So, I just wanted to add, after getting a spray tan regularly for about one month now, it is simple to get darker through this but you have follow a few simple fool-proof rules I’ve created to get the best fake tan.
1) Do not go into the spray booth with bronzer or lotion on. Sometimes this makes the spray tan streaky or tough to rub in all the way.
2) Immediatly get to a sink afterward to wash off
-Hands (from wrist up)
-Feet (from toes to heel)
-Face (take a cleanser and cotton ball to lightly remove the darker color on your face)
-Knees (back and front of knees)
3) Don’t take a shower immediately after the tan, and give it a good three hours to really set in
4) Wear dark (read: black) clothing so the tan does not rub off and stain your stylings
Okay, that’s it! Now go out and protect yourself from skin cancer with a genuine fake spray!
“Bikini-Girl”, as Katrina Darrell has become infamously called, showed up again on American Idol last night, sporting, what else? A bikini. Oh, and a new breast augmentation. Yes, they were bigger. I do not want to waste time on bikini-girl because she is realistically not worth my time, nor your own, but I would like to talk about American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi and her reaction to Darrell’s antics. First, please take a short (very short) moment to browse the video posted at youtube.com, the link posted below:
Yes, well, that sound you hear are feminist scholars screaming in reaction to this. I understand that Darrell has some ‘I’m laughing with you’ creditability, however, we are mostly laughing at her, correct? Her train-wreak capability is great TV watching, and there was a reason she was invited back to Idol for it’s season finale last night – even after she was cut back when Idol was first starting this season wearing, what else, a bikini. But Darrell also is a kind of ridiculous arrangement of woman, with tanned skin, large(r) breasts, and goes onto live TV wearing a bikini. What saddens me is that DioGuardi brings herself down to that same level, bearing it all so that she may… what? Prove she has a better body? Prove she can sing better in a swimsuit? Show Darrell how it’s done?
I believe that DioGuardi had a reason to ‘out-sing’ Darrell, but it crossed the line when she showed off her own body. I do not want to get all doom and gloom and feminist idealistic on you, but take into account this quote, found on the Anti-Porn Feminists blog in the article – wait for it – University of the bleedin’ obvious from The Independent:
I, personally, am not siding with the anti-porn feminists, but I think this quote is “bloody obvious” when it comes to the case of DioGuardi and Darrell. Yes, Bikini-Girl Darrell was always a bit commodified… in fact, I don’t even remember what her face fully looks like right now, but Idol’s judge DioGuardi went ahead and commodified herself, just to be, well, commodified better than Darrell. Darrell and DioGaurdi both became sexual objects in the minds of the male audience, and even in my own mind… all I saw were the bodies, not the humanity behind the women. What did DioGaurdi, a professional, prove to me, other than her voice is pretty and her body is that of Darrell’s? These are questions I have about the Idol Finale stunt. That and why there was an applause after the duo-song.
But hey, it was all for charity, right?
Comment below… I really want to know what you think! Even if you disagree, let’s get some dialouge going here!
I am a self-professed craft addict. I am obsessed with making things out of forgotten dresser drawers, my grandmother’s rings, a blank canvas, an ugly ceramic dog (yes, really). I love to look through the myriad of craft magazines and books, and love to visit sites like etsy.com. Even my fiance is finding that my nights and days off from work are filled with glue guns, small beads, and some stylish looking trashcan lids. Unfortunately he is also finding out that while I do this, our kitchen remains uncooked in, and the bedroom is rather piled up with laundry. Dirty laundry.
However, I write today to tell you about the magazine I found called Cloth Paper Scissors, a magazine I got at Hobby Lobby that covers “collage mixed media and artistic discovery”, which are my ‘buzz’ words completely. I opened it up this month to find great ideas on how to craft with cloth, paper, and scissors, naturally. Their new issue sports a section about “Visual Journaling” with Melanie Testa, and I even tried my hand at “Critter Stuffies” with Diana Trout. It provided lovely and simple directions to all of the featured crafts and had a wide range of ideas to continue on with.
Try their site on for size, and if you like it, be sure to pick up a copy of thier magazine. It is, really, a trust me in how to broaden your craft making ideas! Check it out at Cloth Paper Scissors. Also, check out Hobby Lobby stores near you to pick up their magazine, and if you’ve found a craft magazine to die for, let me know! I’m always looking for a new idea to try out… the dishes can wait!
Okay, I gave in. I went and got my white little you-know-what a spray tan. It was a little scary. Okay, really, really scary. Haunting stories of orange-dyed bodies floated about my mind as I stepped inside the tanning salon.
