skin tones and can be layered for a deeper bronze color. It also boasts zero-transfer to clothes! Their oil mists are supercharged with hydration and used for a natural looking glow, which arguably lasts longer than lotions. It's equipped with color-correcting technology for a more even skin tone. The mousse line has three color levels, tinted mousse, white mousse, and a 30 minute mousse that's great for those in a hurry. There's truly something for everyone.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze

Get a gorgeous, sun-kissed glow with Sublime Bronze tanning wipes, sprays, and lotions. They offer instant, wash-off color or a gradual, longer-lasting bronze tone over time. With Sublime Bronze, you can achieve a streak-free, natural-looking tan all year round. It's recommended to use 1-2 times per week, which involves a little more maintenance than the other brands. This line carries everything from a one-day bronze to a flawless facial self-tanning serum that lasts all week. With the lowest price point, around $15, it's a practical choice for any budget.

The top products are the self-tanning water mousse and their salon-quality, super fine airbrush self-tanning mist. The water mousse gives a medium-depth tan and is recommended to use three times over 12-24 hours to last longer, which may not be attainable for some schedules. However, the result doesn't disappoint. The self-tanning mist has a super fine 360° continuous mist that coats skin evenly with its angled applicator, leaving you streak-free, even in the hard to reach places like the back of your legs. It's also buildable and enriched with vitamin E, leaving you with smooth skin. L'Oreal is a great budget-conscious choice.

The Face Illuminating Drops by Tan-Luxe

We couldn't find a better product on the market for facial tanning. Unlike many of the other highly praised brands, it has a reasonable price of around $25, available at Tan-Luxe. You can see your results in 2-4 hours. This may sound a bit high at first for a facial tanner, but the bottle will last you much longer than many of its competitors. Mixing just a few drops with your moisturizer, the bottle easily stretches through the colder months. It's also better than its competitors when it comes to the amount of time it stays on your skin. The high-end brands promise amazing results, and they deliver, but they don't mention that they only last for two to three days before having to reapply. The Face lasts an amazing 7-9 days before needing a touch-up. You can also rest easy when it comes to the worry of streaks or orange tones. By mixing it with your moisturizer, it gives you a perfectly even application and strikingly beautiful glow that you can build to your preference. It comes in three different colors to keep you from going too dark or too light. The only downside to The Face is that a small portion of people don't care for the smell. However, we found it to be a muted scent that wasn't overpowering and barely noticeable. This product is not recommended for people with extremely sensitive skin. It's been reported that some people with very sensitive skin found it to dry out their face. Overall, Tan-Luxe is our pick for the best facial self-tanner on the market!

Lux Unfiltered N°12 Bronzing Face Drops

We love this brand as our favorite high-end facial tanner. It's fragrance free and compatible with all skin types. This seems to be the top pick for those with sensitive skin. With a price tag of $45, it's a reasonable choice, but it does need to be applied every three days or so. With stunning results, we can't find anything that touches this tan, and the length of time it lasts is the only drawback. It's also buildable, which isn't the case for many of the facial tanners. You'll see a flawless change in color with no streaks or orange tint. Just a few drops in your moisturizer will put you on the road to a jaw-dropping glow. For those that are ready to splurge and don't mind reapplying every few days, this is a fantastic choice.

Beauty Secrets of Makeup Artists

Get ready for your close-up with gorgeous makeup and flawless selfies! Top makeup artists have given us some insight into the art of making people the most beautiful they can be. We're here to give you the down low on all you need to know to perfect your makeup routine. Say goodbye to uneven skin and makeup mistakes. You're about to go from novice to professional!

Lighting

Good lighting is everything when doing your makeup! With poor lighting, colors and blending will be wrong, but you won't know it until it's too late. That cringe-worthy moment doesn't have to exist. This can actually be a total life changer! So many women say "My makeup looked great in the bathroom," but alas, in public it can turn out to be a little embarrassing. Try to use a warm, natural light source if possible. This will give you the truest look at your skin's tone and any makeup you've applied. If that's not an option for you, white light is best, but don't confuse this with fluorescent light. It's the worst lighting out there and will backfire almost every time. We recommend a ring light to achieve the white light. They have adjustable brightness and warmth settings that make it so much easier to get the perfect lighting.

Preparation

Start off with washing your face and moisturizing. Moisturizing is one of the key elements to get that even look you're going for. Neglect this step and it can lead to the dreaded cake face. Caked-on foundation or concealer can ruin any look. It creases in certain places on your face and looks extremely thick. Makeup artists say for best results, use a face mask the night before. Always make sure to start with a clean and moisturized face for the perfect makeup canvas.

Start out Light

Remember that less is more with makeup products. This is especially true for foundation and concealer. We can't stress that enough. This can actually end up drawing attention to what you're trying to hide. Stipple your concealer instead of rubbing it in for unbelievably better results! If you can find one that works for you, it helps to have a concealer with a small sponge at the end of the wand. Just think - you can always build if you need to, but it's not easy to start over!

Eyes First

We've all experienced the fallout after perfecting your eyeshadow, panicking as we notice the eyeshadow specks on our freshly applied foundation or powder. It may seem a little odd to do your eyes first, but it can be an absolute time and life saver. If you start with the eyes, you'll have an easy cleanup and save yourself the stress! Don't forget to wait until after the under eye concealer is complete to do the bottom lashes or you may have some overlap with your concealer on top of your lower lashes.

