The Family Groove Fashion & Beauty

ASK A GROOVY GAL
TFG DEPUTY EDITOR AND BEAUTY DIRECTOR CHELSEA KAPLAN GIVES YOU
THE GOODS ON GETTING GORGEOUS

In honor of summer’s arrival (which means bearing all sorts of skin and rockin’ that beachy hair),
I’m bringing you a special cosmetic dermatology-focused edition of this column. Hope you enjoy!

Can you recommend a good self tanner that won’t leave me with orange palms, ankles and knees?—Jenny, San Francisco, CA
	For a truly natural-looking, relatively goof-proof sunless tan, I recommend trying a lotion/self-tanner hybrid product. These creams are really body lotions that have the slightest touch of self tanner mixed into them (unlike straight-out self-tanners, which are nothing but pure faux-glow creators). Because the tanner is fairly diluted into the moisturizer, you don’t risk ending up all stripy after you apply the product. Additionally, the lotion is usually fragranced in a way that masks that nauseating self-tanner smell. You’ll only see a slight difference after your first use, but after three applications or so you’ll notice a nice, uniform color. Though these formulas are less risky than traditional self-tanners, make sure you still go easy when applying the tanner to the drier areas of your body (knees, elbows, backs of heels, bottom of feet, etc.), as they tend to really absorb the product and therefore leave you darker in those areas. Wash your hands after you’re finished, and wait a few minutes for the lotion to dry before you throw on pale-colored clothing. For the body, my favorites are Olay Body Touch of Sun Radiance Reviver Body Lotion Plus Sunless Tanner ($7.60, www.drugstore.com) and Lancôme Glow Sensuelle Daily Luminous Body Moisturizer ($29, www.nordstrom.com). For the face, I love Jergens Natural Glow FACE Daily Moisturizer SPF 20 for face ($5.99, www.drugstore.com). Remember: a fake tan will not protect your skin from the sun, so if your product doesn’t contain an SPF, you need to layer on a sunscreen too!

I have been plagued by breakouts this summer. I am the matron of honor in my best friend’s wedding in July and want to do everything I can in insure I don’t have a huge zit in the middle of my face all weekend. Any tips?—Michelle, Tacoma, WA
	I’ve recently discovered the most wondrous zit-zappers: thermal acne-clearing devices. Here’s how they work: the minute you feel a monster of a zit creeping up, you fire up the cell phone-sized device and place it right on the blemish. The machine will deliver a concentrated blast of heat to the pimple, neutralizing the bacteria that caused it. In about 24 hours, most pimples will be eradicated. Try the ThermaClear Acne Treatment Device ($149.95, www.thermaclear.com) or the Zeno Acne Clearing Device ($150, www.myzeno.com). Pack one of these in your bag, and you can stop any pesky zit before it starts.

I love wearing flip-flops, but I find most of them so uncomfortable; they always end up causing blisters between my toes and on the tops of my feet. Can you recommend a pair that aren’t going to kill my feet?—Frances, Chicago, IL
	I consider myself a bit of a flip-flop aficionado: I own at least 20 pairs and wear pretty much nothing else in the summer. My favorites for casual days are made by Reef. They’re reasonably-priced, ultra comfortable and come in countless colorful, cool styles for women, men and kids. I also like the Havaianas 'Slim Season' Flip Flop, which is made of comfy, waterproof plastic, and comes in all sorts of fashion-forward colors (I’m currently loving the metallic silver and gold ones). If you’d like to try either of these out, purchase them at Nordstrom or on www.nordstrom.com—they’re return policy is so wonderfully liberal that if they do end up hurting your feet, they’ll refund your money without a question. For something dressier, try J. Crew’s Metallic-leather Knotted Capri Sandals, which go well with casual shorts, but just are just as appropriate to pair with a sundress for an evening party ($39.50, www.jcrew.com).

Click here to read all about Deputy Editor/Beauty Director Chelsea Kaplan's life with child in her blog,“I'm Somebody's Mother?”