There are two things about me you should know, if you don't already. I am really pale. I am so a klutz. In fact, I am such a klutz that once, on twitter, someone I didn't know picked up a tweet about my falling out of a parked car (I did) and tweeted something like, "if you think you are clumsy, you have nothing on
Gouldylox". It was not my proudest moment (but was really funny. Thanks @Uncreative.)
I am also really pale. Being basically Irish ensures I have really fair skin, with the exception of ] tough
melasma blotches. I am the perfect candidate for
faux tanning. Which is why I couldn't pass up the chance to check out
Solerra Tanning Mitts.
These tanning mitts are not your mother's self tanner. First of all, they come with a nifty plastic glove inside of the mitt, so your hands stay nice and free of
faux glow. Even I could manage to cut on the dotted line and insert my hand without making a mess. (Just be sure the plastic inside is open before you stick your hand in.) The ones
I tried come with a color additive that shows you just where you have applied the color, ensuring a perfect tan. These mitts smell fresh and not like the dreaded self-tanner stink we are all use to. It actually moisturizes your skin, dries quickly and lasts for up to 10 days.
Solerra Tanning Mitts can do this because of their use of
Invisicare technology.
Invisicare encapsulates sunless tanners and moisturizing technology and bonds them to the skin forming an "invisible layer" of tanning beauty. Skin can breathe and respire normally to promote good skin health while bonding the Invisicare layer to the active ingredients. The Invisicare ® layer allows deep penetration and even all-over absorption without the use of silicones, alcohol, gels, waxes or other skin damaging delivery systems. This penetration oxygenates the epidermal layer naturally promoting healthier, youthful looking skin.
Invisicare also forms a water-proof, sweat-resistant bond that won't clog pours (non-comedogenic) to insure the healthiest, longest lasting sunless tanning experience.
Sunless tanning molecules are bound to the skin cells with Invisicare to guarantee even, all-over absorption. The longer and stronger the bond between the molecules insures they will penetrate the outer layer completely. The reason many sunless products fade in 2-4 days is they were never absorbed into the outer epidermal layer properly. A darker tan that lasts longer (7-10 days) and resists streaks during application is the end result!
I was so excited to try these mitts that as soon as I got home, I hopped in the shower, exfoliated and prepared to become a bronze goddess. A few hours later, my arms, decolletage and neck looked amazing. Streak-free, natural and even smelled great!
My legs, on the other hand, were a different story. They were really uneven - not so much from streaks, but from missed spots. Mr. Lox tried to assure me they weren't that bad. However, before I cry foul on the
faux tan, I have to admit it is likely to be pilot error. Let me tell you why.
I am not good at things that take coordination or timing or the ability to tell if something is done evenly. Do you remember the
Perfect Pancake? You could not escape the infomercial a few years ago. If you can turn a door knob, you can make a Perfect Pancake. Simple right? The infomercial had little kids and grandmas making perfect pancakes like
nobody's business. So I figured I could do it too. I put in the batter, waited the amount of time suggested and flipped the Perfect Pancake. It did not go well. When I turned the handle, the way you turn a door knob, batter flew EVERYWHERE. On the stove, the walls, the ceiling, the sink. The cat and I were covered in batter. The wall phone, on the other side of the kitchen was all covered in pancake. Mr. Lox could not stop laughing, which almost caused me to throw the remaining batter directly at him. I guess I was supposed to open the door/turn the pancake slower. Who does that?
Who turns a door knob that slowly unless you are in a horror movie? My point is, I am not good at things many people find so easy that
anyone can do it. I can't blame Round One on the mitts. I have to blame myself.
Round Two: After exfoliating and using the mitt again, my arms, neck and decolletage still look amazing. The
gams are glowing gorgeously too! There are a few places I appear to have missed and I wish the immediate color was a little darker. For the most part the color looks great. I think I am the only one who will notice my little slip ups around the heel. My favorite part? It doesn't smell like your standard
DHA tanners! I am not sure I will get 10 days out of this tan, but even less than half of that is better than what I was getting with my old lotion. Despite my inadequacy at self-tanning, I look pretty darn good. And if I can do it...
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4. Mermaid to Order by OPI for Sephora. Gouldylox reader Heather mentioned that these polishes were ultra long-wearing and chip-resistant and she wasn't kidding. Nothing short of sandpaper could have pried that color off of my toes. (Ok. Honestly, nail polish remover worked. You don't really need sand paper.)
5. Bare Escentuals Moisturizing Burst Spray. I love to keep this in the fridge and spritz on when I need to wake up my makeup after a long day, take away the over powdery look when I am a little too heavy-handed with the finishing powder or just relax. It feels great, it's cool (when kept in the fridge) and the RareMinerals complex feeds your skin essential nutrients.
6. Kai Fragrance Perfume Oil. I have recently found so many products I am excited about that I had to add a sixth! Kai Fragrance Perfume Oil is a roll on fragrance that literally stopped me in my tracks when I received a sample from B-Glowing.com. (Technically, I made Mr. Lox pause the television and smell me.) According to the packaging, it smells slightly different on everyone. On me, it reminds me of when I was little, playing near the fence where my Mom grew a bit of honeysuckle. Other perfumes have similar notes, but on me, this is a true honeysuckle, without being too sweet. JULY 31 ONLY - use code PAYDAY at b-glowing when you check out and get 15% off! 
