NEUTRAL NAIL Nail polishes need not be bold colors always. Trendy ladies are using neutral shades to dress up their nails. They look good for formal looks and also go well with Colorful, Indian celebrations too. If you are fair: A warm pink with a high-gloss finish creates a nice contrast. If you are medium toned: You are free to try all the nuetral shades available in the stores. Almond shaded, nude colors also suit well. If you are dark: A polish with grey undertone pops well or go with a chocolaty, brown hue for a seamless look.   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... GLOBAL GLAMOUR Avoid MANI-PEDI Toxins

GLOBAL GLAMOUR Natural Beauty Aids from India, America is taking about: Beauty magazines, experts and salons in Western countries are more interested in adopting our natural products and here are some items the Westerns talk about. I guess you too might be curious to know what products they are and what they know about our products. Henna: Used a natural hair dye and conditioner. Its color stays far longer than any best brand and comes with absolutely no chemical reactions. Coconut Oil: It is the most widely used hair oil in the Indian sub continent; amla oil, jasmine oil and other herbal oils are used as well. Coconut oil helps grow long hair. RoseWater: Most often used by Indian women as skin toner, they also like to spray rose water on their face as a refresher. Rose water has a long history as a fragrance and flavouring agent in dessert recipes. Ubtan: This mixture of turmeric, chickpea gram flour and herbs is combined with milk or water as a beauty treatment. Indian brides scrub their skin with it in the days prior to their wedding. Indian Herbal Mud pack: Also known as Multani mitti in India is used as a face pack for cleansing treatments. Why should we run behind artificially made beauty products when the whole world is praising our natural ones!!   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... Avoid MANI-PEDI Toxins SLIM YOUR FACE IN SECONDS

Avoid MANI-PEDI Toxins A Manicure and Pedicure treatment can be a relaxing treat, but you may be exposing yourself to potentially harmful chemicals. That "nail salon smell" when you first enter the spa is the first sign of toxicity. The fumes you are inhaling come from a group of ingredients known as the "toxic trio": dibutyl phthalate, toluene and fomaldehyde. All three of these toxins are absorbed through the skin and nails, as well as through the lungs when you breathe them in. Therefore, its a double risk. Not just the nail polishes, removers should also be non-toxic. Make sure you use less-harsh, Acetone-free polish remover. By choosing natural, non-toxic artificial nails, you not only avoid toxins, but you keep you nail bed also healthy. Artificial ( acrylic) nails, and more permanent polish (gel-based) can cause temporary to permanent nail plate damage as well as put you at more risk of fungal infections. Especially pregnant women should be very careful and not use these toxic nail products. Infact, everyone women who likes to use nail polishes can choose quick dry polishes instead of drying the nails in UV Light, which causes cancer. Cleaning the nails with a cotton ball dabbed in vinegar helps keep nails healthy between polishes and also keeps the polish on, longer.   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... SLIM YOUR FACE IN SECONDS

SLIM YOUR FACE IN SECONDS Disguising chubby cheeks and double chin is easy with these contouring tips. Step 1: To make your cheekbones more pronounced, smooth a matte' cream bronzer under them using your fingers or a conmetic sponge. Step 2: Use the sponge to apply the bronzer under yuor jawline, making sure to blend it into your neck. Creating darkness in this area helps hide a double chin. Step 3: Highlighting cream has a face-lifting effect. Swipe it on your cheekbones and the brindge of your nose. These steps will help a middle aged woman, or a new mom who is struggling to look slimmer, or someone who is trying a new look for a change!   - Prathyusha Talluri

