Très Irrésistible

Everyone familiar with Snow White? Good.

Well, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Ms. Skin-as-White-as-Snow herself... Minus the Seven Dwarfs to cater to my every whim (I also don't bake, so that pie is a no-go).

Now, when I say white as snow, I'm talkin' nothing higher than Mac NW15 is gonna cut it (on rare occasions that I get a little color in the summer it might go up to a 20 shade, but that's pushing it). I once had one of my favorite sales reps at a Chanel counter escort me over to the Prescriptives counter because he said they just didn't have a shade light enough for me (it was the dead of winter - no hint of color to be found on my face). How tragic is that??

Photos are an awful prospect without proper precautions. I can very easily look like a ghost beside all of my lucky non-tanning-challenged friends - damn them and their lovely olive-toned mostly-Italian skin!

Sooo... What's a Snow White girl to do?

Bronze, of course! Not everyone can pull off the Dita Von Tease pale look, and as beautiful as she is, it's just too severe for most of us. So bronze away, darlings!

But pale girls UV-Challenged girls beware... Not all bronzers will make you glow like you just jet-setted your way back from a long weekend rendezvous in St. Tropez.

Actually, most of them will just make you look like a muddy Oompa Loompa.

Not such a good look.

And if they don't turn you into a citrus fruit, they will likely have SO MUCH GLITTER that you'll feel like you fell into a disco ball with no way to escape.

Not such a good feeling.

The solution? NARS Bronzer Powder to the rescue!

Now, I'm not talking about the much-loved, cult-status Laguna bronzer. Oh no... As much as I really wanted to love it, there was just no way... It achieved the disaster-trifecta for me. I looked dirty, orange, and glittery all at the same time. I was truly distressed, especially since each and every one of my friends looked AWESOME with it. How depressing is that?

Anyway, I moped around a little and went about my daily life. Tried a few other bronzers, drug-store and high-end alike and still never found one that truly gave me a healthy glow instead of a fake-n-bake tint. Until now.

Dear NARS - you have redeemed yourself. Irresistiblement is my new favorite product EVER (don't quote me on this, I say it a lot).

According to the NARS website, this is a "golden terracotta" shade and has all the same benefits as their other bronzers. I actually find it to have a more "peachy terracotta" color, but it's definitely more golden on a friend of mine, so I guess it just depends on your individual skin tone. Either way, it brightens up even the dullest of complexions.

This baby is completely matte. Seriously. Not a fleck of shimmer to be found. And even for someone who loves sparkle as much as I do... I don't want it anywhere near my bronzer.

I have used this every single day since I got it and I've actually gotten compliments on how radiant my skin looks - this NEVER HAPPENS. Ever. I haven't been this excited about a product in a long time. I recently went on vacation and actually did get quite tan, but since I'm a sunscreen-junkie (especially on my face) I ended up with a tan body and a VERY white face.

Irresistiblement saved the day! Actually, all the days and weeks that have followed. It can be applied sheer enough to give me an all-over glow even when I'm super-pale, yet pigmented enough that it works when I'm already a little tan or even for those girls lucky enough to be blessed with darker skin tones.

So, that's my verdict. If you're unfortunately unable to jet off to the Caribbean to get a golden glow, go out and treat yourself to the next best thing. Irresistiblement is a little pricey - it retails for $30, but it's completely worth it and it will last you FOREVER. I've had mine for almost two months now and you can barely see a dent in it.

UV-Challenged girls rejoice!

[photo credits: narscosmetics.com, jeezits.tumblr.com, freetheunicorns.wordpress.com]