Self-tanner season is every season. I’ve used it in the dead of winter (when it makes the most sense) and in the heat of summer (to amplify my natural tan). When used correctly and in moderation, it’s the most time-efficient way to get glowy because unlike bronzer or blush, you don’t have to apply it every day. And if you’re already using glow-boosting skincare products like vitamin C, it only elevates the results you want. Still, a lot of the most buzzworthy self-tanners are expensive but thankfully, the best cheap self-tanner doesn’t sacrifice quality.

There are plenty of budget-friendly skin illuminators out there, so it really just comes down to your personal preferences. For instance, some of you may need botanical-based self-tanner for sensitive skin that’s prone to inflammation. Others may want specific texture, such as foam or mist. And then there are those like me who simply need an effective option under a specific price point. With that being said, here are some of my favorite cheap self-tanner products under $20.

Jergens.

Jergens Natural Glow +FIRMING Daily Moisturizer

This drugstore classic combines skincare benefits with tanning properties to both bronze and hydrate the body during application. The firming version is made ingredients said to improve elasticity in as little as seven days.

Buy: Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer $8.28

Jergens.

SOL by Jergens Water Mousse

Jergens’s newest range of self-tanner products includes this lightweight water mousse made with tanning actives derived from natural sugars.

Neutrogena.

Neutrogena Micromist Airbrush Sunless Tanning Spray

No rubbing required to get results from this at-home tanner whose applicator mimics the even, lightweight feel of a professional spray tanning tool.

Buy: Neutrogena Micromist Airbrush Sunless Tanning Spray $8.97

b.tan.

b.tan Fake It Till You Make It Self Tan Mousse

If your skin is sensitive to traditional tanning chemicals, this one-hour mousse is mostly vegan and made with all-natural DHA.

Buy: b.tan Fake It Till You Make It Self Tan Mousse $14.79

Alba Botanica.

Alba Botanica Sunless Tanner Lotion

This quick-absorbing, botanical-based tanning lotion also nourishes the skin with shea butter, sweet almond oil, and safflower oil.

Buy: Alba Botanica Sunless Tanner Lotion $9.99

St. Moriz.

St. Moriz Instant Self-Tanning Mousse

This take-home formula has been tested in salons for efficacy, ease of application, and overall effectiveness (all of which are amazing, BTW).

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Erika Schaefer’s White Ribbed Crop Top on Her Instastories

Million Dollar Listing LA 2020 Instagram Fashion

As the quarantine is slightly lifted in some areas we are starting to see outfits that aren’t just pjs. For example Erika Schaefer’s white ribbed crop top on her Instastories last week! Though I hate to say goodbye to all the lounge looks we were getting it is nice to see some “real clothes”. What I will like saying goodbye to is all the toilet paper hoarding. We can all agree that was a bit much. But even on Erika’s Instastory she still couldn’t resist stocking up more TP by stealing some of her friend’s stock pile. And since the stock of this cut crop top is limited there’s always more toilet paper styles to steal below.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here To Shop Her Zara White Ribbed Crop Top

Photo Credit: @erikaschaefer_

Originally posted at: Erika Shaefer’s White Ribbed Crop Top

Where did I leave my keys? What did I come here to buy? What’s her name?

As we go through life, we need to remember many things. Though this may seem harder as we grow older, it isn’t necessarily so.

I.C. Robledo’s concise, informative new book Practical Memory: A Simple Guide… cites a recent study which showed that seniors performed better at most memory skills than did millennials – and that is encouraging to us. His book has useful tips for doing even better; a few are discussed here.

Here are a few practical memory tips for older adults.

Eliminate Memory Disruptors

Robledo developed memory problems in graduate school, a most inconvenient time. A doctor alerted him to some basic memory inhibitors: inattention, lack of sleep, nutrition/medication problems and stress. Here are some guidelines:

• Mindfulness must replace the lack of attention to what we are doing.
• Sleep deprivation must be dealt with: exercise, medication, scheduling.
• Eating well and having appropriate medication treatment is important.
• Stress reduction methods – such as meditation, exercise and yoga – can help memory as well.

Where Did I Leave My Keys?

One strategy to finding your ‘missing’ keys is to always put them back in the same spot. If you are not sure you’ll remember that spot, picture it in your mind as you put the keys there. Then, when you need to find them, picture what you were doing when you were putting them down.

Going beyond that, you can write yourself a note, and place it in your wallet.

When traveling, before you leave the hotel or restaurant, place anything you fear you’ll forget – and cannot carry on you – right by your keys, so they all come with you.

To find your car in the parking lot, note the aisle letter/number or where the aisle begins or ends. Picture mentally how you entered the area and parked.

What Did I Come Here to Buy?