Care your lips As the season getting chilled more and more, it’s time for us to get prepared for the New Year and gear up ourselves for the future fashion parades. During this cold weather your skin becomes very dry so as your lips. Therefore, here are few tips for you to care for your lips during this winter season. 1. Apply coconut oil on your lips and leave for 15 minutes. Do this twice a day to safeguard your lips from dryness. 2. If you have dry lips, applying lipstick may become challenging; If you still apply lipstick, your lips will become over dry and looks awful. Sometimes, bacteria also form on the lips. To avoid such problems, remove the dead skin on the lips by using soft tooth brush then apply lip balm for overnight. 3. Try to use the lip products which are non toxic and natural lip balms. 4. Pick up the creams which has SPF component in it. It is equally important to use SPF products in winter season too. Using such lip balms will protect your lips from dryness and cracks. 5. To keep ourselves warm, we tend to consume more coffee and tea during this season. If you drink coffee or tea often it will dehydrate your body and makes your skin and lips dry. Hence avoid this as much as possible. 6. Instead, try to drink green tea which keeps you healthy and beautiful.   - M.S. Bhavana

చర్మంలో తేమను పెంచే ఫేషియల్స్ చలికాలంలో చర్మంలోని తేమను కాపాడే ఫేషియల్స్ మంచివి అని అంటున్నారు సౌందర్య నిపుణులు. ఆ ఫేషియల్స్ కూడా మన ఇంట్లో దొరికే తేనే, పెరుగు వంటి వాటితో ఈజీగా చేసుకోవచ్చట. తేనే ఒకటిన్నర స్పూన్ గుడ్డులోని తెల్లసొన గ్లిజరిన్ రెండు టీస్పూన్లు ఈ మూడింటిని కలిపి బాగా గిలకొట్టండి. తర్వాత అందులో సరిపడా శనగపిండి వేసి కలపాలి. ఆ మిశ్రమాన్ని ముఖానికి, మెడకు రాసి పావుగంట తర్వాత చల్లటి నీళ్ళతో కడిగేయాలి. ఇక ఇంకా సింపుల్ గా కావాలంటే... ముఖానికి పెరుగు రాసుకోండి చాలు. చర్మంలో తేమను ఎక్కువసేపు నిలిపి ఉంచే శక్తి పెరుగుకు ఉంది. ముఖానికి పెరుగును పట్టించి, ఇరవై నిమిషాల తర్వాత గోరువెచ్చటి నీళ్ళతో కడిగితే చాలు. ఫేషియల్ పూర్తయినట్టే. మరింకెందుకు ఆలస్యం. మీరు కూడా ఒకసారి ఈ ఫేషియల్ చేసి చూడండి. - రమ

Cleansers the face Cucumber juice   *  Cucumber helps a great deal in fading the nagging dark circles around your eyes. Just rub cucumber slices on your dark circles or apply the juice of cucumber around your eyes. Wash off after 10 minutes. Your dark circles will start reducing gradually on continuous use. * Grate a cucumber and squeeze it to extract the juice. Dab cucumber juice on your skin. It will take 15 minutes for cucumber juice to seep into your skin. Then wash with fresh water. Cucumber helps a great deal to whiten and brighten your skin if you use it regularly. *   If you are fed up with freckles on face, then use cucumber juice all over your face. Let it dry for some time .Wash off with fresh water. Cucumber juice can ease off the appearance of freckles over time after regular use. *  Cucumber is a boon to the sun burnt skin. You have stayed in the sun for long and got tanned badly, then apply cucumber juice over the affected area. The cooling and soothing effects of cucumber helps to cure sunburn over a short period of time. * You can treat puffy eyes with cucumber easily. Just place cucumber under your eyes to reduce the water retention that causes puffiness of eyes. Cucumber is bursting with the goodness of ascorbic acid that helps in lessening the puffiness of eyes instantly. *  You can make an excellent toner out of the juice of cucumber. You can either blend it with lemon juice, egg white, aloe vera, honey or tomato. Cucumber juice alone is a wonderful face toner. Just apply fresh cucumber juice on your face for ten minutes. Wash off to reveal a brighter and sparkling fresh complexion in jiffy. * Deseed the cucumber; blend it with 4-5 leaves of mint and egg white to make a purée .Apply on your face and wash off after 15 minutes. This face mask is a great aid in making your skin soft and glowing naturally. * Mix cucumber juice and lemon juice in equal amount; apply this mix on your acne and acne marks. This magical home remedy is very helpful in removing acne and its ugly scars. *  Cucumber juice mixed with coconut water is a great skin whitening beauty treatment. This home remedy helps to fade all types of blemishes from the face too. *  Mix cucumber juice with curd and apply this mix on your face for 5-10 minutes. This face toner is very effective for oily skin and helps to iron out all sorts of facial marks.Face Wash

