This is a guest post from my friend Charu Suri, from ButterflyDiary.com.  Thanks Charu!

There’s little doubt that self-tanners tend to be scrutinized with a particularly powerful magnifying glass.

“Will I end up looking like Charlize Theron when she won her Oscar?”

“How do you know it doesn’t streak?”

“It might have worked for you, but it probably won’t for me.”

We make excuses and send guinea pigs to do the testing before plunking down the coin to buy the product ourselves, and in the end we opt for that monthly tanning booth session.

But fans of Mystic Tan will know that the company is the real deal when it comes to sunless tanning. Now, devotees will be excited to find a real Tanning for Dummies kit at Sephora. The “error proof” Perfect Tan System is as simple as counting sheep and the results are both painless and remarkable.

Ricky Croft, one of the developers of Mystic Tan and the brainchild behind the new line, has made tanning perfect in four easy tubes that look as gorge as Blake Lively.

• First, exfoliate with the new Exfoliating Wash that preps your skin for the excitement that is about to follow.
• Then apply the Sunless Conditioning Complex that contains a patented NutraMist deep hydrating delivery system that guarantees evenness of color distribution.
• Then spray the Sunless Tanning FACE & BODY. Yes, the spray works wonders and is much better than a lotion. Who would have thought?
• Top off with Enhancing Moisturizer that seals the deal and blends the under-applied areas naturally.

These four products are available in a lovely Holiday Kit at Sephora. A fifth product (and my particular favorite) is the Face Shimmer that makes your face glow subtly (a little dab electrifies a long way). The Perfect Tan products are a “Best of Sephora 2008” Nominee.

For more information, visit www.spraymystic.com

Image: © 2008 Charu Suri (used with permission)

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This is a specially formulated diet designed to help women cope with the stress that builds during the day.

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey’s kiss

Afternoon Tea
The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white) and 2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

Remember:  Stressed spelled backward is desserts.

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I just love Amy, she is a terribly interesting person with her finger in all kinds of pies.  This is a blurb from her profile on b5media.com:

I work at Richmond’s City Hall by day.

I’m a grad student @ VCU (Master of Urban Planning) at night.

On TheScentedLife, I discuss fragrances and offer recommendations for scents that will enhance your life.  I find scent to be one of the senses that I enjoy most.  Many people spend lots of money redecorating their homes, on music and movies to delight the eyes and ears, fluffy towels and high-thread count sheets.  In my world, you’re not really living unless you’re tuned in to the scents around you as well.  This can be as simple as opening a window to enjoy a fresh breeze, or stopping to enjoy the scent of a vine-ripened tomato.   How many times has a scent taken you back in time - a perfume that your grandmother used to wear, or burying your head in your lover’s shirt while he is away on business?   It’s the little things that make our lives special and memorable.

Along with all those other goings on in her life (and read her profile, there is a lot more!), Amy is a perfumer, and you can join her chronicling her perfumery journeys over at her blog, Modern Atelier. 

Amy has a fresh and interesting question up at The Scented Life this morning:  What brands of facial skincare have fragrances you love?  Any repeat offenders that are too highly perfumed?  For me, I am not that sensitive to smells.  Im not crazy about heavily fragranced skin care though at all.  Some of the luxe brands have really heavy “old lady” scents, while not enough to keep me from buying (ha), really aren’t my preference.  How about you?  Don’t answer me, go talk to Amy, she is the pro.  :)

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There are colors for everyone, and really these are like getting several colors for the price of one.  And if that’s not good enough for you, until Saturday night, July 12th, you can get free shipping on your order using the code ELECTRO at checkout.  Hurry, because these will sell out quickly, as the collections always do.  There are lipsticks and lipglasses in the line as well - you can put me down for several of these – that blue is reminding me of my dolphin swim, and I can never ever pass up a MAC pink. :)

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I learned a few things on this cruise:

1.  You really can find incredible jewelry bargains in the Caribbean.  But the bargains still aren’t cheap.  Gamble well.

2.  I really don’t care if I go back to Jamaica again.

3.  Don’t buy YSL mascara in the duty free store and think you’re gonna like it.  Two tubes for the price of one is only good if the mascara isn’t old (don’t tell my hubby I wasted 50 bucks).

