BARGAIN GUIDES

Perhaps it’s my Type-A personality, or perhaps I’ve seen one Oompa Loompa-esque lady too many emerge from a Mystic Tan session, but I have little tolerance for underperforming self tanners. The tint must be natural; the scent must be non-chemical; and the ability to prolong must exceed the expiration date of my bottle of soy milk.

If cream rises to the top, then so must a hazy copper that’s mimicked only by a timeshare on an island. St. Tropez self tanner, $33 at Sephora, is hands down the best self tanner I’ve used, period. Venerable strangers approach me in the street after just one application to ask if I just came back from vacationing in Mustique with Diddy. Okay, so they don’t ask me that, but I do get a lot of compliments on how ‘healthy’ I look. The key with Saint Tropez is patience. You’ll need a pair of plastic hospital gloves (avoid latex if you can), a ratty towel, and a good two hours for thorough application and sufficient drying time. Available in a foam (my favorite), spray, mist, gel or liquid pump, Saint Tropez is not for the beginner. I repeat, not for the beginner. While the result is second to none, a rushed, novice application will prove fatal to your social life.

Origins The Great Pretender, $18 at department stores, is, like our sunny own Miss California, first runner up. The coverage is creamy and effortless and leaves behind a cool, minty scent; its major drawback is the subtle shimmer built into the formula. Loyal TVC readers will know that I’m not a fan of shimmer or sparkle in body products, unless it’s on a 5-carat Harry Winston ring. The good news is that any remnants of a life lived on the Yellow Brick Road will wash off in the shower and leave behind a Jamaican-me crazy hue. The bad news is that it won’t work if you’re aiming to be out and about within an hour post-application. While Origins hits a home run with this product overall, avoid using it on your face. No one likes a disco ball head.

L’Oreal Sublime Glow moisturizing mist, $9, is a build-a-tan product that takes the cake for gradual tanners and self tan novices alike. I find that one application every three days is enough; applying a self tanner every day (as the bottle recommends) will leave people wonder if you’ve been plugged into an electric outlet. Unlike the St. Tropez and Origins tanners, this spray goes on clear. Bonus: it won’t rub off on clothes. Yikes: since you won’t be able to see it until the magic self tanning chemicals do their job, generally about an hour to two after application, any posthumous mistakes will be hard to fix.

One of the biggest complaints I hear of any self tanner are the not-so-sexy Orangina spirit fingers that are the unfortunate by-product of going sunless. Using a pair of plastic (not latex) hospital gloves will do the trick, as well as wiping hands clean with a wedge of fresh lemon. If you’ve got the bucks to spare, I highly recommend the St. Tropez self tan remover, $16, a miracle in a pump which also exfoliates hands to a glove-soft touch.

Like Michael Jackson once sang, ‘Don’t stop ’til you get enough’ – but do wear your sunscreen.

-Karyn Polewaczyk

Despite being crammed onto the escalator like a rush hour sardine, I rode through the subway yesterday afternoon feeling quite content thanks to a taste of summer-like weather. After glancing down to admire my newly self-pedicured toes and to bemuse as to whether or not I deserved an ice cream to celebrate the season (I don’t, and I didn’t), I looked up, and that’s when I saw them: the heels of hell.

A well-dressed woman, likely in her mid-30s, was rocking some serious canvas wedges – and some serious strategically-placed bandages on her heels – unaware that her fellow passenger was aghast at the equivalent of bra-strap overload. There were four or five bandages on each heel – to be honest, I lost track after two – layered to cover blisters and the shame of an ill-fitting shoe.

Ladies, ladies, ladies. If you’re old enough to buy your own clothes and accessories, you’re old enough to buy properly fitting footwear. There’s simply no excuse for reverse muffin top (when toes are unceremoniously propelled forward over the edge of a sandal because they have no where else to go), a blister bonanza (go a size up! no one is looking at the number), or having to sulk in the corner on a Saturday night out while your girlfriends are dancing it up (because you bought cheap shoes with no flexibility in the sole and can’t stand for more than five minutes without becoming gripped in pain). Granted, blisters can happen accidentally and even with the most delicious Ferragamo flat by chance, but are mostly by-products of awkwardly placed heels, straps and seams.