Like most people, I maintain a grocery list. Sometimes, I’m away from the refrigerator, where I keep my list, yet I am within reach of the store. Have I forgotten my list? Not exactly.

After writing the list, I use the first letters of the items to form a word or near-word to help me remember: Milk, Bread, prescriptions (Rx), Tape… MBRT could become “My BRaT,” ignoring the lowercase letters. This usually works for me.

What’s Her/His Name?

Putting a name to a face has two elements: remembering who the person is and what her/his name is. When introduced, try to note the association/relationship you have with her or with the introducer.

For association, think of where you met, who was there, why you were there, what happened when you were there… Paying attention to these at that time will make remembering easier. Perhaps physical appearance can be linked to the person’s name as well.

To remember her/his name, use it several times as soon as practical, and then look for things to link it to: people and places, words that sound similar.

I remember that a new client, Cheryl B., is a retired RN, as is my old friend, Cheryl C.

A structure to link your memory to is the alphabet. When trying to remember a person’s name, go through in order: Alice, Ann, … ; Barbara, Betty, … ; Carol…

Memorize Some; Record Some

You may lose your purse and cell phone and need an important number. Some numbers should be memorized, as I had to do decades ago as a child. When you have your cell phone and some spare time, memorizing some phone numbers is worth doing.

Also write down crucial information. The Chinese say, “The palest ink outlasts memory.”

In Conclusion

Our memories are probably no worse than they once were, and we can battle forgetting by using some simple tactics as outlined above.

Do you have a good memory? Which tactics might you use? What memory tips can you share with our community? Please join the conversation below!

Tracy Tutor’s Black One Shoulder Top and Skirt on Instagram

Million Dollar Listing LA Season 12  Episode 1 Fashion

Tracy Tutor’s black one shoulder top and skirt on Instagram is the outfit of a winner which is obvious because she totally is one. On this week’s episode wheeled and dealed the buyer then got to wine and dine her clients, all with everyone’s best interest in mine which—ending up in their dream home.

Side note, her clients seem to be just the most amazing people ever. I mean my goodness their long list of humanitarian life accomplishments…wow! It always makes me happy when good people get what they want, like Tracy getting the house sold and Ishmael and Pricilla getting the deal they wanted and continuing to save the world. And of course me getting Style Stealers of Tracy’s outfit.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here To See Her Sold Out Solace London Renata One Shoulder Top

Click Here To See Her Sold Out Rick Owens Green Midi Skirt

Click Here To Shop Ishmael Beah’s Book ‘Radiance of Tomorrow”

Photo & ID Credit: @tracytutor

Originally posted at: Tracy Tutor’s Black One Shoulder Top and Skirt

When I walked into the calm atmosphere of Jenny’s Beauty Supply in Dallas, it was a far cry from the cramped stores I visited as a child. I saw people who were in between hairstyles and others who had clearly just finished a work shift. Very few wandered aimlessly. It seemed as though the majority of patrons had clear intentions. A new wig, a pack of hair. My intent was clear as well. Before this year, I had never installed my own kanekalon hair, a synthetic fiber that replicates kinky textures and is worn everywhere from the red carpet to fashion week runways to my own neighborhood.

Instead, I sat between the legs of someone else, who would intertwine it with my natural hair to craft thick, golden cornrows and micro braids, respectively. However, a recent move inspired a change to match my new environment. So after looking at old photos of TLC member T-Boz, I knew I wanted to pay homage. 

Brooklyn White. Shutterstock.

In the midst of my impulse transformation, I realized just how second-nature a trip to the store for kanekalon hair had become not only to me, but the Black community in general. Though it isn’t exclusive to our culture, most assumed it’s a Black innovation because we invest in it the most. Even if we aren’t responsible for its creation, its legacy started with our demand for it. And as with most trends started by PoC, kanekalon hair is entangled in both celebrated pop culture moments and oft-repeated controversies, the latter of which is still exacerbated by the fashion and beauty industries today.

Ryan Winters.

Its origins are muddled, to say the least. Though it’s most closely associated with and bought by Black women, its original purpose may have had nothing to do with textured hair. Some say that kanekalon was intended to be a wool alternative when it was initially created in the 1950s. However, a more widely-known origin story is tied to the uprising of Korean beauty supply owners, who cornered the industry in the 1960s and were meeting demand from its majority-black consumers. According to In-Jin Yoon’s book, On My Own: Korean Businesses and Race Relations in America, 1967 is a more accurate birth date. And once more beauty supply chains started profiting from it, Hollywood wanted a piece of the pie, too.

https://twitter.com/delafro_/status/1149325874585657344

By the mid-1970s, the fashion and beauty industries weren’t just utilizing the synthetic fiber for magazine shoots and the runway. They began creating brands of their own, too. It became normal to see Kanekalon wigs sold through ad placements in Ebony and worn by white consumers. For example, most forget that Lauren Hutton was the face of a Kanekalon brand in 1972. 