4.  Buy all the Touché Eclat you can find at a 2 for 1 price. :)

5.  Don’t ever ride a Sea Doo in the ocean – it is just not fun.

6.  I super duper love the sunscreens from Ahava!  Keep them around in all SPF ranges from 15-50!

7.  Definitely take the opportunity to swim with the dolphins if you find one.  It is well worth the price. 

8.  Do not think you can wrap your digital camera up in a Ziploc bag and have it survive anywhere near the ocean.

9.  I *heart* all of my wonderful coworkers in the Beauty & Style channel.  Thanks so much for everything!  xoxox (I didn’t really learn this, but it seemed like a good time to give thanks)

Ill leave you with that, as I batten down the hatches for the anti-dolphin swimming people to come by.  :)  And Ill get right on back to beauty and to some better blogging habits if it kills me (or causes me to lose my other job!!)!

Hope you all are doing great and having a lovely summer!  xoxox

Image: © 2008 Christina Jones

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Guest post from Shannon Nelson of A Girl’s Gotta Spa! and Makeup Minute.

Is your face in need of some rejuvenation this summer? The dirt and grime from lazy days at the beach or a hard day at the office all put some wear on our skin and nothing feels better than simply taking that off the surface to reveal a fresher and more vibrant quality to your face.

Dermelect’s Detoxifying Oxygen Facial Commission is one of those products where you’ll wonder how you managed without it. Only a pea-sized amount will do the trick as you smooth it over damp skin. Allow it to remain on your skin longer than your typical cleanser and you’ll begin to feel little bubbles tickling your skin. It’s almost like those well known scrubbing bubbles, except for your face. Just be careful not to put any of it too close to your eyes since with the foaming action it can get into them.

I didn’t notice any fragrance with this product, so it shouldn’t be irritating to your nose or eyes. When it rinses off, it rinses clean without leaving any residue behind. Your skin will feel great and I’ve definitely noticed my complexion clearing up a bit.

It’s available for $48 for 3.3 oz. (totally worth it!)

Have you used it?

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Have fun in the sun this summer and still look good by following these simples summer beauty tips.

Lighten up on the makeup.
You don’t need to wear as much makeup in the summertime as you do in the cooler weather. Put aside your foundation and instead reach for a tinted moisturizer or bronzer instead. One of my favorite tinted moisturizers is from Laura Mercier. It’s lightweight and contains SPF 20 for sun and anti-aging protection.

Cool down your cosmetics.
Store your lipstick, eye pencils and even your body splash in the refrigerator in the summer. There’s nothing worse than trying to apply a melted lipstick. You can keep your lip color in tip-top shape by storing it in the refrigerator. Also, keep your eye pencils from smudging and help the color last longer by putting them in the fridge too.

Waterproof it!
Of course, everyone knows you should use waterproof mascara if you are heading to the beach or pool. But many other cosmetics come in waterproof or sweatproof formulas, including foundation, moisturizer, blush and more.

Prep your skin.
To help your makeup last longer in the summer heat and humidity, you need to prep your skin. Use a light, oil-free moisturize and allow it dry completely before adding any powder or foundation. Use an eye shadow primer, such as bareVitamins Prime Time Eyelid Primer from Bare Escentuals. It will extend the wear of your eyeshadow and help avoid creasing. Don’t use cream eye shadow or cheek color in the summer - creams fade much faster than powder formulas.

Look hot in metallics.
For a summer party, add a little glamour to your makeup by using pearlescent eye shadow in soft metallics. Don’t go for an overly glittery look, but do choose cosmetics with some extra shine to them. Gold and silver shadows look fantastic on glowing summer skin. Use gold shadow if you have a warm skintone with yellow undertones, or opt for silver if your skin has cool, pink based undertones.

Skin protection is essential.
I just want to stress the importance of wearing sunscreen in the summer. Skin cancer is a high price to pay just to look good. Don’t bake your body at the beach, pool or tanning salon. Always wear sunscreen and look for makeup products that contain SPF. If you want to get that summer glow without risking exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, apply a bronzing powder to the places the skin natural hits your face - forward, nose, cheeks and chin. Select a color that is just a shade or two darker than your skin for a more natural look.

