Just like any fair-skinned teenage girl from New Jersey should, I used to be wildly obsessed with my tan. “A day is never wasted if you go to sleep tanner than when you woke up” or something like that was my lame excuse for a personal motto—no gymming or laundry necessary; was I less dynamic than The Situation?

Well, times have changed and wrinkles and sun spots are no longer just fables to keep me from my motionless mission in the gorgeous yellow gleam from 10 am till sunset. Tanning beds are absolutely out of the question; oh how disappointed I am in my younger foolish self! However, I still do love a glowing tan, I just now adapted a few sneaky ways to make it happen while keeping safe from the sun’s unfortunate side effects. I call it: The 7-Step Smoke & Mirrors Tan Plan.

STEP ONE: Sunscreen

To begin the real part of your tan (because this really works better when you’re not channeling Casper) promise me you will always apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30. I love Pevonia Botanica Hydrating Sunscreen – it’s one of the top spa-recommended sunscreens, and it’s what I used on my recent trip to Cali. It’s chock full of vitamins and completely oil-free, so it can work as a moisturizer as well, even if it’s not a pool day. $40 on Pevonia.com. Also, check out these 3 eco-friendly sun shields under $10.

STEP TWO: Maui Babe

You may or may not be familiar with my obsession with Maui Babe, a vestige of my tanorexic years that I just cannot seem to kick. Nor do I want to. As long as it’s used over SPF you’re safe, and it is still hands down the best tanning formula on the planet. And when I say tanning I mean browning. I’ve still yet to burn with the Babe. Starting at $13.99 on mauibabe.com.

STEP THREE: A Misting Sunless Self-Tanner

Since you should never be sitting in the sun all day (and who has the time, really?), this is where you mix your real bronze with your fake one. At-home tanning formulas allow you to build gradually, as needed. Applying every other day is a good pace when you want to be building your tan without looking orange. This one from Mystic Tan gives an incredibly rich and even tone. After drying off from your shower, hold about 8 inches from your skin, spray all over, stand still for a few minutes to dry, and in a few hours you’ll be “back from vacation”. $38 on amazon.com.

STEP FOUR: Liquid Bronzer

The funny thing about beauty products is that sometimes they don’t do what they promise, and sometimes they do even better things they didn’t promise. This MAC Skinsheen Leg Spray doesn’t actually do much for your legs, so I’ve found, but it works wonders on your face! It has never caused me to break out, but if you have sensitive skin, I’d try it in the store first. Put a spritz on your fingers, then apply evenly to your face and neck for an added out-the-door glow. $26.50 at MAC.

STEP FIVE: Powder Bronzer

I’ve used a lot of great bronzers – NARS Bronzing Powder, Lola Sand & Sun, HOOLA by Benefit… but none so readily available and affordable as Physicians Formula Powder Palette. Don’t use the baby brush it comes with unless it’s an emergency though – it’s too small to apply it well. Someone should really tell them this. $11.99 on drugstore.com

STEP SIX: Canon Powershot Digital Elph

I’m always shocked when more people don’t know about this! It’s my favorite little smoke and mirrors tanning secret, and I’m spilling it now. Canon PowerShot cameras have a tan setting – it’s the D for Darker Skin Tone under My Colors, and it will make your Facebook friends think you spend every weekend in Miami. I own this one in orange; if you’re on the market for a new digi, this one is positively perfect and will almost match your new tan. $199.99 at Bestbuy.com.

Exhibit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on me, and 2, 4, and 6 my gay hubby Michael last week. Which brings me to STEP SEVEN of the Smoke & Mirrors Tan Plan… wear white!

During this time of the year when the first telltale wisps of chill in the morning and evening foreshadow their impending long stay, the best way to stay warm and ward off the oncoming cold may be to curl up with a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate (or a hot toddy, whatever) and daydream of the Caribbean.

We want to bump that daydream up a notch – why not dream about going to the Caribbean for free?