The irony of its rapid and lucrative trajectory is that the most popular Kanekalon options were poor replications of what Black hair looks and feels like; the hair attached to women who helped make it a hot commodity in the first place. So when Black supermodel Naomi Sims retired from the runway in 1973, she utilized her status to create Kanekalon Presselle, one of the few brands to curate products that accurately matched the hair of the consumer.

https://twitter.com/veraslang/status/959631732499800064

According to Sims in a 1980 interview with The Washington Post, 40% of women buying wigs were Black women, which all but confirmed the quality of the supply definitely didn’t meet the demand. There was also the influence of Sims’ own modeling career, which helped inform her post-retirement move. Oftentimes, she was tasked with doing her own hair or equipped with wigs that looked nothing like her own. Instead of settling, she mastered a recipe that would become the blueprint for her company years later.

“I bought several Caucasian-type, silky-haired wigs, wet them with setting lotion, rolled them with steel rollers and put them in the oven…I baked them at about 175 degrees for about 15 minutes and when they came out they looked like black straightened hair,” she shared. According to The Entrepreneurial Spirit of African American Inventors, Sims’ products became best-sellers and helped secure kanekalon’s spot as an enduring haircare staple. In other words, the investment of a Black woman once again helped propel the staple to new heights. 

https://twitter.com/kaaaylisenby/status/542159588712542208

By the 1990s, it had settled into its legacy and become synonymous with pop culture moments we still fawn over today. For example, Janet Jackson’s box braids in Poetic Justice (1993) are just as popular as the movie itself. The hair used to create Jackson’s ‘do was likely Tiara II, a range within the Kaneka haircare line created nearly 15 years prior.

Shutterstock.

With a legacy clearly elevated by Black women, it’s sadly unsurprising when credit is given to those merely influenced by something they had no hand in creating, especially in the social media era. For example, when Kim Kardashian’s crimped kanekalon ponytail and slicked baby hairs were featured on Vogue’s website in March 2019, it was described as “modern” on Instagram. In other words: complete erasure of the people who innovated and wore the style decades before. Thankfully, social media has made it easier to challenge the people and spaces who make such assumptions.

https://twitter.com/kuwonustesoro/status/1106637757596737536

In response to Vogue’s ratioed tweet, Twitter user named Micah Nicole shared four photos of Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Beyoncé and Janet Jackson wearing a similar look months or years prior and from there, others used to opportunity to co-sign her annoyance with media’s misinformed takes on beauty. Similarly, Ariana Grande has been accused of wearing kanekalon braiding hair, though she maintained her hair is simply crimped.

https://twitter.com/KILOGNASH/status/1166068792755195906

But unlike celebrity hair moments, the runway has been more definitive in its borrowing of looks rooted in the Black community. For instance, white models were fashioned with jumbo, blonde kanekalon braids and baby hairs for the Blonds’ Spring 2015 NYFW show. The hairstylist called the hairstyle “madness”, which many rightfully took as offensive. 

Of course, for every snafu is a celebration that feels like a healing balm. The random, but joyous DMX challenge was one of the more recent and unexpected tributes to the beauty supply staple. Using the rapper’s classic “What These B–tches Want” second verse, where over 40 names are recited, social media users (the majority of which were Black women) made mashup videos that showed various hairstyles syncing with each name.

https://twitter.com/tthingtwo/status/1169778006010806272

“I’m 16 and hair is one of the ways I express myself. Especially in braids. You have..Passion, Havana, and Marley [twists], [and] twists that are put into a bob,” Twitter user Abygail Metellus told me in the midst of the challenge. “Then you have the actual hair…My favorite color is purple, so you will always see me in purple. But never the same hue – [I like] dark purple, plum, lavender, and ombré. I constantly change my style and never look the same although I always have the same color in my hair…”

Oh! Virgin Hair owner Jasmine W. also shared the ways she wears kanekalon, writing “I use it for a ten minute ponytail, a long Rapunzel braid, twin buns, or a braided bun! When I have no time to play and I still need to slay, [I] just lay a ponytail out and pop that bad boy on.”

Fleeting viral moments like these have a way of highlighting just how intertwined–in this case, both literally and figuratively–certain products or looks have been integrated into our culture. Kanekalon hair is undoubtedly one of those things. Though its genesis and eventual advancement are arguably multicultural, no one has embraced and invested in it more than the Black community. And regardless of what hair innovations are created in the future, it will be impossible to divorce from our rich history. 

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.