Photo credit: istockphoto

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From the Splendicity community, comes this week best in beauty, fashion and shopping.

BEAUTY

NY Spender pampers herself with two new products that won’t break the bank.

Beauty Bento Box tells us how important it is for us to give our bare legs a sleek, sexy and glowing look that’s perfect for this summer.

Beauty Secrets Revealed shares a Homemade Lip Plumper Recipe.

See how Beauty and Fashion Tech made her own mineral makeup using a Bramble and Berry Mineral Makeup Kit complete with pictures and swatches!

Viva Woman takes a look at ingredients that can cause your skin to become more sun sensitive.

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog shows you how to create an orange, gold and teal eye look with Nars Cosmetics.

All That & a got a fresh new design and has a review of Not Just a Pretty Face, a book about the dangers in our makeup and skincare.

Krizia from Beauty Match meets Candace Bushnell author of Sex and the City.

FASHION

Style…a work in progress proves that hope springs eternal…and finally gets her sticky little fingers on Heimstone’s Perfecto jacket…

Would you wear a red wedding dress? Just A Formality features this gorgeous Justin Alexander Red Bridal Gown.

Tops 2 Bottoms lets you in on the latest swimwear trend.

Kim at Indie Style File needs to be more graceful to be a ballerina, but at least can look like one with a tutu tank dress by ouma.

Her Accessories wonders why we need camouflage Louis Vuitton? Pardon me, it’s called “Monogramouflage” - for the urban jungle perhaps?

SHOPPING

CelebLOOK found some hot zebra print bikini’s that will have you looking as hot as Lisa Rinna in hers.

Enter to win this M Z Wallace handbag valued at $335 at Glamour Gift Guide.

Shoe Blitz features an assortment of Prada boots that are perfect for fall.

Shopalicious is pining over these to-die-for python heels — and they’re on sale!

ShopDiary says you can pre-order Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives now before the sale officially begins on July 18.

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Here’s wishing you all the best for a beautiful Fourth of July weekend - full of friends, family, fireworks…and food!

God Bless America!

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*****

I know that Christina loves mineral makeup, especially Bare Escentuals bareMinerals and the newer MAC Mineralize Loose Powder Foundation, so I thought her readers should know about one of the latest brands to jump onto the mineral makeup bandwagon, and that is Prescriptives.

Prescriptives just introduced All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15 last month. One thing that makes Prescriptives stand out amongst the rest is it’s exclusive formulation of R.E.C.. R.E.C. stands for Radiance Emitting Crystals - which is a special makeup of Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Calcite. R.E.C. helps to absorb light and gives the skin even more radiance and luminosity. These semi-precious gems and minerals make the powder feel extra silky, while the energies of the Calcite mineral help give skin a soft, luminous finish as to look like one is glowing from within.

Like most other mineral makeup foundations, All Skins Mineral Makeup contains vitamins, minerals, gems, and natural sun protection without oil, talc, fragrance, or pore-clogging ingredients. You know, all the good things, minus all the bad that makes one hesitate from wearing makeup, especially in the heat of the Summer.

The easiest way to apply this powder is with the new Round Buff Brush. This short-handled brush easily grabs hold of powder foundation and effortlessly glides across your face. And by following these tips, right from the Prescriptives makeup artists, you face will look flawless:

o Tap a small amount of All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15 into the lid.
o Swirl the Round Buff Brush in the lid and tap away excess.
o Apply in a circular motion:
Start application at the outside of the cheekbone, moving toward the nose and then back.
Continue from cheekbone downward to jawline and back.
Follow along the side of the face, forehead and down the nose.
o Repeat for more coverage.

And you’re sure to find your exact match of this new weightless, long wearing powder foundation from Prescriptives, as All Skins Mineral Makeup comes in a full collection of 18 shades…from the lightest to the darkest!

The powder foundation retails for $32.50, while the brush is $30. Let us know if you have tried this mineral makeup yet and more importantly, what you think of it.

image credit: Prescriptives

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