If your pale, post-winter/spring skin needs a boost, or you naturally have a medium or darker skin tone and want some enhancement, a self-tanner may be just the thing. Today we're rounding up three of the best self-tanners to easily and quickly give you that warmer glow without any harmful UV rays. (By the way, a “base tan” isn't what it's cracked up to be.)

Readers, do you use self-tanner? What are your favorite brands and products?

A quick note: As with a lot of beauty products, online reviews for self-tanners aren't always super helpful, as there are often a wide variety of opinions, from “I love this self-tanner! It applies perfectly” to “This smells horrible, is patchy, and I hate it.” So, YMMV — that's why travel sizes can be your friend here. Many brands offer travel/mini sizes, such as Bondi Sands, Beauty by Earth, and Isle of Paradise.

{related: what is your favorite sunscreen? — and yes, we're due for an update!}

Here are some of the best self-tanners out there.

Reader-Favorite Self-Tanners

These are some of the self-tanning products readers have recommended — and we're excited to try these newer self-tanner drops that you add to your regular lotion. During the NAS, Nordstrom has some great deals on self-tanner drops and St. Tropez mousse, also…

3 of the Best Self-Tanners for 2024

Best General Self-Tanner: St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse

This limited edition, Sephora-exclusive self-tanner, St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse, is in mousse form and has an “island-inspired” fragrance. Specifically, St. Tropez notes, it smells like “tropical fruit blended with velvety coconut, vanilla, and Tahitian gardenia.” (That does sound nice.)

Reviewers' opinions of the scent include “pleasant,” “fresh,” “divine,” “really good” and also … “a problem for some people.”

To use this tanner, which is vegan and cruelty-free, you apply with a mitt and wait one to three hours before showering. Your tan will develop over the next eight hours.

Nordstrom has a value set (two containers, 3.38 oz. + 13.7 oz.) for $56 during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale; you can also find this self-tanner for $46 for 6.7 oz. at Sephora. (There are also self-tanning drops from St. Tropez in the NAS.)

Best Face Self-Tanner: Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops

You've got a choice for getting more color on your face, and if you're seeking something that lasts longer than a bronzer or tinted moisturizer, these self-tanner face drops from UK company Tan-Luxe are a good bet. The Face is designed to be added to your moisturizer, serum, or face oil, and you can customize the shad — from 2 drops (“radiant”) to 12 drops (“bronzed”). (You might want to start small, to avoid a Ross “Mississippi” situation.)

This product is cruelty-free, vegan, and also free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oil, silicone, and talc. Reviewers say the scent is “great,” “way better than other self-tanners,” or alternately, “strongly like apple cider vinegar,” or non-existent. So, yeah.

These face drops are $50 for 1 oz. at Nordstrom and are available in two shades: light/medium and medium/dark.

(There are also self-tanning drops from St. Tropez in the NAS — 2 oz. for $59.)

Best Self-Tanner for Darker Skin Tones: Loving Tan Platinum Ultimate Self Tanning Mousse

For a recommendation for a self-tanner that works well for darker skin tones, we turned to the Instagram of Jackie Aina, popular Nigerian American content creator and lifestyle brand founder. (Check out her “Black Girls Tan” Insta story highlights for more!)

Aina says she loves this Platinum Ultimate Self Tanning Mousse from Australian brand Loving Tan. It's an Allure Best of Beauty award winner, too, and promises “The deepest, darkest tan possible.” (Especially if you have lighter skin, note the company's caveat, “experienced tanners only.”)

Loving Tan claims this self-tanner will dry in as little as 60 seconds and will develop your tan in two hours — a lot more quickly than some other tanners. Not only can it enhance your skin tone, but it can help with hyperpigmentation.

Various reviewers say the scent is “minimal,” “pleasant,” “does not smell good,” or is nonexistent, so YMMV.

This self-tanner mousse is $27.96 (30% off, marked down from $39.95) for 3.3 oz. at Nordstrom; the 6.7-oz. size is available at Ulta for $65.

Readers, please share! What are your favorite self-tanners for face and body?

The post 3 of the Best Self-Tanners for 2024 appeared first on Corporette.com.

