I Turned Orange So You Don't Have To: A True Story

Live and learn, right? A few weekends ago, I decided to test a new self tanner. I normally use Beautisol or Bare Escentuals Faux Tan, but I opted to try something new. You know, for science. So here is how the day went:

I prepped my face.

I applied the tan.




I went to the movies (Bridesmaids was great).




I came home and took a nap with Bean.




 Loxy woke me up to get ready for dinner at The Friends' house.




I went into the bathroom and screamed dirty words.

"Loxy!! Why didn't you tell me!" I shrieked.

He came running upstairs and said, "What? What is the matter? Are you ok?"

"Look at me! I'm orange! You let me walk around orange!" I screamed back.

"Well, I thought you were trying something different. I wasn't sure. It's not that bad." Loxy reasoned.





(I'm smiling, because I'm hoping it's not as bad as I was thinking.)

Yeah. It's not his face. (Or my mushroom-shaped hair, thank goodness -- Loxy) I immediately got in touch with Sinead, the founder of Beautisol, and begged her for help. The product I had used didn't contain a guide color, so I had no hopes that a little color would wash off. I scrubbed my face and the color lightened a teensy bit. I slept with a strong Retinol product by Peter Thomas Roth (thanks for the emergency sample, Sephora!). The next morning, I scrubbed again (which was against the advice of Sinead, by the way) and my skin was slightly less orange.

After getting in contact with the company, the PR person and I started politely giving their Research & Development Squints the what-fors. A little research found out what I suspected.

It was my fault.

Turns out, doing a chemical peel (I didn't) or having a laser treatment (guilty!) can dramatically affect the way your skin interacts with the bits that make faux tans work. Granted, I had the laser treatment about a month before I used the self tanner (I had actually waited for a month just to be safe, as I thought there might be a small risk). But it turns out, a month just isn't long enough.

So let this be a lesson. Don't mess with your face and then put on self tanner. You'll be an Oompa Loompa in the blink of an eye and it takes several days to go back to normal. While I'll still fake bake my body, for the rest of the summer I'm sticking to bronzers. Like smooth operator™ Amazonian clay finishing powder in bronze by Tarte, which is gorgeous.




The More You Know, I suppose...

UPDATE! I asked my derm, Dr. Noelle Sherber, about the likelihood of the Squints in R&D being correct about a laser affecting a self tanner. Here are her thoughts on the matter:


Since the active ingredient in self-tanners, DHA, reacts with the stratum corneum (the layer of dead skin cells on top of the skin), only a laser treatment that disrupts that layer of skin should affect the color.  Since you had IPL rather than a resurfacing laser that would peel the top layer of your skin, your prior laser treatment wouldn't impact your results.

So the plot thickens. Am I really to blame? I somehow think it's still my fault, as I tested the same tanner on my leg and the color was fine. But now, I'm not so sure....

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How To Fake It Like a Superstar

I was watching a lot of tv over the weekend and realized just how many people fake their appearance. I want to appear naturally golden with luxuriously long hair, amazing nails and a shapely waist. I know that I will never have Kristen Bell's hair or Julianna Margulies' skin, but that doesn't stop me from wanting it.

Here are tips on how to fake it with the best of them (and how to be able to pick out your faux sisters in a crowd).

Add more hair to your hair.

Almost everyone on television adds hair to their hair. And there is no reason you shouldn't do the same! There are some great faux hair lines out there now. My favorites are Ken Paves and POP. Pick up a fall like this one (hair that clips to the top of your head and fills out the back, top and sides) for instant glamour. Just be sure to blend it in and stay out of the wind. An easy way to trick the savviest of faux hair spotters? Add a headband or wrap.

Want to tell if someone is wearing a fall? Look for these tell tale signs:





Their part disappears halfway towards the back of their head or changes places. If you look closely, you can see where the hair is added, behind her natural bangs. It's a perfect color match and almost totally undetectable.




There is a slight ridge of hair just above and behind the ears. Her part also disappears very close to the middle of her head. This is also a perfect color match, which is the most important part!

Most people would never think to look for those signs, so fake your way to luxurious hair!





The easiest way to add more hair is with clip in accessories. Ken Paves makes a brilliant pony tail wrap. Old ponys had butterfly clips, which attached in a way that was different from how a real pony attached and were a dead giveaway (which never stopped me from wearing them!). That all changes with this new Ken Paves Ponytail Wrap. This clips to your existing ponytail and then an extra bit wraps around, looking polished and perfectly believable. Or try a clip in Chignon, which couldn't be easier or look more polished. Just be sure to attach it firmly to the back of your head.

Channel Your Inner Margulies.




