Inspiration With Some Patriotic Flare

The Fourth of July holiday weekend is quickly approaching....and it happens to be one of my favorite holidays of the year as my brother and I celebrate back to back birthdays on the 4th and the 5th.  The bunting and flags are already adorning our "white house"...the grilling menu is planned....now for a little red, white and blue inspiration for what to wear...

Red, White and Blue are the classic American colors that everyone can wear.  No designer does All-American like Ralph Lauren with his classic polos and homage to the great west.

  

Thinking of wearing a dress to one of your weekend functions?  How about RED....

Or WHITE might be right.....

Feeling a bit BLUE.....

So is J. Crew...

What if you just can't decide?

A cute little RWB dress from Nordstrom is just the thing for you....

And just in case the fireworks are too bright, the perfect pair of shades

Well, maybe not!

Have a rapturous and fun fourth of July!

How best to look sun kissed without ruining your skin

Let's start right off by taking tanning beds off the table.  There is just no justification for inducing precancerous growths....there is nothing sexy or remotely intelligent about it.  That leaves us with salon or at home solutions.  At the salon or spa one can treat themselves to a custom air brushed tan.  Pricey but perfection.  Next there is the non custom, jump in the booth and remove your clothing option.  A moderately priced option that is effective as long as one covers their face, hands, elbows, ankles,  heels and toes.  Bending forward at the proper angle is also important.....see me later for an explanation.  In the at- home category there are gels, sprays, and micro mists.  As far as I am concerned gels and sprays are so yesterday.  Micro mists are Nirvana!
After shaving your legs during your shower, towel off and wait a few minutes.  I like the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze air brush mist best.    Directions are on the can so I'll just highlight the key points:
1.Keep the nozzle at arm's length from your skin.
2.Do not spray your face,elbows,knees,fingers,hands,toes, heels or any areas with excess skin.
3. Do NOT let the spray pool in one area, keep the can moving.
4. Immediately afterwards use your blow dryer on a low cool setting to encourage drying of the tanning mist on your skin.
Some micro mists are effective immediately and others work over time.  Read the label for directions and ingredients.  Always make a test run on an inconspicuous area.  Different skin shades look more natural depending on the self tanner.  Find the one that looks the most natural on your skin.
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   < Margaret