Natural ways for removal of scars   Natural ways for removal of scars Here are some tips you can apply for scar removal! 1. In order to clear the scars caused by accidents, you can use roasted turmeric powder mixed with desi ghee. You can apply this gently on the region of scars using the fingertips. Wash this after 20 minutes. 2. You can also use baking soda, which is considered as a natural exfoliator which helps in gently scraping the scar tissue. Make a light paste by taking two parts of water and one part baking soda. Scrub this over the scars gently for about a minute  before rinsing it off. Important tips! 1. You can apply vitamin E oil, which can be extracted from a capsule and also apply it over scars before you can go for bed everyday which is an effective method to eliminate scars. 2. Drink lots of water which will helpin removing the toxins from your body and gives a a scar-free look on your face. 3. Donot use plain lemon juice over the face because it will harm the skin. Use diluted lemon juice in rose water for using it on your skin. 4. Splash your face with water at least twice a day with fresh cold water. This can prevent the clogging of pores. 5. Make use of an oil control face wash for preventing  excess oil secretion which can lead to acne and scars.

మెరిసే చర్మానికి విటమిన్ E మెరిసే చర్మం స్వంతం కావాలంటే... 'విటమిన్ ఇ' ని అందించే ఆహారాన్ని తీసుకోవలంటున్నారు నిపుణులు. సాధారణంగా అన్ని బ్యూటీ ప్రొడక్ట్స్ తయారీలో 'విటమిన్ ఇ' ని వాడతారు. ఎందుకంటే చర్మానికి హానిచేసే ప్రిరాడికల్స్ తో పోరాడే యాంటీ ఆక్సిడెంట్లు మిగతా వాటితో పోలిస్తే 'విటమిన్ ఇ' లో అత్యధికంగా ఉంటాయి. ఆహరం ద్వారా కూడా మన శరీరానికి అందించగలిగితే మంచిది అంటున్నారు నిపుణులు. పొద్దుతిరుగుడు గింజలు, బాదం పప్పులు, పాలకూరలో బాగా, టమాటో, బొప్పాయి, ఆలివ్ నూనే వంటి వాటితో తగినంత 'విటమిన్ ఇ' మనకి లభ్యమవుతాయి. వీటిని రోజువారి ఆహారంలో చేర్చుకుంటే మెరిసే చర్మ స్వంతమవటం ఖాయం.   - రమ

The excellent beauty attributes of green tea!   Green tea is known for its distinct beauty benefits chiefly owing to its high content of antioxidants and few healthy nutrients. This is the main reason why a lot of beauty products is made of green tea extracts. In short Green tea is a real boon for beauty! 1. Green tea is considered as storehouse of skin benefits which has huge antioxidants that are highly effective against free radicals. These free radicals formed after the skin gets exposed to the sun’s UV rays are responsible for premature aging! 2. Green tea is rated to be extremely effective for safeguarding the skin against tanning and sunburn. 3. The antioxidants present in the green tea is of high use while combating skin cancer by since it blocks the cancer causing harmful enzymes. 4. The high natural component aids cell renewal process. The aged keratinocytes get biologically energized by the polyphenol compounds present in green tea, which prevents the premature aging of these cells. 5. During skin inflammation, green tea acts is considered to be a great soother and it is also known for healing psoriasis which accompanies inflammation. 6. For acnes and pimples, green tea is a big boost due to its antibacterial content in it which controls the over stimulation of skin hormones. Moreover the overall appearance of the skin is gets enhanced including boosting complexion.   - Kalam Dhari More articles from this author.....   Glowing skin with coconut water! Home remedies in winter for chapped lips Home remedies to cure dark circles