There's been a trend cropping up on TikTok: women showing a pre-bedtime routine involving lip tints, self-tanners, eyebrow dyes, henna'd freckles, and more. When they then wake up in the morning (and rinse) they have makeup that lasts for anywhere from a few days to a week.

So let's discuss — are you using any of these makeup hacks? Are you doing more sophisticated versions of them, like lash tints or microblading or whatnot?

(I think the hashtag #goingtobeduglytowakeuppretty should get you to the biggest tranche of videos… Just to illustrate the post, here's TikTokker Kaycee Ogle (and a Fox News story featuring her) explaining how she uses self-tanner as contour and then sleeps in it.)

Semi-Permanent “Lazy Girl” Makeup

I've seen this trend in past summers, but this summer it seems to be everywhere. (Although, hey, that may be just my algorithm.) There are also a whole crop of videos where people are like, “Do my lazy girl makeup routine with me,” and then show a 10-minute video of them applying like four different foundations and contour and so forth. Which… we have different definitions of lazy, my friend!

(I've written before about my short makeup routine… this was a great discussion, actually!)

{related: daily makeup for work}

Some of the things I'm seeing mentioned as semi-permanent makeup include:

Eyebrow tints. I've written before about occasionally using men's beard dye to dye my eyebrows, and after seeing a few reader discussions about them, I've been trying out more permanent options like Godefroy. (I'm not sure if I need them, but in my heart I feel better using my eyebrow stencils that I wrote about here.) There are also some products that apparently go on like a tattoo that you peel off your eyebrows. I haven't tried those; if you have, please let us know how it went.

An upgrade to fuller eyebrows, of course, is microblading (which Adina from Blue Collar Red LIpstick wrote a guest post about). Readers also just had a discussion on microblading, nanoblading, and lash extensions…

Self-tanner as contour and eyeshadow. I am mightily tempted by these, to be honest. I know that my very round face looks a lot better with a bit of contour, but it's not part of my daily short makeup routine unless I happen to think about it. The last time I tried Jergens on my legs I couldn't stand the smell, but I recently got some self-tanner drops in the recent Sephora Sun Safety Kit. (I believe this is the product.)

These are some of the self-tanning products readers have recommended — and we're excited to try these newer self-tanner drops that you add to your regular lotion. During the NAS, Nordstrom has some great deals on self-tanner drops and St. Tropez mousse, also…

{related: what's your favorite sunscreen? (due for an update!)}

Henna for freckles (and sometimes eyebrows). I'll admit, I'm old enough to be a bit baffled by the faux-freckles trend. I think freckles are awesome, and loved when I got them when I was pregnant with my boys (which turned out to be my skin's way of telling me that I was ultrasensitive and needed a lot more sunscreen and hats). But adding beauty marks to your face just seems so 1950s to me, let alone putting a whole bunch of tiny freckles on your nose and face (henna, tattoo, or otherwise). The end result always looks nice, though. But I'd suggest maybe trying some other less permanent products first!

Lip tints worn overnight. I've seen people putting Wonderskin Lip Stain on their skin and leaving it overnight. I have this product and haven't been super impressed with the application or staying power of it, but maybe an additional seven hours is what I'm missing?

To be totally honest, I generally prefer the super-affordable wine tints I posted about a while ago (not all of them, but some colors are really amazing) to a lot of lip tints, including Wonderskin, Benetint, and RMS. But again, maybe I'm just lacking in skill here… If you have suggestions, readers, I'd love to hear them.

Then, of course, there are all of the overnight hair products — I've used the Sleep Styler in the past, but not any of the newer products… what are your thoughts on those, readers? (I am most tempted by the Cordina bun thingy, but haven't bought it yet.)

What are your thoughts, readers — are you spending a lot of time on semi-permanent makeup in order to save time the rest of the week? What have been your successes and fails? (Are you still doing a multi-step skin routine at night in addition to this, neither, or is it an either-or situation for you?)

The post Are You Using Semi-Permanent Makeup? appeared first on Corporette.com.

