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Last week, I had the opportunity to put together another ChicStyle segment for the ChicagonistaLIVE! show. I absolutely adore working with this team of incredibly talented people- both the on-camera staff and the behind the scenes crew.

If you aren’t familiar with ChicagonistaLIVE!, it is the first “social talk show” of Chicago with engaging social media and Chicago-centric topics and guests. Nancy Loo, WGN News Broadcast Journalist, Beth Rosen of Boomfluent.com, and Chicagonista.com’s creator MJ Tam come together to produce this informative, intelligent and (sometimes) sassy show. Here is a recap of my segment for their Back to School Stylin’ Show! The guest host was Anthony Martorina of Culinary Fight Club (cooking competition- you HAVE to attend these high energy events!), Heather Bragg- author of Learning Decoded (SO many tips on helping your child succeed in school), and Genevieve Thiers- founder of Sittercity (she revolutionized the babysitting world, and has a new service Date Night Now that makes it even easier to get out of the house!).

Here is a link to the unedited, raw footage from the show (My segment starts at 25:30).

One of my favorite summer accessories is color- and by that I mean a little bronze instead of the usual pallor my skin takes on during the cold Midwest months. When summer turns to fall, I often lose that flush and again look like a member of the Adams family for the next nine months. Luckily, I discovered a few tricks and tips on extending my sultry skin status into the fall without erring on the side of Oompa Loompa.

Sunless Tanner

I recently posted about the California Tan sunless products, and I am still crushing on them big time. The color didn’t fade quickly, no streaky mess appeared, and I think it looks incredibly natural. Here are my top tips to achieve a great sunless tan:

*Exfoliate. Get all the dead skin off before you apply product. The biggest problem areas for me are around my ankle bone, knees, elbows and tops of my feet.
*If you need to moisturize, don’t use oil. Try to use a water-based moisturizer that will absorb quickly. Oil will repel the self-tanner and defeat the purpose of what you are trying to achieve.
*If you need to shave your legs, do so 8-12 hours before applying self-tanner. This will give any small nicks or cuts time to heal.
*Keep a dark washcloth handy to buff off any excess color that sticks to problem areas like knees and elbows.
*Let it go….as long as you can without showering. The color continues to develop hours after you apply; I like to apply after dinner and not shower until the next morning giving it 12 hours.
*Most sunless tanning systems contain a “color guide” that shows you where it has been applied, which washes off as the actual color develops. If sunless tanner isn’t for you, a little bronzer is a quick and easy option. Here are the most affordable and highest rated ones I found when I walked around Walgreens makeup aisle, which I do on a weekly basis while my son obsesses in the toy aisle:

Maybelline Fit Me Bronzer– light, natural color that blends to your skin tone
Rimmel Natural Bronzer– waterproof, slight shimmer
Wet N Wild Color Icon Collection Bronzer– SPF 15, highly pigmented and long lasting

To apply, the easiest way is to trace a “3” on both sides of your face. Start at your forehead near your hairline and use light strokes. Continue to your cheeks, and back around to your jawline. Don’t pick up additional bronzer, but use what is left on the brush to dust the areas where sun would naturally hit, like your nose. Also, blend from your jawline into your neck. The key is building sun-kissed color, not slopping on a heavy application. Apply blush after you are finished.

Speaking of color…let’s move on to fall fashion! I JUST hefted my cool weather wardrobe boxes down from their perch to peruse what I have to work with this season. I have started to gravitate towards what is easy and paired-down, but easy doesn’t necessarily mean blah or sloppy in my book. Here is my trick to picking a perfect color palate that isn’t boring, and not spending hours staring at your closet while doing so.

The #DipDye Method

Did you love to tie dye shirts when you were little? I was the queen of tie dye- I recall a fabulous pink graduated color jumpsuit that I favored at the age of about 8. In order to find a color palate for an outfit, think as if the garment was dip dyed. For example, I was thinking about what to wear with navy the other day. That color has always been so limiting for me- umm…white? Cream? That’s it?

Now, imagine if your navy fabric was dip dyed. As in, you plunged a piece of white fabric into a vat of navy dye, then slowly lifted it out. The darkest concentration would be navy at the bottom, but what would the lighter colors look like? This is a fantastic way to add dimension to a monochrome color scheme. Same color family, different shades!

I came up with this- a powder blue flutter sleeve blouse paired with navy flat front trousers. As for shoes, I like to elongate the look and would add navy pumps (if I could find a decent pair that didn’t make me look like I was 80, still on the hunt, lemme know if you find some por favor). How about marsala, Pantone’s color of the year? Or merlot, another hit? What would those look like dip dyed? I imagine a dusty rose emerging on the graduated color scale, and voila- total hit.

I am planning an entire post dedicated to my new method of clothing selection, so stay tuned!