Until Saturday at midnight, you can enter to win an amazing spa getaway, courtesy of Pevonia Botanica. Enjoy a stay for two on the beautiful island of Antigua, where you’ll be pampered into blissful oblivion with spa treatments, delicious food & wine, a rainforest tour, private boat rides, and more!

Go here to enter, but hurry!

Photo courtesy of Pevonia Botanica

When traveling, I wish I could breeze through security looking fresh and fabulous, with a Ziploc baggie full of TSA-approved travel sizes of my favorite products to help me freshen up after arrival at my destination.

Usually what ends up happening, though, is that I don’t get around to buying travel-sized products and only manage to sling a 5-pound bag of half-empty full sized bottles in my checked baggage and smuggle a Chapstick in my pants pocket. However, now that I’ve had a chance to try Pevonia’s Spa Travel Essentials Kit, the jetsetter lifestyle might just be within my grasp.

- Begin with the Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser with mild jojoba beads to lift away the impurities and dirt that can come with traveling.
- Use the Phyto-Aromatic Mist every time skin feels stressed or dull. It’s packed with cooling, soothing natural ingredients to refresh tired skin. It also encourages longer-lasting makeup, which means you can get off the plane or train as fresh as when you stepped on!
- After cleansing, the Marine Collagen Cream moisturizes deeply to erase the fine lines and loss of elasticity that can come with excessive dryness.
- After a day of walking, whether it be through airports or city streets, the Tension Relief Gel feels divine on feet and calves, cooling and refreshing.
- Before now if I forgot lip balm on a long trip, I could look forward to painful chapping and dryness, but now I need just toss the Youthful Lip Cream in my bag to enjoy the intensely healing, moisturizing properties of this shea butter-active formula.

Packaged in a very spa-like white toiletry bag for easy carrying, I’ll definitely be packing this Pevonia super-kit with me the next time I travel.

Product images courtesy of Pevonia Botanica

I don’t suffer from rosacea, but I do have sensitive, pale skin that reddens at the slightest affront, so I was hoping that Pevonia Botanica’s advanced line of skincare products designed for rosacea sufferers might help keep my skin calm, cool, and collected.

The kit includes the RS2 Gentle Cleanser, which contains Allantoin and rose essential oil to soothe skin. Because foaming agents can be a skin irritant, this cleanser doesn’t foam up, but I was happy to find that nonetheless, it rinses clean and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry and stripped the way some cleansers do.

The cleanser is followed with the RS2 Gentle Lotion, a toner with green tea, chamomile, and licorice. My skin is not only sensitive but also tends to be oily, so toner is a must. The active ingredients are vaso-constricting, meaning they minimize redness on the surface of the skin.

The final step in the process is the RS2 Care Cream, a moisturizing, protective cream that perfects the skin and gets rid of blotchiness. I patted the cream on with care at first because heavier moisturizers, but the cream absorbed quickly and didn’t leave any film or residue.

Despite the look on my face here, I was definitely pleased with the results! I noticed that while using the RS2 Rosacea Skincare Kit, I didn’t get the post-cleansing or post-shower redness I usually do. I’d definitely recommend the kit to anyone with sensitive, pale, or blotchy skin.

This week, we’ve written about taking your work to the beach – while we don’t know how to help you do that, we can help you get away from it all for 7 nights in beautiful Antigua, courtesy of Pevonia Botanica.

1 lucky winner will receive airfare and seven nights’ accommodation for two at Verandah, Antigua’s premier beachfront resort. Your stay will include spa treatments featuring Pevonia products, a zipline canopy rainforest tour, and a private boat trip. Indulge yourself in daily gourmet meals and select wines. And when you come home from paradise, you can still enjoy a year’s worth of Pevonia Botanica skincare, customized for your skincare needs.

What are you waiting for? Enter the sweepstakes here. You can enter until October 31st.