I seem to have a problem with buying a lot of liquid and cream blushes (great for the summer!) so I thought I'd do some mini reviews… readers, which are your favorites at the moment? (Do you have any drugstore favorites? My favorites are definitely heavy on a few brands…)

{related: summer makeup tips for women lawyers}

The Best Liquid and Cream Blushes

Youthforia BYO Color Changing Blush Oil

This blush oil from Youthforia is probably my favorite right now and part of my “low makeup” everyday face. I like that I can put it on right after my sunscreen. It's supposed to change color based on your pH — yes, yes, this old trick — and like every other product that is supposed to change colors based on my pH, this one turns a bright pink. But it's such a happy bright pink, and truly one of the best colors for my skin.

(You can also buy a brush, but I just rub it in with my fingers.)

It reminds me of my powder Diorshow’s Backstage Rosy Glow, or of this Guerlain cheek tint that isn't made anymore.

The blush oil is $36 full price at Amazon.

{related: foundation, BB cream, tinted moisturizer, or nothing?}

MILK Makeup Cream Blush Stick

I've had this one for a few years and it's still going strong — it's another happy, bright pink. This one can be a bit easier to apply (compared to the blush oil above) because you can clearly see where the product is going, and it doesn't dry too quickly, so you have a bit of time to play with it to get it just so.

I've never tried to use it as a lip tint, which seems like a gross oversight on my part.

The MILK blush cream is $24, at Sephora.

{related: interview makeup tips}

NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush

NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush is one of the newest liquid blushes in my makeup stable — I ordered it in the possibly weird color Wanderlust, which is a pretty orchid. I think it looks nice on my cheeks, but compared to others in the list this one feels like it's much, much more subtle. Which isn't a bad thing! But I wonder if it might be better in winter when I'm naturally paler. Hmmn.

It comes in 8 colors at Sephora and Nordstrom for $32.

NARS The Multiple

NARS the Multiple is another one that I've had for a long time — I go through fits and spurts of using it. If you like their shade Orgasm, I really like The Multiple — it goes on easily, and doesn't set immediately — if anything it still feels a bit malleable for a bit longer than ideal. The subtle gold shimmer is especially pretty in this one. I sometimes put it on as a touchup at the middle or end of the day because of the shimmer.

I haven't tried this one on my eyes or lips, either — clearly I need to get on that.

The product comes in five colors for $39 at Sephora.

MILK Cooling Water Jelly Tint

This is another really new one in my makeup stable: MILK's Cooling Water Jelly Tint. It's always out of stock, so when I happened to see it in stock I ordered it.

It is a really really pretty wash of color — but my primary complaint is that it dries incredibly quickly, to the point where if I swipe both cheeks and try to rub it in, I sometimes feel like the tint/stain on the second cheek has dried too much for me to get to it. This may be a me problem, or maybe I just need to get used to applying it more — but as cool as it looks it sets/stains very quickly.

The jelly tint is $24 at Sephora (but is out of stock at the moment).

Other Liquid Blushes I've Tried

Other liquid blushes that I've tried that just haven't worked for me: Glossier's Cloud Paint (I just could not nail the application, it was either too much or too little), Benetint's Cheek Tint (but admittedly not in a bazillion years), and I swore there was a third recent one but I can't find it in my order history at Sephora — if I'm remembering correctly it was either the Rare Beauty or the Saie liquid blush, and I really liked it but just wasn't in the market for another product at that moment in time.

Oh! And I just remembered that I have tried and liked two drugstore brands: this “liquid highlighter” from wet n wild is actually really pretty as a light blush — it's showing as around $16 at Amazon, which seems rather pricy, so it may have been discontinued. (I have “Rosy & Ready.”)

I also bought this elf Monochromatic Multi Stick, I think because I'd heard it was a dupe for NARS The Multiple… it is not a dupe for that, but is a perfectly fine $5 blush. I have it in “dazzling peony,” which may just not be my color.

Blushes I want to try but haven't yet: Merit's Flush Balm Cream Blush, Westman Atelier's Baby Cheeks, and Fenty's Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush.

The post Liquid and Cream Blushes I’ve Bought and Loved appeared first on Corporette.com.

While we've published past posts sharing individual experiences with plastic surgery such as rhinoplasty and breast reductions, as well as non-invasive procedures like Botox, microblading (a guest poster), and laser hair removal (Kat and two friends, plus an open thread), we've never had a general open thread about plastic surgery. Let's do one today! What are your thoughts about plastic surgery in general? Is a particular one popular among your friends? Have you had, or considered, plastic surgery? If you've had plastic surgery, how have you handled it at the office in terms of time away / changed appearance?