Glowing skin with coconut water! The effect of diet is of utmost importance in beauty care but is often neglected the most. While consuming fruits as well as their juices is considered to be good enough for the skin avoiding oily and masala rich foods is equally important.   Though orange juice is considered the best for skin, not many among us know the benefits of coconut water when it involves effective skin care. The liquid, which is treated to be the purest one after water, helps in hydrating the skin, giving a more youthful and supple look. Studies have reported that the antioxidants and cytokinins which are present in optimal quantity in coconut water creates an age defying effect on the skin. The nutritious importance of the drink continues to be acknowledged since ancient times. In case you are feeling weak or suffering from stomach problems, fresh coconut water can add that right energy boost.   When compared to fruit juices, concut juice is almost wleocme everyday since it is fat free as well as sugar free. Studies also suggest that coconut water dabbed on skin creates positive effect. Well, it’s time to drink coconut water daily and watch your skin shine ‘n’ glow!   - Kalam Dhari   More articles from this author.....   http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/quick-beauty-tips-for-brides-70-25251.html#.UpB2_CeUWEA http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/quick-beauty-tips-for-brides-70-25251.html#.Uo75RCfQtQA http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/home-remedies-dark-circles-under-the-eyes-70-25241.html#.Uo75SyfQtQA

Home remedies in winter for chapped lips Well winter has already started and this is the time for you to check on your winter care products Try to follow some home remedies this winter to overcome the problem of chapped lips. Milk cream plus lemon juice For one teaspoon of milk cream, mix few drops of fresh lemon juice. Leave this mixture in a refrigerator for one to two hours and then apply it to your lips before you go for sleep! Aloe vera Aloe vera has excellent healing properties and is an ideal cure for chapped lips. If you are growing an aloe vera plant, you can simply simple pluck one leaf and spread its juice on the surface if your lips. Aloe vera gel is a wonderful cure for chapped lips. Honey Honey, a natural moisturizing agent is a very god ingredient for curing dry skin and also chapped lips. You can make use of honey by applying it directly on your lips two times a day. Rose petals Rose petals are a key ingredient which helps in keeping your lips moisturised. Wash some rose petals and soak them glycerin or milk for few hours. Squash these rose petals to form a thick paste and then apply the paste over chapped lips two or three times every day!   - Kalam Dhari More articles from this author..... http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/quick-beauty-tips-for-brides-70-25251.html#.Uo75RCfQtQA http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/home-remedies-dark-circles-under-the-eyes-70-25241.html#.Uo75SyfQtQA

Handy beauty tips for the bride-to-be Before getting ready for the big wedding moment, make sure that your skin is analysed, follow a really rich and colourful diet and also try out other natural packs few weeks prior to the wedding for a radiant look for the D-day. You can follow some pre-bridal beauty tips for a right and perfect glow: - Make sure that you get your skin analysed before you actually head for the aisle as there are varied requirements for each skin type. Based on your skin type, should opt for a customised beauty package. - See that you are really careful about your diet. Add some nice colours to it. You can choose different coloured diet that you can have on every alternate day. For exmaple, one day you can eat a lot of white products such as curd, milk, egg and cream. The next day, you can opt for red dietsuch as carrot, tomato, juices and red meat. A colourful diet not only ushers your body required nutrients and vitamins but it also enhances the blood circulation and gives you an ultimate radiant glow - Get colourful even with your face packs . You can apply fresh curd, sandal paste, apple pulp pack turmeric, sandal or even cucumber & tomato pack !   - Kalam Dhari

