Every two to four weeks, the Western Banded Geckos of the desert Southwest shed their skin. These sprightly desert dwellers are nocturnal so despite the tan pigment of their supple surface, they hide out under rocks during the day, not daring to let in a slender toe taste direct sunlight.
Seems we could learn a thing or two from these local lizards. Not only are they wise enough to steer clear of the blazing sun, they don’t get attached. Trade blah for bombshell in these four beach beauty transforming steps.
1. Slough
Start by cleansing your canvas with the vitamin-enriched, riced-based Eminence Organics Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant ($48) facial polish. Salicylic acid lifts impurities while chickpea flour buffs skin clean. Find it at select spas listed at eminenceorganics.com.
Give shoulders, knees and bod the brush off with Sapien Women Body Scrub ($28.50). An exotic, eco-friendly blend of Amazonian ingredients, the scrub relies on coconut bark and organic buriti fruit to slough away reptilian skin. A dose of white clay detoxifies skin while organic aloe vera juice intensely hydrates. Get the scrub at shopsuryabrasil.com.
2. Slather
Take your transformation to the next stage with St. Tropez Gradual Tan Plus Anti-Ageing facial bronzer ($35). The mult-acting moisturizer firms and plums while creating a natural-looking bronze glow. Available at Sephora stores and sephora.com.
Give your legs a dose of bombshell with Sexy Stems Firming Self Tanner ($29.99). Enriched with caffeine and a blend of bio nutrient ingredients to tone and firm skin, this self-tanning lotion was created by a local Valley resident. Don’t stop at your stems. Massage on arms and decollete to give you upper body a lift. Get the bronzer at shopsexystems.com.
3. Shine
Douse your bronzed skin in the alluring scent of ylang-ylang and tiny, illuminating particles of pure gold. Omorovicza Gold Shimmer Oil ($80) locks in your look with a healing, protective dose of rich botanicals like rice germ oil and turmeric root extract. You’ll want to swim in this beautiful oil but a little goes a long way. Buy it at omorovicza.com.
4. Shimmer
New to Drybar’s cocktail-inspired haircare line, Drybar Gold Mine Shimmering Leave-In Conditioner ($29) is paraben-free spray-on treatment enriched with tiny, micro particles of mica that reflect natural light. The deliciously scented conditioner smooths, protects and adds serious shine. Get it at Drybar salons or thedrybar.com.
This post originally published in the June 2014 issue of So Scottsdale! magazine.