Think about it. We all have different body types; likewise, we all have different shapes and sizes of feet. What will work for one narrow-footed Nancy won’t necessarily work for a wider-soled Wilhelmina – which is why there are a virtual bevy of styles to choose from at any given time. And don’t use a sale as an excuse to pick up a pair of ridiculously bad-ass heels that you can never wear because the straps don’t quite cover your ankles. Unless, of course, you like gazing wistfully at unworn shoes in your closet. And if that’s the case, then I suggest a strong drink and blasting some Ting Tings to shake off the discount blues.

So get out there, my fellow bargain connoisseurs, and shop until your coupons drop – and please, try before you buy.

-Karyn Polewaczyk

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as the quasi-menopausal temperature shift that inevitably hits the East Coast each and every spring. One day, it’s 75 degrees and sunny and you’re ready to call out sick to play Frisbee in the park; the next, you’re bundled in a scarf, gloves and cursing the decision to live in a venerable winter wonderland 9 months of the year, wondering if those Floridian retirees are onto something.

When wearing white before Memorial Day is not an option and Ugg boots are out, what’s a lady to do to get through the wacky weather spell that blesses and curses New York City until the last week of June – when, undeniably, it will become so scorching hot you’ll have no choice but to indulge in Tasty D-Lite at regular intervals?

Like a good friend who reminds you to keep on working for the weekend (and those delicious roofdeck cocktails at the bar at 230 5th Avenue), The Vogue City presents its list of transitional wardrobe pieces that will not only carry you from spring to summer, but may even make you appreciate the hot and cold spells that are more sizzling and icier than the ones you give to your ex-boyfriend, twice removed.

-A lightweight cashmere cardigan is not only great for layering under a crisp poplin blazer, it also pairs well over a bikini at the beach. Just make sure to shake out the sand before you return to the office.
-A pashmina – or any big, comfortable and oversized scarf – doubles not only as a wrap over black tie cocktail dresses, but looks fresh when twisted into a necklace substitute with a tube top.
-Knee high leather boots – the same ones that got you through last month’s snow squalls – will keep it kicking until the end of April; pushing them into May is questionable. Proceed with caution and be forewarned that such a decision will leave even an Adidas-clad street meat vendor scratching his head in bewilderment.
-Ribbed tanks layer well under just about anything and everything and are an absolute staple from January to December.
-Moleskin pants and skirts – also known as faux suede – are heavy enough to block a gust of chilly wind, but light enough to give your gams room to breathe when the mercury rises. Switch to seersucker or a three-season wool blend come June.

Other items – a twill trench, peep toe flats and a penchant for bargains – are year-round staples that get the green light no matter what the weather. Just don’t blame us if your boss discovers you’re “home with a head cold” while shopping on 7th Avenue.

-Karyn Polewaczyk

With temperatures and sunlight soaring past springtime standards, the follow up post to last week’s sun safety tips couldn’t come at a better time. The Vogue City is positioned as the lifestyle guide to living in the city on a budget; coincidentally, the best method of preventing sun damage is also the cheapest. Sunscreen – gobs of it – is absolutely essential as part of the battle against UVA and UVB rays, the precursors responsible for sun damage, sunburns, wrinkles and skin cancer. (UVA is what leaves that leathery, splotched skin that sunbathing beauties of yesteryear are known for; UVB goes deeper and causes cellular mutation, which can lead to skin cancer.)

When we say “gobs,” we mean using far more than a precarious dab of Le Mer: experts say that an adult should apply a golfball-sized amount to face and body every 2 hours while outdoors, and more frequently after swimming and toweling off (even if you’re using a waterproof formula). Keep this in mind when galavanting about the Soho House in your finest Shoshanna two-piece suits, ladies.

Coppertone packs a one-two punch with their NutraShield formula in SPF 30 ($10 for 6 fl. oz. at Duane Reade). Its package claims it’s “designed” for women: with added antioxidants and a hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic blend, we’d have to say it’s also on par with our dermatologist’s orders.

If sticky palms, a by-product of sunscreen application, has you down, reach for Banana Boat’s Ultra Defense continuous spray in SPF 85 ($8-$10 at drugstores). Like Coppertone, Banana Boat’s newest formula contains cell-friendly antioxidants and aloe vera, plus a seriously kick ass level of SPF that will cause last year’s sunburn to be a memory of summer’s past.

Still not convinced you’re ready to switch to the lighter side and nix your tanning habits? Ask the guy on the blanket next to you in Central Park if he’ll mind dabbing a bit of SPF on your shoulder as you blissfully sip an iced latte. Enough said.

-Karyn Polewaczyk