Home remedies to cure dark circles The skin region close to your eyes is very delicate than most other areas as it no oil glands and displays a fine texture. There is a need for special care and any dark circles here due to hereditary factors, illness, stress, lack of sleep, and nutritional deficiencies reflects your health very much.   There are some homemade remedies to address the problem of dark circles! -Cucumber juice is a common remedy which has to be applied daily around eyes and you can wash it off with plain water after 15 minutes. Mix potato juice and cucumber juice in equal proportion and follow the same procedure. - Dark circles is also treated by mixing cucumber juice with lemon juice followed by rinsing after 15 minutes. - Tomato juice will enhance skin colour. - Start practicing deep breathing exercises which helps in dealing with stress and also oxygenates the body. - Use iced water or cold milk for closed lids and allow it to remain for 15-20 minutes which helps greatly!   - Kalam Dhari

టమాటాతో అందం,ఆకర్షణ.. ఫ్రీ చర్మ సమస్యలను చాలా సులువుగా టమాటాలతో నివారించవచ్చు. సహజ సన్‌ స్క్రీన్‌ లా పనిచేసే టమాటాతో మొటిమలువంటివి పోయి, మంచి నిగారింపు కూడా వస్తుంది. అసలు ఈ టమాటలను ఏ విధంగా వాడలో చూద్దామా...! 1. జిడ్డు చర్మం వారు... ఒక టమాటాను గుజ్జులా చేసి వడకట్టి, దీనికి కొద్దిగా కీరదోస రసం కలిపి దూదితో ముఖమంతా రాసుకోవాలి. కాసేపయ్యాక కడిగేసుకోవాలి. ఇలా చేస్తే జిడ్డు చర్మం పోయి, చర్మం కాంతివంతంగా తయారవుతుంది. 2. తాజా టమాటా రసం ఓ టేబుల్‌ స్పూను తీసుకుని నాలుగు చుక్కల నిమ్మరసం కలపాలి. ఇందులో దూదిని ముంచి ముఖమంతా రాసుకుంటూ, మర్దన చేయాలి. పదిహేను నిమిషాల తరవాత చల్లనినీటితో కడిగేసుకోవాలి. దీనివల్ల చర్మంపై పేరుకున్న అధికజిడ్డు, మురికి వదులుతుంది. 3. టమాటారసం చిక్కని మిశ్రమం అయ్యేదాకా తేనె కలపాలి. దీన్ని ముఖానికి రాసుకుని పదిహేను నిమిషాల తరవాత కడిగేయాలి. ఎండ కారణంగా నల్లగా మారి జీవం కోల్పోయిన చర్మానికి మెరుపునందిస్తుంది. 4. టమాటాతో ఇంట్లోనే క్లెన్సర్‌ ను తయారు చేసుకోవచ్చు. టమాటాగుజ్జుకు సమపాళ్లలో పాలు కలపాలి. దీన్ని సీసాలోకి తీసుకుని ఫ్రిజ్‌ లో ఉంచుకోవాలి. ప్రతిరోజు ముఖం, మెడకు రాసుకుని మునివేళ్లతో మర్దన చేయాలి. పదినిమిషాలయ్యాక చల్లనినీటితో కడిగేసుకుంటే.. చర్మం తాజాదనంతో మెరిసిపోతుంది. 5. ఎండ కారణంగా కమిలి ఎర్రగా మారిన చర్మానికి రెండు చెంచాల టమాటాగుజ్జులో నాలుగు టేబుల్‌స్పూన్ల మజ్జిగ కలిపి చర్మమంతా రాసుకోవాలి. అరగంటాగి కడిగేసుకుంటే తేడా ఉంటుంది. 6. అదే విధంగా టమాటా గుజ్జుకు కొద్దిగా పెరుగు కలిపి ముఖం, మెడ, చేతులు, పాదాలకు పూతలా వేయాలి. ఇరవై నిమిషాల తరవాత కడిగేయాలి. టమాటా చర్మాన్ని చల్లబరుస్తుంది. ఇక పెరుగు శరీరానికి అవసరమైన ప్రొటీన్‌ను అందించి మృదువుగా మారుస్తుంది.