I can promise you, by the time they hit 50, every Tara, Lindsay and Snooki will have wished they had taken the Marguiles approach to skincare. That means staying out of the sun and bathing yourself in SPF morning, noon and night. Ok. At night it can be a retinol.

But everyone who is anyone is tan, right?

That's why you need to fake bake with a really good self tanner. I love Beautisol. Their facial tanner is more like skincare and the color is a Mediterranean tan, which means it's not going to go orange. The body tanner is easy to apply and never looks fake. And you'll never smell like you've been fake baking.

Being tanorexic is the easiest way to get spotted with a fake tan, but faux-tanned ladies can be called out for forgetting their ears, the back of their neck or a stripe on the back of their arm. If you are worried you've applied too much to worrisome spots like your elbows, just buff the area lightly with a dry towel after you've applied the tanner and you'll look perfect. And with a faux tanner like Beautisol, there is no smell, so no one will be the wiser!


Back Lumps, Be Gone!





(I love this style top!)

Finally, I want to be those girls who can wear a wrap top with no risk of back lumps. I don't care how skinny you are, everyone gets these from time to time, unless you are being airbrushed. I hate back lumps more than I hate animal abusers (well, almost as much).

To avoid the dreaded back lump check out a body shaper like these, which are so comfortable I wear one every day. I'm not kidding. I love these things!

What is your favorite way to fake it?

Some products may have been sent for review.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews and more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

Beautisol is on HSN tomorrow!

Set your alarm clocks and DVRs! Gouldylox pal Sinead Norenius, is going to be on HSN telling the world about Beautisol!

If you don't already know all about Beautisol, it's a line that includes self tanners, the best body exfoliator on the planet and facial self tanner that is specifically designed to work with your skin type. Not only is it the only self tanner to be designed for your skin type, it also includes anti-aging peptides. Sinead is the official Queen of Self Tanning and will be sharing all of the tips and tricks to get the perfect self tan on HSN. Since meeting her, I haven't had any self tanning streaks. For a klutz like me, that is impressive!

Check out the list of goods she will be demonstrating on the show here. Face Faux Tanners make me nervous, as I am usually really pale. But this is seriously good stuff! I know I am going to be picking up the Face Tanning Kit For Normal to Dry Skin to take advantage of the lower pricing. As a chick with very dry skin, this works beautifully on me!

Be sure to check Beautisol out on HSN tomorrow, April 19th, at 6am, 6pm and 11pm.

Beautisol doesn't test on animals.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews and more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

New Ways to Fight Dark Circles and Fine Lines

I shop for cosmetics. A lot. I talk to artists, estheticians and PR folks on a daily basis and there are a few areas that come up constantly in conversation. While Skin Perfectors and Radiance Boosters come up on a daily basis, new ways to fight under-eye issues are being improved are on the market now.

There are several reasons you can have dark circles. It could be stress, lack of sleep or poor diet. But the most common reason for serious dark circles is a pooling of blood that leaks from capillaries under the thin skin surrounding the eye. Old technology used Vitamin K to combat those dreaded circles. Now there have been advancements that may not only help fight the dark circles, but also improve the look of the skin under the eye, as well as the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And while not all puffiness can be reduced through treatments applied to the skin, many types of this under-eye inflammation can.

Newer products contain ingredients like Chrysin, scientifically proven to be an anti-inflammatory and intelligent peptides that can help reduce other under-eye issues, like fine lines and dark circles. Ingredients like Gamma-linolenic acid can help strengthen the skin under the eye, reducing the appearance of dark circles. What this adds up to is moving away from what was thought to be one the best treatments, Vitamin K, into a new way of thinking about treating the under-eye area.

Want to check out these newer products? Two you can try are Jan Marini Age Intervention Dark Circle Eye Defense or Beautisol's Bright Eyed.


I have tried both and while I don't suffer from extreme dark circles, I definitely saw an improvement in fine lines and brightness under my eyes. However, as with any cosmetic product, consistent use is key to successful treatment.

Have you tried either of these? Let me know in the comments!

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

You'll Thank Me In 10 Years: Beautisol Sunless Tanning

Last summer, I tried out several self-tanners and wrote about a few that worked. A bunch didn't do such a great job on me. Here's a recap (with a new twist!):

It turns out I have an odd skin thing that prevents some self-tanners from actually working on my skin. Weird. If only my skin had some other super power, like banishing dryness or glowing non-stop, I would be really proud. Instead I am just a little embarrassed when I have to tell some really nice company that their awesome self-tanner was laughed at by my pasty legs.



