Fabulous Find Friday!

OH.MY.WORD. It's May 1st. May! That means Summer is almost here, my husband's birthday is tomorrow, my goal of losing 20 lbs by May 1st was more than not accomplished....my how time flies. I'm looking forward to celebrating the big 2-9 with Dave tomorrow. He is getting SO OLD!! We are right on the brink of 30 and it is just nuts! I honestly feel like just the other day I was getting ready to leave for college. I'm not even kidding. And my brother just finished his finals which means he is a SENIOR in college. That combined with the invitation to my 10 year high school reunion combined with you know who turning 29....it's almost too much! I'm going to revel in my 28th year and watch the old man grow.....well, old.

When I was a young one we would go out for 12 hours a day running around, digging holes that we thought would lead to China, swimming, playing TV tag, riding our bikes to the elementary school only to continue running around and playing TV tag. It was good times, and we would come home hungry, sunburned, exhausted and more sunburned. Although mom would lather on the obligatory morning sunscreen it would wear off during the day and coming home for re-application was just not an option. Skincare and sunscreen wasn't quite the hot topic it is today and now, well into my 20's I need to take precautions for the future well being of my skin. It started with the face washing and now I'm going to start using a moisturizer with an SPF. Look at me go! Apparently I'm not the only one looking to "take care of the skin you're in". I got this e-mail and am more than happy to oblige!

Since you know everything about every product, I thought maybe you had some good info about tanning lotions/sunscreens/good moisturizers with SPF,etc...I am using the Aveeno tanning lotion but I still don't like the smell although it is better than the Jergens. I know you are a fellow light skinned girl, so I am hoping you have some good products for the summer ~ Lindsay

Lindsay, I'm happy to help. I'll start with moisturizers. My friend Allison got a fabulous skin boost from Santa this year. Her mom gave her Elta moisturizer recommended to her by her dermatologist. Allison has been using it for 4 months now and swears by it. The wonderful news with this moisturizer is that it has an SPF 30 in it!

The next 2 products come straight from the Makeup Maven! According to the maven, Kiehl's moisturizer is very moisturizing and has an SPF 15. I have not used this product, but it comes highly recommended.

Sephora Face is a product that I have used and I can definitely get behind! This, too has an SPF 15 and doesn't leave my face feeling greasy. It is light, very moisturizing, it smells wonderful, and I don't get the heavy, greasy feeling that I find with so many other products.

For a low-price option, I use Pond's Dry Skin Creme and have for years! This doubles as a great eye make-up remover. After I wash my face and have my mascara everywhere I rub a little of this around my eyes and wipe it off with a tissue. It works like a charm. The pros for this product is that it is inexpensive, very moisturizing, and dries quickly. The con is that it can feel a bit greasy. I only use this product at night, because I don't want my face feeling too greasy right before I put on my makeup in the morning. I have combo skin. A little bit goes a long way, so the $7 jar will last you quite some time!! Another pro is that it can be found at Walgreen's, the grocery store, pretty much anywhere. It doesn't require a special shopping trip!

Moving on....as you all know by now, I'm a pale little girl. I have trouble getting a tan, and even if I manage a bit of color it doesn't stick around for long! I have to buy my tan and I have tried MANY different products to achieve that sun kissed glow without the soy sauce smell! After all, my motto is "tanned fat looks better than white fat!" Bring on the self tanners!

Bain De Soleil makes a wonderful product. It is sometimes very hard to find, but it is worth it if you do. I found it online but seem to have a lot of trouble finding it in stores. It gives a very natural looking tan, goes on virtually flawlessly and streak free, and only has a faint smell. After a shower the smell is gone. I'm fair skinned and the medium/dark is the right shade for me. I recommend the med/dark for anyone using the product.

My tried and true is the L’Oreal Tan Towels. I love them. This is the product I use most often. I have it down to a science and It doesn’t streak, gives me great color and after a shower it smells fine. I recommend you try it one night when you don’t have an event the next day. See where you failed to wipe and use another towelette to apply color to those areas. The first time I used it I wiped it all down my arm but failed to wipe the inside of my arm! Oops! It's like the time I went sno-skiing and applied sunscreen to my entire face except for my upper lip....I had a freaking blister mustache. That's totally gross, but I'm not even kidding you....back to the arms... So, the next day I just applied a layer to my inner arm and problem solved! The smell is a bit strong after you apply it, but a shower does the trick. I usually take a shower at night and shave/exfoliate, apply the towelette and shower the next morning. This gives it time to dry and the color to set. One great thing about this product is that it dries very quickly and you can put on your clothes without worrying about it staining your clothes. I love that! My best friend got married in November and I had to wear a strapless BM dress. My skin in November is like a freshly fallen show. I had to do something so the guests wouldn't have to wear sunglasses. Tan towels to the rescue...worked like a charm!

Tan Towels in action...Courtney and I both used them!

My next product review is for sunblock. Although these moisturizers offer an SPF, I always recommend using a sunblock for the days you are going to be out in full sun. One of my all-time favorites is Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer sunblock. It is lightweight, non greasy and waterproof. I also like the Neutrogena's Active Breathable sunscreen. It is almost exactly like the ultra sheer, but a little bit more water/sweat proof for those that aren't just out by the pool but actually swimming laps, or doing yard work, or something equally as tiring.

Dave also really likes the spray-on sunscreens. This one is the Coppertone Sport. He keeps it in his golf bag and uses it when he needs to. It dries very quickly, goes on clear, is lightweight and very easy to apply. This is great for kids too. (If Dave can do it....)

Finally, because this is insanely long...don't forget to take care of your lips! If you know me, you know I am crazy addicted to chapstick. I am a faithful Burt's Bees user. I'm completely obsessed and in the summer I use the Burt's Bees Sun Protecting lip balm with an SPF of 8. Thank you to Burt and your bees!!

Now you tell me...What are your must have products for the summer??