Orange...the new tan?

So - really - it takes me FOREVER to try anything new. In general I'm a worrier (I've always said I worry enough to cover those who don't - some may say I make mountains out of mole hills - but...well that's the way it is...they are entitled to their opinions)...anyways...

For example: in college I tried Sun-in...supposedly it would turn my hair to some brilliant shade of auburn - uh uh...try orange. So all right - it clashed a bit with my baby oil burn...but that subsided after a bit and the orange - eventually it grew out. But - it took me nearly another 20 years to experiment with my hair color. I worried that I'd end up with some hideous purply/pink thing on my head and as a youngish mother I didn't think that would be too cool. Not the time for embaressing my little girl ... yet.

Yet another experiment with color changing my God given tones was with a product promising a "real" looking golden tan - yep - sure - real. Um...no. Actually I looked like I had a very severe case of hives - orange hives. Here I was trying to be a responsible young adult by using a "healthy" alternative for that sun kissed look and I end up looking like a leper.

Years have passed since that little experiment - like I said I'm a worrier. If it doesn't go right the first time - what are the chances it will go right with a second attempt? And that orange hivey thing - it took a long time to go away.

This weekend I was down visiting Dad and we took the usual trip to THE Christmas Tree Shop. There's always some fun junk to spend hard earned money on...

First stop - sunblock-not because we necessarily needed any at that moment it was just the first isle we came too.

Dad's trying to cut down on sun time following his recent facial peel and is looking very pale for beach boy. He's wearing the big floppy hat and the long sleeves and 100 uvb/uva or whatever...
There - settled among the various options - a brand name company with a self tanner - promising a natural golden glow. We're going to try it - really? are you sure? let's think about this a little more...remember 10 years ago? Surely - technology has advanced enough in the last decade that the promised glow will at least resemble time spent with the real sun?

Nope....nope, nope, nope....

People - this stuff is orange!!!! Okay yes the sun is orange - kind of - but I'm thinking sun kissed maybe refers to a brownish coloring? My foot looks like it has been dipped in rust colored stain - I'm pretty sure I match the wood trim on my windows quite nicely. But you are really kidding yourself if you think this sun stands up to a "real" tan. Not even close...uh uh. If you like the orange look - eat more carrots. Then at least you are really doing something good for yourself.

My luck - their promise of 7 full days of beautiful bronzed skin -will hold true. Thank goodness I only sprayed my foot - I think.... :)