One company to reach out to me was Beautisol (formerly Antidote Skin). They take tanning very seriously. The owner of the company, Sinead Norenius, even contacted me directly to help me figure out why other tanners weren't working or why they were streaking long before she told me about her own line. The cool thing about Sinead? She never spoke ill about any of the other companies whose products I tested and liked (or didn't and never really wrote about). She just loves to tan, in the safest way possible.

That is why she created the Beautisol line. This line is free of self-tanners that smell, that contain parabens and that ruin your manicure. Their self-tanning kits make tanning easy. Even for klutzes like me.

Here is what you get in a Beautisol Sunless All Seasons Glow Self Tanning Kit:

Rubber Gloves (so key and genius)
Go Slough Yourself Scrub (use with caution, this is serious stuff)
All Season Glow Self Tanning Lotion (one to two applications is all it takes)

Sinead recommends using the Go Slough Yourself Scrub before tanning. I have to say I adore this scrub. That said, if you are a delicate little flower, GO EASY with this stuff. It is a serious scrub and the white, nicely scented lotion is deceiving. There are teeny little scrubbers in here that will work wonders.

Afterwards, I decided to forgo any lotion and started to tan. The lotion is somewhat pigmented so you can see what you are doing. It doesn't have to look perfect - as long as you are covered, you will be good to go. Then wait a few minutes and get dressed. Voila! Several hours later, your tan will develop and you will look bronze and gorgeous. And there isn't a hint of nasty self-tanner smell! My tan lasted several days before it needed to be refreshed. If you aren't dark enough the first time, you can use this kit to build a natural looking tan over a few days.

Just because the seasons change doesn't mean you have to lose all of that summer sun look. And with 6 full body applications in one kit, this sunless tanner is budget friendly. If you still aren't sure how to successfully apply sunless tanning lotion, check out the how to videos. It couldn't be easier!


(It's a back applicator - not a weird safety pin. Trust me!)


So wheres the twist? Now through May 31st, with the purchase of any self tanner, add the genius back applicator to your order for free! Just add it to your cart and enter the code GLFREEBA. No more asking your boyfriend or pals to make sure your back is even. Now's the time to get ready for warmer months - don't tan today and have to deal with ruined skin in a few years. Get the best of both worlds with Beautisol!


This product was sent to me for the purposes of review.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement.
Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2010, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

Get Your Glow On - Beautisol

Over the summer, I tried out several self-tanners and wrote about a few that worked. It turns out I have an odd skin thing that prevents some self-tanners from actually working on my skin. Weird. If only my skin had some other super power, like banishing dryness or glowing non-stop, I would be really proud. Instead I am just a little embarrassed when I have to tell some really nice company that their awesome self-tanner was laughed at by my pasty legs.



One company to reach out to me was Beautisol (formerly Antidote Skin). They take tanning very seriously. The owner of the company, Sinead Norenius, even contacted me directly to help me figure out why other tanners weren't working or why they were streaking long before she told me about her own line. The cool thing about Sinead? She never spoke ill about any of the other companies whose products I tested and liked (or didn't and never really wrote about). She just loves to tan, in the safest way possible.

That is why she created the Beautisol line. This line is free of self-tanners that smell, that contain parabens and that ruin your manicure. Their self-tanning kits make tanning easy. Even for klutzes like me.

Here is what you get in an Antidote Skincare Sunless All Seasons Glow Self Tanning Kit:

Rubber Gloves (so key and genius)
Go Slough Yourself Scrub (use with caution, this is serious stuff)
All Season Glow Self Tanning Lotion (one to two applications is all it takes)

Sinead recommends using the Go Slough Yourself Scrub before tanning. I have to say I adore this scrub. That said, if you are a delicate little flower, GO EASY with this stuff. It is a serious scrub and the white, nicely scented lotion is decieving. There are teeny little scrubbers in here that will work wonders.

Afterwards, I decided to forego any lotion and started to tan. The lotion is somewhat pigmented so you can see what you are doing. It doesn't have to look perfect - as long as you are covered, you will be good to go. Then wait a few minutes and get dressed. Voila! Several hours later, your tan will develop and you will look bronze and gorgeous. And there isn't a hint of nasty self-tanner smell! My tan lasted several days before it needed to be refreshed. If you aren't dark enough the first time, you can use this kit to build a natural looking tan over a few days.

Just because the seasons change doesn't mean you have to lose all of that summer sun look. And with 6 full body applications in one kit, this sunless tanner is budget friendly. If you still aren't sure how to successfully apply sunless tanning lotion, check out the how to videos. It couldn't be easier!

Skip the sun, not the sunless tanner. Check it out!

This product was sent to me for the purposes of review.


Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.