5 beauty treatments to avoid just before your wedding Here’s a list of beauty treatments that you should avoid just before your wedding. Botox While there are many who swear by it (read many Bollywood celebrities), Botox injections may have an adverse effect. Instead of injecting a new lease of life, you might end up with a crooked eyebrow or a twisted jaw line. The level of danger increases if you are a first-timer. The closer you are to the wedding, the better it is to stay away from this beauty treatment. Lip plumping Everyone is doing the pouts these days. While some are naturally endowed, others are taking help of artificial plumping devices. Brides, take note that fillers usually take 2-4 weeks to heal completely. The initial effect of fillers make the lips look swollen. Not too photogenic, may we state! If at all you wish to plump it up, do it at least 6-7 weeks ahead of the wedding. Chemical peeling Chemical peels are known to remove dead cells, erase fine lines and lighten uneven dark blotches. But the intensity of the beauty treatment causes severe dryness, leading to flaky skin and itchiness. Even a gentle chemical peel may cause irritation and affect the bridal makeup session. Chemical peeling should be done at least 2 weeks before the wedding. Microdermabrasion A very popular pre-wedding beauty treatment, microdermabrasion is known for its many benefits. But if not done by an experienced person and not in a stipulated period of time, it can do uncontrolled damage. Make sure that you get the beauty treatment done from a reputed salon at least 6 months ahead of the wedding to prevent any kind of breakouts. Cosmetic surgeries With reduced costs and numerous beauty clinics providing these services, brides do not shy away from going under the knife. Liposuction, rhinoplasty, body sculpting, dimple creation, breast augmentation are some of the most popular pre-wedding beauty treatment surgeries. Not only is the risk of some of the cosmetic surgeries high, getting them done just before the wedding is not advisable at all.

మీ అందాన్ని పెంచే టోనింగ్ సీక్రెట్స్...! చర్మానికి అందాన్ని తెచ్చి, కాంతివంతంగా మార్చే టోనింగ్ గురించి మీకు ఏమైనా తెలుసా..? అసలు ఈ టోనింగ్ ను ఎలా వాడాలి? ఎలా తయారు చేసుకోవాలి? అనే విషయాలు తెలుసుకొని, టోనింగ్ ద్వారా మన అందాన్ని మరింత కాంతివంతంగా తయారు చేసుకుందామా..! ఇంట్లోనే తయారీ : * టోనర్ల తయారీలో ఎక్కువగా వాడే పదార్ధం రోజ్ వాటర్. కాబట్టి దీన్ని అందుబాటులో పెట్టుకుంటే ఇంట్లోనే సులువుగా తయారు చేసుకోవచ్చు. * కప్పు రోజ్ వాటర్ కు రెండు కప్పుల గ్లిజరిన్ కలపండి.దీన్ని ఫ్రిజ్ లో భద్రపరచుకుని, ప్రతిరోజూ కొద్దికొద్దిగా రాసుకోండి. * చిన్న కీరదోస తీసుకుని మెత్తగా గుజ్జులా చెయ్యండి. దీనికి అరకప్పు పెరుగు కలపండి. ఒక స్పూన్ మిశ్రమాన్ని తీసుకుని చర్మానికి రాసుకుని కడిగేయండి. ఆ తర్వాత మాయిశ్చరైజర్ రాసుకోవాలి. * పొడిబారిన చర్మత్వం ఉన్నవారు రెండు కప్పుల పుదీనా ఆకుల్ని నీటిలో వేసి బాగా మరిగించాలి. చిక్కని ఈ నీటిని వడకట్టి సీసాలోకి తీసుకోవాలి .దీనికి కాసిని నీళ్ళు కలిపి, మేకప్ వేసుకునే ముందు చర్మానికి రాసుకోండి. * కోడిగుడ్డు బాగా గిలకొట్టి, ఒక చెంచా తేనె, ఒక చెంచా నిమ్మరసం కలపాలి. ముఖానికి, మెడకు బాగా రాసుకుని, ఆరిన తర్వాత గోరువెచ్చని నీటితో కడిగేయ్యాలి. టోనింగ్ వాడేముందు తీసుకోవాల్సిన జాగ్రత్తలు : * ముందు చర్మాన్ని శుభ్రం చేసుకుని అంటే క్లెన్సింగ్ తర్వాత టోనింగ్ చెయ్యాలి టోనర్ లో దూదిని ముంచి చర్మనికి రాసుకోవాలి. అది చర్మం పై సహజ సిద్దంగా ఆరాక తొలగించాలి. * పొడి చర్మం ఉన్నవారు రోజుకు ఒకసారికి మించి టోనర్ వాడకూడదు. * టోనింగ్ పూర్తయ్యాక వెంటనే మాయిశ్చరైజర్ రాసుకోవడం తప్పనిసరి. లేదంటే చర్మం పొడిబారి గట్టిగా మారుతుంది. * కానీ టోనింగ్ అనేది అందరికి సెట్ అవదు. కాబట్టి ఒకవేళ దానిని రాసుకున్న తర్వాత, చర్మం మంటగా ఉన్నా, దురదగా అనిపించిన, జిడ్డుగా మారిన కూడా వెంటనే మానేయ్యండి.

