Tanning is a trend, one of the worst trends. I for one fell prey to the fake n’ bake, but I’m not alone. During parts of my first and second year of university, my friends and I were regulars at the local tanning salon. I tan quite easily, so visiting the tanning salon once a week made me look like I was always fresh off the plane from Barbados, but at least I was never ever even close to the George Hamilton (below).
No, I was likely closer to these ladies. Below are some celebrity tans gone wrong, from left to right, top to bottom: Ashley Tisdale, Tara Reid, Stephanie Pratt, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham, and Amanda Bynes.
Tans look hot, there is no denying that you feel a little sexier when you have a little sun-kissed glow going on, and the beauty industry knows this. However, Lindsay Lohan (right) and other celebs brought about the 
big tanning trend in the past, and now I am starting to see it reappear with influences like the MTV’s hit The Jersey Shore, (but who really takes tips from them?). So, I thought I’d write a few words about why you should steer clear of the tanning bed.
First of all, your health is a major concern. Skin cancer is a growing concern, why expose yourself constantly to this? Its like smoking, if you do it, you’re asking for lung cancer. I’m not saying avoid the sun entirely. I love the sunshine. If I lived in the south I’d be in it all day long everyday. However, you should remember to always wear sunscreen on your face, even on a cloudy day in the dead of winter. Your face is the thing you need to protect from the sun the most as it is the most sensitive.
Secondly, the orange look is not so cute. I learned that on my own, and now when I look back at pictures I sometimes feel embarrassed. However, I don’t feel too badly about it, as I know it was a bit of a trend and I am probably feeling how people older than me must feel about their hair and make-up in the 80s and 90s.
If you are like me, and you feel a bit better when you’re not pasty white, then perhaps you need to find a solution other than the bed of bulbs. I’m not one for faux tanner lotions (mostly because I used the stuff on my legs before a semi-formal in grade nine and didn’t know the rule about washing it off your hands… as you can imagine, not fun), but many celebs swear by it. I would caution though, you should mix your tanner in with another regular lotion, to ensure you don’t have streaks, look orange, or stink.
My solution this year to feeling too white was to go on vacation with my family! 
No, in actuality I was just lucky that I got to go away. I hadn’t been in the bed in so long, and I was really starting to miss my summer tan. I was just lucky I got to go away. Regardless, my tan is almost gone now, and instead of caking bronzer on my face to get the look, I switched to blush! Bronzer when you’re pale isn’t very cute, and can look extremely fake. So, for a natural glow, apply a little blush to the apples of your cheeks, your hairline, your jaw line, and a smidge on your nose and forehead. I always start with my cheeks and then I don’t dip my brush again for the rest of the application, to ensure I don’t get too much colour. I then rub my cheeks a little to even it out. I also tend to stick with a a lighter translucent pink blush for a natural look. Because I have a yellow tinge to my skin (warm), even when I am tanned in the summer time, I always go a bit more orangey (which wasn’t a good look with my former bleach blonde hair), so I’ve learned that I have to steer clear of the bronzers and stick to the blushes. Bronzing when you already have that sort of look will just make you look orange. On the other hand, if you have a pink complexion (cool), you need to go with a bronzer or you’ll end up looking flushed, not sun-kissed!
Skin can have two tones, warm or cool. I have a warmer skin tone, and I tend to go yellowy rather than pink when pale, so just ask your local cosmetician or a make up artist to match you with the appropriate colour of foundation, as well as blush/bronzer. Its very important to match your skin! I recently visited a shoppers and the consultant in the Beauty department was shocked that a wore a darker shade than she did, considering she was much darker than I am. We tried on a bunch and couldn’t find my match in the fairer colours. This is because we have different complexions, and though hers was dark, she has the cooler tone, whereas I have the warmer tone.
Also, here is a link to an In Style beauty tip on how to get the bronzed, luminous look,
using Lauren Conrad (right) as a perfect example. The former MTV reality star, turned fashion designer, turned author, always looks fresh and always keeps her glow looking natural.
No one cares if you used to tan, and if anyone holds it against you, well they’re probably just jealous that you can tan (and they are likely pale and would go red, not orange, in a bed). Don’t pretend that its ‘natural.’ Make a change and look for a healthy and more natural way to get the glow, and stars, like Lauren, show that you don’t need to go dark to achieve this. It doesn’t really matter how you choose to keep your skin feeling and looking warm in the cold winter, there are so many options to choose from. But take a tip from others mistakes, and do yourself a favor — avoid the tanning bed!
*meg
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