The pandemic undoubtedly led to a huge uptick in plastic surgery procedures, in part because staring at ourselves on Zoom for hours typically didn't spark an ego boost (even with the distractions of those fun Zoom backgrounds we were using). Working from home made recovery from plastic surgery easier and potentially more discreet, too.

In 2022, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons released a report with these stats:

Member surgeons nationwide and found more than three-quarters of cosmetic-focused plastic surgery practices are seeing more business than before the pandemic, with nearly 30 percent reporting their business has at least doubled.

Doubled!

Here's one more excerpt:

The survey also found that women between the ages of 31 and 45 were by far the most likely to request popular procedures such as breast augmentations, liposuction and tummy tucks. … [M]illennials are not only savvy about their options, but are also more open about their choice to seek plastic surgery than older generations.

In the comments on last year's “aging intentionally” post, which was more about “minor” procedures such as Dysport/Botox (young women getting “preventative Botox” is a whole other story!), and on other posts, readers have discussed their myriad thoughts on plastic surgery.

Let's consolidate that discussion today — and here are some questions to kick it off:

1. What do you think about plastic surgery in general — for you, and for others? (That could be either for women / feminine-presenting people specifically, or for any gender.)

2. Do you notice a specific age/generation of your friends (and others) deciding to get plastic surgery? Does a specific surgery seem particularly popular among them?

3. Have you had, or considered, plastic surgery? What kind, how many procedures, and what were the results?

4. If you've had plastic surgery, how have you handled it at the office in terms of time away / changed appearance?

The post Open Thread: What Are Your Thoughts on Plastic Surgery? appeared first on Corporette.com.

Like a lot of people, I feel like I have slightly dark circles under my eyes that get worse when I'm tired or not feeling well — and like most women, I've found my own ways to deal with these dark circles. Here's how I deal with the dark circles under my eyes — but I'd love to hear your tricks and tips! What are your favorite products, and do you have any fancy techniques?

How I Deal with Dark Circles Under My Eyes

My Daily Concealer: Glossier

In the past, I've really liked IT Cosmetics' concealer — it's so thick and creamy, but it comes out in such a tiny amount that it's easy to apply. I recently realized I was wearing the totally wrong color (after looking for foundations/BB creams, I realized I'm always the lightest shade, everywhere, yet my concealer was a medium shade somehow), so I've gone to an older Glossier concealer I happened to have.

It's a pot concealer, which I don't always love — I have an old one from Benefit that just came on so heavy and cake-like — but the Glossier one feels light, easy to spread, and feels like it stays all day.

It's $22 at Sephora or Glossier.

My Highlighting Concealer (or My No-Makeup Concealer): YSL or elf

I've written for years here about how I really like a very lightweight, illuminating concealer for touching up my makeup at the end of the day, and YSL's Touche Éclat has always been my holy grail. The gold container feels luxe, I love the light consistency of the liquid, and I think it spreads evenly. It always makes me look awake but not AWAKE, if that makes sense, which a lot of concealers can unfortunately do at the end of the night.

I recently found a pretty good dupe: the elf Flawless Brightening Concealer. Compared to the $40 for YSL, this one is under $7 usually, so I've been buying multiples and stashing it lots of places. Is it the SAME? No, the YSL is definitely better, particularly when it comes to an illuminating/highlighting effect — but they're pretty close.

I also will use either of these products by themselves, if I'm just running out the door and not doing a big makeup look. A bit of highlighting concealer, a blush (I really like this one lately for a no-makeup look), an MLBB tint, and I'm out the door.

Another way I'll use these products (particularly the YSL one): If I'm doing a full makeup look (2+ eyeshadow colors, 2+ eyebrow products, contour, etc.), then I'll use this one at the very end of applying all of my makeup, both to clean up any eye makeup that's gone rogue, as well as to do that “wing it towards your hairline!” thing that makeup artists talk about to bring your face “up.”