I went to Darque Tan, a Greek-themed (right?) tanning salon that boasted bronzed bodies and big breasts on every advertisement I saw. Aside from the frightening and downright obvious sales pitch (tan your body here, morph into a model instantly) I tried it out. The receptionist and the gal who helped me tan were more than nice, and I felt welcome. They also didn’t look like the girls on the walls, which is a good thing.
First I went and tanned in a “Level 1″, which is the first tanning bed level, and one you can tan for in, up to 20 minutes. I only went for 8 minutes, as per the receptionist’s suggestion. Good thing too- I just about looked burned this morning. Next, I went for the spray down.
I have to admit I had one of those comedy skits going on in the tanning booth. I was standing there, bare you-know-what naked, my shower cap on to protect my hair and my arms hanging away from my side, when I pressed the green button to start. Well, there was a lag time… and just when I have my eyes open, bending down to make sure I actually did press the nondescript green button… it started! My eyeballs now have a lovely tan! No, just kidding, but in all seriousness, I about screamed in surprise when the spraying started about 30 seconds after I pushed the button. Translation; beware of the delayed start.
The orange hue never set in, which is always a plus. However, I came right home afterward and rinsed off my hands (very important) with soap and water, rubbed in the darker spots on my body in a circular, downward motion, and eventually took a shower later that night. I probably should not have rinsed most of the tan off, but some still remains I assume, as my you-know-what looks like it actually saw the light of day. Hooray!
Sunless Tanning @ Darque Tan Rating:
Store: C (Darque Tan advertises too much to the Spring Break Vegas-goer)
Service: A (Great explanations from staff and helpful suggestions when first tanning)
Product: B (I did get tanner, but good thing I rinsed off my hands and rubbed in the sunless tanner… or else I’d be weird shades of brown in certain spots.)
I had no expectations going to Vesta Dipping Grill, abet a few glowing comments from my fiance. Vesta, you should know, is an ancient Roman goddess of the hearth, who worshiped a sacred fire. Hint hint: Vesta is known for it’s hot side, both in temperature and ambiance.
Vesta is not so new to the Denver scene, and since it’s opening it’s introduced Denverites to Steuben’s, a restaurant offering the All-American milkshake and the like, while Vesta is quite the different venue. Vesta is sophisticated, like the friend that always accomplishes the put-together look with the beyond-random wardrobe. The decor is only second to the food; there is nothing short of original to the curved booths, intimate tables, and rich colors. The floor is even a patchwork of metal and wood, the walls an arrangement of exposed brick.
Now the food. The fabulous food, dipped, doused, dunked, and driven by the array of sauces that can be found at Vesta. The three sauces that come with the entree is always a nail-bitter; should I get the rosemary ginger sauce or the thai-mango sweet & sour? Good thing their menu offers suggestions on what goes best with the entree of your choice. My suggestions for good eats; the entree Three Pepper Grilled Flat Iron Steak, the appetizer Vesta Roll of sesame seared tuna roll, and the Pecan Pie salad.
Drawbacks to going to Vesta are the mixed reviews of waitstaff service. The receptionists were a little unwelcoming towards our party, but our waiter and bartender were warm, and very helpful with the sauce selections. I would give this restaurant a Try It Out, You’ll Love It rating. So, try it out… you’ll love it!
Welcome to the new millennium. Where things are going awry, gas is too expensive, jobs are hard to find, a bisexual is trying to find her shot at love, health care is scarce, college textbooks cost a car payment, and where levees break, terrorists are everywhere, and racism still exists.
Okay, so every millennium has its problems. As I grow up I feel like I am becoming more and more aware of the world events around me and what that translates to for my own life. I think there is something demanding and yet scary about being informed. So far, I’ve had no choice but to get smart about my lifestyle chart.
Here is what’s affecting me;
Cutting driving time/distance, and riding my bike
Going from King Soopers (a closer grocery store) to Wal-Mart to shop
Having a heck of a time finding a full-time job close by to where I live
Cutting back on air conditioning and heating
Watering my flowers less, and with left over dish water
Turning the lights off when I leave a room
Commuting to freelance writing jobs entirely online and never meeting face-to-face who I am working for
Taking a “stay-cation” instead of a vacation, staying home and making light of
I want to know what you feel like you’ve been doing or even forced to do to make changes in your life for the betterment of your wallet, health, etc.
What have you changed because of the times we are living in right now?
