The majority of self-tanning products out there literally stink.
St. Tropez has been in the tanning business for years, and has launched a new line of self-tanners and complimentary makeup products with a patented delivery system that prevents the dreaded smell and infuses the skin with a perfect bronzed hue. They also have created complimentary makeup products that each imparts varied degrees of finish and glamour to just about every skin color.
Their off-putting odor emanates from the active ingredients that deliver the tan effect to the skin, and it worsens each time you use the product, thanks to oxidation.
St. Tropez has been in the tanning business for years, and has launched a new line of self-tanners and complimentary makeup products with a patented delivery system that prevents the dreaded smell and infuses the skin with a perfect bronzed hue. They also have created complimentary makeup products that each imparts varied degrees of finish and glamour to just about every skin color.
The company, headed by CEO Michelle Feeney, worked with Emmy-winning makeup department head of “Dancing with the Stars,” Melanie Mills, to perfect and refine these products. Key items were tested by myself along with top makeup artists in the I.A.T.S.E. Local 706 Makeup and Hairstylists union here in Los Angeles, and they performed well beyond expectation.
St. Tropez perfected a trademarked technology “Aromaguard” which really does the job. Their process has eliminated the smell effect of self-tanning so that you can apply with confidence during a work day, or before an evening out.
ABC reality competition, “Dancing with the Stars,” relies on camera-ready skin rich in color, and needs the right product to be inoffensive in scent and last through physically grueling workouts.
The last two seasons of “DWTS,” I was stationed in the show's hub, the custom makeup trailer owned by Mills with her team to observe and talk to the artists and celebrities that were part of the show, witnessing overhauled
Today, self-tanning has become a skin preservation must, a glamorous art form that completes the look of polished perfection in hair and makeup. Yet odor issues and actual tonal shades of the “tan” are still spotty and questionable in many over-the-counter products.
The primary way self-tanners work is through a colorless sugar, dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which does its magic in dead cells located in the top layers of your epidermis. It is a temporary effect, and depending on the product used, lasts upwards of a week.
The sun-free tan, done right with the best products, will save you a fortune in future chemical peels and possible skin cancer lesion removals.
On a physical show like “Dancing with the Stars,” makeup becomes art in motion - inspired by the music and the fashion of a given era. The first step for Melanie Mills is assigning a key team member to initiate the tanning process for the celebrities, as Mills then interprets the costume and music selection chosen into a working makeup palette for each contestant, every episode.
The St. Tropez products tested for this article include my personal favorite, the lightweight St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse which applies evenly. One caveat: Shake it up with the plastic cap on before dispensing. This product for me was easier to apply than the spray. I was first introduced to St. Tropez's self-tanner mousse by Mills last season and went on record that it was the best self-tanner I had ever used. It still is.
Another great new find is St. Tropez Everyday Perfect Legs , a one-two punch applicator that delivers a pre-tanner then the immediate color (almost like leg foundation) that bronzes you as it wears. I am loving this product and am truly amazed at the skin flaws it hides. It is great for the décolleté and arms too.
The St. Tropez Self Tanning Spray is also a quick even and smooth delivery that can be applied fast. The resultant color left in the skin of both these products was a natural deep, tan tone for my fair skintype, no orange look whatsoever.
The new cosmetics range for St. Tropez is highlighted by three must haves, even if you eschew the tanned look and prefer a Dita Von Teese whiter-shade-of-pale complexion.
Radiance Mousse
For me, professional daytime looks are best served by subtle finishes to the skin, especially in hot climates. The St Tropez Bronzing Powder – a matte finish - hands down is my favorite new makeup product of the year.
Bronzing Powder
If you were addicted to MAC's “Emote” powder blush (now discontinued), you have a brand-new friend. This flat-out brilliant powder can be worn all over, even as daytime eyeshadow.
Bronzing Rocks
The solid Lucite boxes that contain St. Tropez Bronzing Rocks and St. Tropez Radiance Mousse win the prize for most unusual presentation of a product that delivers the glamour.
These finish a makeup or bare skin with all-over gleam that can be used anywhere, and are a favorite amongst professional artists. These two items give a healthy glow, and can be built up for more drama to make skin look alive. Oiler-skinned people may prefer to stick to the matte Bronzing Powder.
Emmy winning dept. head to "Dancing with the Stars," Melanie Mills applies the St Tropez bronzing powder - August 4, 2009
On August 4th, St. Tropez and CEO Michelle Feeney hosted an evening of demonstrations for the new cosmetics line to the professional makeup crowd of Los Angeles, at the sleek, understated Kinara spa on Robertson Blvd. in Beverly Hills.
At the event, Melanie shared with me how much she relied on these three key products for “Dancing with the Stars.”
"These three items are the perfect tools to subtly highlight and enhance summer skin, adding an extra dimension to your makeup bag. The Radiance Mousse and Bronzing Rocks can lift features, enhance skin tone while the Bronzing powder is the perfect natural sculptor, to be used everywhere," shared Mills, whose own complexion was served well by the St. Tropez finishes; she looked amazing. "With these three products, anyone can create a range of finishes, whether a subtle, barely-there sweep of color or a hint of definition, a revitalized look for daytime makeup, or an all out glamorous radiant glow for a special evening."
Mills then applied the Radiance Mousse on my face, made up but dramatically improved by her skilled application. She preferred using a foundation-type brush to apply the mousse to the high parts of my cheekbones.
At the Kinara /St. Tropez event, I was able to see firsthand the extent of the new St. Tropez self-tanning line and observe how the three new key cosmetic items (powder, mousse and rocks) were incorporated into various makeup looks, going from day to night in the hands of the top makeup artists of film and television.
DWTS Zena applies St. Tropez to model, August 4
Most of the artists were in agreement: Less is more when it comes to a truly outstanding makeup, even for black tie. The key is understated polish, and good skin highlighted strategically by product that flaunts skin texture and bone structure, and doesn't fight natural skintones. St. Tropez's new three skin finishers, the Rocks, Mousse, and Powder, finished both bare and made-up skin beautifully and were incredibly versatile.
Many of Melanie’s professional peers were in attendance including her Emmy winning DWTS team Angela Moos, Patty Ramsey Bortoli, Zena Shteysel, Nadege Schoenfeld, along with Autumn Moultrie, Julie Socash, Bruce Grayson, Amy Chance, Burke Daniel, Cheryl Calo, Christine Nguyen, Geoffrey Rodriguez, Georgie Eisdell, Lucy Crawford, Tyson Fountaine, Lusine Galadjian, Mai Quynh, Merce Arcenoux, Michelle Daurio, Olaf Derlig, Randi Peterson, Sarah Sullivan and many more.
Kinara Spa on Robertson, St. Tropez event August 4
Side note about Kinara Spa: This spa is a low key, elegant, zen destination in the heart of a busy retail and interior design area of Beverly Hills that is adjacent to the Pacific Design Center and West Hollywood. What I saw of it was intriguing, and their suite of services all seemed quite reasonable in price, catering to both sexes. For more information on them, visit here
Fro more information on St. Tropez products, visit here
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