Since you can't (and shouldn't) bake it, fake it with St. Tropez, Charlotte Ronson and Benefit!

I don't know about you, but this is the time of year that I start looking even pastier and paler than usual. Lack of morning and evening sunlight and the desire to just cocoon on the weekends keeps me from getting any sort of natural sunlight so the only remedy is to fake a bit of healthy colour! Here are a few things to help us all out:


St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse - 120ml - $38, 240ml - $49.50 - a lightweight, easy to apply, velvety mousse that dries quickly and delivers a customizable and even, all over tan with aloe vera to help keep it that way. What you'll really appreciate about this brand is that it contains Aromaguard technology which reduces the residual and distinctive smell commonly found in self tan products and leaves a subtle fragrance which is unique to the user's skin.

I really love the lightness of this mousse formula, it went on so easily and dried fast so I didn't have to stand around naked waiting. The colour that developed for me was very natural looking and not at all streaky - best part though is the lack of stinky self-tanning smell - there's a bit of a self-tan scent but it's very faint.

Of course a nice looking tan is all in the application so my best tips are to: exfoliate really well first; moisturize any dry, rough areas such as elbows, knees and heels before applying the tanner; and for heaven's sake, remember to wash your hands afterwards - tanned palms are not pretty! Better yet, try the St. Tropez Applicator Mitt - $7.50 - it gives you a smooth, even application and takes away all fears of orange palms!

Available at Sephora and sephora.com as well as select spas and salons nationwide including: Gee Beauty in Toronto, The Hair Loft in Ottawa, Remington Laser in Calgary, Lux Beauty Boutique in Edmonton, Beauty Mark in Vancouver and Maison des Parfums in Montreal.

Charlotte Ronson 2 X A Charm - $24 - this double ended creamy blush and bronzer stick adds a sheer, natural wash of colour that can be layered and built for effortless contouring and additional intensity - comes in Mindy - peach/medium bronze and Abby - pink/dark bronze.

I think the double sided packaging is very clever with this product - for a natural looking glow at this time of year it's important to have the right bronzer to blush ratio - this makes it very easy to flip the tube over to add a little more of either one with a minimum of time or effort!

Available at Sephora and sephora.com

Benefit Sun Beam - 13ml - $30 - a  golden bronze complexion highlighter that provides a sun-kissed radiant glow to the skin. Use alone for a healthy glow or mix with your foundation or moisturizer for all-over warmth.

- Lisamarie -