After I interviewed Ramy Gafni in January, I put Sun Smooched! ($32) on my must-have list. When Sun Smooched! was the daily special about 10 days ago, I ordered one in Light (I love a discount, so I waited).It arrived quickly, and the verdict is...this is a fantastic bronzer. It's giving me a glow in the pale month of February. I'm very impressed with how natural it looks. An extra benefit? It's a great lotion for quick, subtle contouring.
During our interview, I had asked Ramy what advice he would give us to look glowing and natural, not like we are wearing bronzer or had a self-tanning tragedy. Here's is what he told me.
Color selection is key. Use the light shade on very fair skin. When in doubt, select medium, which is the most natural and universally flattering shade. It's a great product. The color is terrifying when you put it on the back of your hand. Once blended on the face, though, it's the most natural bronzer on the market. If you only want a light wash of color, you can mix it in your palm with moisturizer and put it on your face and neck. What's nice is that it washes off at end of day - no self-tanning effects. All of the shades are warm-toned. If you use the light shade and find it's too light, you can layer it. Two coats of light equals one coat of medium, and that's true for all of the shades. Just layer them to create a darker glow if you wish. Sun Smooched! is very user friendly - it's transparent. If you are fair, you can just use it as a blush if you don't want to apply it over your entire face.
Here's how Ramy describes Sun Smooched! on his Web site.
I wanted to create a bronzer that not only looks incredibly natural on the skin, but actually improves your skin while wearing it! The botanical active ingredients (green tea, green apple, sugar cane, citrus, walnut, hazelnut, and pecan extracts) in Sun Smooched! actually improve the texture of your complexion every time you apply it, smoothing away fine lines, eliminating blemishes, and evening out skin tone - all while imparting a beautiful, glowing sun-kissed color. Sun Smooched! can also be used to contour, enhance your bone structure, and eliminate puffiness for a younger, slimmer appearance. Just like after a summer at the beach, your teeth look whiter and your eyes look brighter when you've been Sun Smooched!
Now, I can say "Ditto!" to everything he said. This bronzer has already joined my all-time favorites list. I have used my Sun Smooched! mixed with foundation, to contour my cheekbones, and on the high spots of my face to make me look healthy and more alert than I feel. It blends very easily because of its liquid formula. No rubbing is required! I have used it with a foundation brush and my fingertips, and both methods of application produced fabulous results. This bronzer gets five stars!
Check it out at the Ramy Beauty Therapy Web site. If you follow @Ramybeauty on Twitter, you will be among the first to know about the daily specials.
Photo courtesy of Ramy Beauty Therapy