Canadian spring’s ‘two steps forward, one step back’ rhythm means you may find yourself bundled in a parka while wearing sneakers with exposed ankles. I don’t need the world to see how pale I got over the winter (Narnia’s White Witch pale-verging-on-translucent) so I self-tan, but only the parts that show: forearms and hands and shins to feet. It’s the beauty equivalent of cleaning only the rooms that guests will see.
For this targeted tanning, I use Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster self-tan drops, $49, that you mix into your own lotion for a made-to-measure tan of whichever intensity you choose. And it’s not finicky at all. Just add three to six drops onto a squirt of your favorite lotion sitting in the palm of your hand — then rub it into your skin for a natural-looking, buildable tan. (Carefully wash your palms and scrub your cuticles with a nail brush, so you don’t look like a weirdo chain-smoker with brownish fingertips.)
My own proprietary blend is to add the Clarins drops to Caudalie’s new Vinotherapist Hyaluronic Nourishing Body Lotion, Sephora, $42, a star in the ‘body care with skincare ingredients’ firmament. Sure, it contains super-moisturizing shea butter, but also has water-attracting hyaluronic acid to counteract that weird seersucker puckering thing your skin does after menopause. Vinotherapist quickly absorbs into skin so you can get dressed right away, unlike heavy creams that require you to sit around, naked and freezing, while waiting for them to sink in.
The crowning touch is the Vinotherapist signature scent: light, airy and uplifting. You will get a beautiful faux tan and smell expensively French.