Beauty Reporter: Beauty 101.

beauty101

Sun-Kissed Skin

A subtle, believable fake tan in three simple steps. By Liesa Goins

We've all complained about self-tanner's streaks and blotches -- and with good reason. But on the face, what makes self-tanner look fake is its suspicious uniformity. The traditional application -- squirt tanner in both palms, smear all over the face, scrub hands like Lady Macbeth, and cross your fingers -- is at fault. Instead, an unconventional tactic is in order: Think of tanner as makeup, and concentrate it on the points that catch the most sun. "Targeting specific parts of the face -- the cheekbones, the forehead, the nose -- makes self-tanner look more natural," says makeup artist Mally Roncal. "This technique gives you more of a glow than an allover tan." Skeptics, be assured: Although it sounds as if spot-applying could lead to a splotchy self-tanner mess, it doesn't -- even those with fair complexions develop a natural-looking effect. To enhance the sunny glow, add a touch of golden eye shadow, rosy blush, and sheer lip gloss, and let nature do the rest.

exfoliate

Exfoliate with a scrub containing synthetic grains to remove flaky patches. Since ...