The Big Guns: Snail Bee Hydrogel Eye Patches

I got this brand, BENTON Snail Bee Ultimate Hydrogel Eye Patches, randomly during one of the Amazon sale days, but I like it — the patches feel nourishing and hydrating on my face, and they almost have a cooling effect. (If I have a headache or anything, I'll pop these on for 15-20 minutes because they feel so nice.)

I don't use them often, so my container is still pretty full, but I'd love to hear if you guys have other eye patches you like.

(I see many people on social media using the reusable eye patches with eye creams… I read on Beauty Brains, years ago, that most eye creams are the same thing as moisturizer, so I haven't really bothered to have an eye cream. The one I've liked the best is the Bioelements eye cream, but I've also used Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment, and I got a sample of what I think is this Drunk Elephant product with some other stuff of theirs that I bought. (Mine has a light green top, though, so it may be a previous version of it.)

Oh, but:

The Big Guns, Part 2: The Ordinary's Caffeine Solution Depuffing Eye Serum

I also very occasionally use this caffeine serum on my undereye area (and around my jawline, if I'm being honest). It's an extra step I usually don't care for, but some days if I'm making an extra effort, I'll do it.

The eye serum is $9.20 at Nordstrom (as well as Target, Sephora, etc.).

The post How I Deal with Dark Circles Under My Eyes appeared first on Corporette.com.

I've been an glasses wearer for a long time, and these days I'm only in contacts a few times a year. But I've never really looked into the best makeup tips for people who wear glasses, so I thought I'd round some up.

Readers, if you wear eyeglasses, what kind of makeup do you wear daily? Do you change your makeup with your frames? If you wear glasses to big events, how do elevate your makeup look?

I've written before about how I like to have multiple pairs of eyeglasses at any given time, to switch up like other accessories, and I've rounded up my favorite online glasses for women. We've also talked about wearing fun eyeglasses at work and how to take a great corporate headshot wearing glasses.

My number one tip is that you should save blue light blocking glasses for screentime. Instead, have a separate pair of eyeglasses that you wear out and about, and especially whenever you're photographed for a corporate headshot or at a big party — the slight tint to the lenses inevitably looks horrible in pictures, but face to face I've also found that I can always tell when someone is wearing blue light glasses.

I was also blown away by some of the tips about how your eyeglasses frames affect your makeup — they make sense, but I never would have thought of them that way.

10 Makeup Tips for People Who Wear Glasses

Looking at various articles from Marie Claire, Glamour UK, Warby Parker, and some Reddit threads, a lot of the same advice came up over and over again.

Be careful of foundation on your nose, because it can make your eyeglasses slide down the bridge of your nose. Some people noted that this is actually a sign of poor fit, and in a pinch you can get tiny rubber band donuts from Amazon to stop them from sliding down your nose. I've also seen it said that loose powder can help set your foundation better as well as keep your glasses from sliding down your nose.

Watch out for dark shadows created by eyeglasses. Most people noted that great concealer is important (I love Touche Éclat for just this purpose, especially for a midday or pre-dinner touchup, and have been meaning to write about this much cheaper alternative from e.l.f.).

Another tip to help mitigate the dark shadows: Go for lighter colors with eyeshadows in general, and consider lining your bottom waterline with white or peach eyeliner.

Curl your eyelashes before you apply mascara, and look to volumizing, rather than lengthening mascara — this will help keep your mascara from smudging on the inside of your lenses.

Note that your frames can affect your makeup. This was news to me, as someone who likes to have multiple frames, although I do think it makes sense. Various tips I saw related to eyeglasses frames and makeup:

• If your frames are thin, delicate, and more rounded, your brows will be emphasized, so keep them well-groomed, Marie Claire recommends.
• If you have clear or translucent frames, this emphasizes your makeup much more than thick, dark frames, which can hide a lot of makeup sins like sloppy application.
• You should match the thickness of your eyeliner to the thickness of your frames.

Keep your brows tidy — especially watch out for regrowth, as everything can be magnified with eyeglasses. (Totally guilty of this one!)

If you're doing a winged liner, direct the wing towards the external top corners of your lenses.

Readers, if you wear eyeglasses, what kind of makeup do you wear daily? Do you change your makeup with your frames? If you wear glasses to big events, how do elevate your makeup look?

Stock photo via Pexels / Yan Krukau.

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