Eyeshadow Tips

First off, it's time to address the brush you should be using. Your eyeshadow brushes should be fluffy. This is especially true for those with crinkles or crepey skin. What you use can either accentuate these or diminish them. A flat brush is often the root of these mistakes. The fluffier brushes give that airbrushed look. Flat brushes are precise, but the fine tip can deposit too much pigment into those fine lines and make them pop. Fluffy brushes will diffuse the shadow and won't leave harsh lines.

Perfect Mascara

For the longest lashes, apply mascara from base to tip. Make sure to coat both sides of the lashes for a fuller effect. For a natural look, apply 1-2 coats, but if you're looking for a bolder, more dramatic look, go with three coats. Bottom lashes should never have more than one coat so it prevents spider lashes, which are incredibly easy to get on the lower lashes. If you develop some spider lashes from your coats of mascara on the upper lashes, take a metal-toothed eyelash separator and gently separate them. This will remove any clumps safely and allow you to continue finishing your perfection. Gently add a little mascara if needed after eliminating the clumps.

Foundation & Concealer Tips

Again, don't forget to moisturize first! Leave that cakey look behind and set the stage for a more natural look. Use concealer to hide any flaws and a powder with warm undertones that matches your skin as closely as possible to top it off. Lightly dust on the powder, tapping it before applying to remove any excess. Smooth out around hairline and neck to blend. A thought to note if you plan on taking pictures with flash: You may want to avoid HD Powder. The flash creates the look of white splotches on the face. Use a translucent powder or setting spray to keep your look fresh and lasting all day long.

Contouring

Contouring has been on the radar for a while and right now it's hot hot hot! Sculpting the face gives you better definition by pronouncing cheekbones, making the forehead look smaller, and even slimming your jawline. If you're a beginner, grab a powder contour palette. Use an angled brush or contour brush. Use the darker shade on cheekbones, jawline, hairline, and sides of the bridge of your nose. With the highlighting shade, apply to the middle of your forehead, down the bridge of your nose, above the cheekbones, and the center of the chin. Blend with a foundation brush. Afterwards, use a fluffy brush with a slight bit of bronzer to bring a little color back to your skin. You'll be shocked at the difference dimension and definition can make!

Lips

First, always use a lip scrub or scrub lips with a toothbrush to remove dead skin cells that give your lipstick that dry, cracked look. Pick a color that compliments your outfit and use lipliner that's slightly darker than the lipstick color. Lipliner really is a godsend. Women who have hit their 30s all come upon a realization that's a bit of a buzz-kill. It's those dreaded lines around your lips. Those can be tricky as lipstick can feather into those lines. Don't worry, you'll be relieved to know you can fix this simply by using a lipliner. It acts as a barrier and makes your lipstick stay put.

Application Hacks

• For flawless cat-eyes, rest your elbows on a hard surface

• Use a puff for powder's finishing touches to minimize shine

• Wash your makeup brushes regularly

• Only wet the bristles when cleaning your brushes

• Clean your brushes with baby shampoo or brush cleaner

• Use sponges to apply face makeup and wet each one slightly

• Always build product, never adding too much up front

• For unruly brows, try a clear brow gel to tame them

• Do a deep dive on your eye shape for shadow application

Now that you've gotten the skinny on how to hack your makeup application, you're on the road to flawless makeup! Apply these simple suggestions and you'll be shocked at the difference it makes. It may even unlock a whole new you. Boost your confidence and say goodbye to taking 20 selfies just to find one that you like. Unlock that beauty potential!

Make Your Extensions Last Longer!

We extension lovers are die-hard about our hair. They give the perfect length and fullness we desire. Now it's time to protect your investment. Nothing hurts like having to get new extensions early. Great news for all of us that rock extensions! This article will show you how to care for your extensions so you aren't buying that beautiful hair as often. Keep those locks looking luscious and healthy. It's easier than you'd think. No more trimming them before it's time to replace them or worrying about those split ends you start seeing from hot tools. Let's take a look into how you can make them last and get that new hair less often!

Brush, Brush, Brush!

The best way to ensure you're taking care of your extensions is to brush them often. We recommend getting a brush made for extensions, because they glide without snagging, but a wide-tooth comb is effective as well. So when should you brush your hair? We recommend brushing when you wake up, in the afternoon, in the evening before bed, and before you shower. This should give you a good head start. If you feel your hair may be getting knotted or you can't run your fingers through it, it's time to give it a once-over with your hairbrush to keep away those treacherous knots.

Washing Tips

Always use sulfate-free products on your extensions, and this includes styling products too. When washing, don't vigorously rub like you probably always have. This will knot your extensions and can compromise the integrity of your hair. Always wash and rinse your hair with cold water for the healthiest hair and more moisture. When getting out of the shower, never use a cotton towel or rub your extensions! Use a microfiber towel and pat dry instead. It may take a little longer, but the payoff is huge. Try not to wash your hair too often. Sometimes a little dry shampoo is all you need to avoid that extra hair washing day. The more you wash them, the more they weaken. Avoid blow drying the extensions if possible to reduce the heat used on them.

Hair Oil

You'd be surprised what a little oil will do for your extensions! Since Remy hair doesn't produce natural oils, it's important that we give them what they're missing. Our favorite product is Elixir Ultime by Kerastase. It can be used on wet or dry hair and it can make all the difference! Sometimes you could even skip the shampoo on the extensions and only use conditioner.

Using this simple formula, you can prolong the life of your extensions, saving you money and improving the look of your extensions which is an absolute win! Enjoy those luscious locks longer and make them look so much healthier in the process!