What weird weather we’ve been having here in Toronto. 7 °C and raining in the dead of winter?! I miss the snow. In the five years that I have had my doggy, rain has never been a friend — it gets muddy and messy and just “blech” all over. With snow, you just brush it off . Ah, it is what it is.

Oh, and I got a call from my bank alerting me of a fraudulent purchase attempted outside of the province. $2000 on sports equipment?! What, are they buying an army of soccer kids sports gear? In as little as one year, I have had a hefty amount of cash taken out of my chequing account, another fraudulent withdrawal attempted some odd later (from the same account, no less), and this. The bank does replace any money lost as a result of fraud, but I still hate the feeling that some creep or a network of creeps out there still get away with it. Sorry, end of rant!

So, feeling a slight shade of blue (due to aforementioned incident compounded with the gray skies outside), I thought why not make myself feel “sunnier” and what better way to feel sunnier than with a fake tan, right? This is where Benefit’s Talk to the Tan comes in.

Talk to the Tan is a gel-based bronze facial tint that gives you the instant gratification of having a (safe) tan without having to worry about waking up the next morning looking like an Oompa Loompa (doompadee dah! Sorry I just had to ). Besides, why bake it if you can fake it? OHhH!

What I really love about this product is its smell — there is none of the usual weird or chemical stench that most gradual tanners have — and easy removal. If I do make a mistake, I can just easily cleanse it off (Cetaphil does a fine job). I can also control the depth of my shade either by mixing it with my moisturizer or sunblock (to dilute the pigmentation) or by applying a second layer (for a deeper tan-look).

Above is a shot of my inner wrist before applying Talk to the Tan. And, ermmm, I know what it looks like, THANKYOUVERYMUCH. Now, I would not normally apply that much; let’s just say I momentarily got a little carried away. Below is after just one layer (note, the depth of color is a result of excess product):

I only have one grip with the product (as with most bronzers) and it’s that the product easily rubs off on your clothes. It can stain easily and NEVER workout with bronzer or any type of tinted moisturizer unless you want to look like your face is melting. Also, don’t forget to wash your hands unless you want the dreaded tan palms!

‘Til next time,

Mary