  1. Try before you apply. If you've ever dyed your hair without testing the shade first (and hated the results), then you know how important it is to do a patch test first! To test your self-tanner, apply it to an inconspicuous part of your body (such as your belly) and wait a complete day or two to see how it looks. A single application of self-tanner will last for a few days, applying the wrong shade everywhere could leave you hiding under long sleeves and pants in the summer heat. 2. Plan ahead. Self-tanners work the best on smooth, well-moisturized skin. They often look too dark and artificial on dry skin (especially knees and elbows), so those areas must be softened and smoothed before you start. Prepare your skin to go faux by moisturizing several times a day, especially after bathing or showering. Exfoliate with a gentle scrub all over your body, a few days prior and immediately before applying the self-tanner. Waiting at least 20 minutes after bathing or showing to allow your skin to dry completely. Applying self-tanner on damp or wet skin can result in unevenly-colored areas. 3. Protect your hands. Self-tanners work quickly and if you’re covering your entire body, your palms may get colored in the process. Wear a pair of disposable gloves while applying the self-tanner to your body, applying the tanner to the tops of your hands last. If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands several times and use some soap and a nail brush to scrub away any residue from your nails and cuticles. 4. Apply quickly and evenly. Whether you select a spray, cream or gel self- tanner, you must work quickly and apply the tanner evenly over a complete area. One way to ensure that you don’t miss any spots is to use a brand with a hint of color — that way you will immediately see a bare spot before it’s too late. Use enough tanner to cover a whole area of your body at once (such as your entire arm) using long, smooth, downward strokes for even coverage. Apply self-tanner sparingly on the knees, ankles and elbows, as these areas are typically dry and may turn out splotchy. 5. Wait it out. While you may be tempted to get dressed immediately, wait 30 minutes (or longer) to be on the safe side. Sitting on any light-colored fabrics (including sheets, furniture or towels) during this time can cause color transfer (and stains). Your self-tanner needs time to work its magic, so it has dried, wait at least three hours before bathing, showering or swimming. Afterwards, if you find some areas are darker than you’d like, exfoliate a few times over the next week and the color will fade as your skin cells come off. 6. Make it last. When applied properly, most artificial tans last between three and five days, depending on how fast your skin naturally exfoliates. When you first begin to notice that your color is fading, do another color test and see if you like the shade. If so, go ahead and reapply your self-tanner. Always apply the product in layers, a little at a time, to ensure the most natural looking tone.