I’m a very pale person, both by nature and by design. When I was a child, my mother enforced a strict sunblock-wearing rule. As a teenager, I entered a Goth phase that involved long, layered clothing and an abhorrence of even the slightest tan. I still apply sunscreen daily and I’ve never really lost my taste for wearing black, but I do reveal my bare legs in the summer, and let me tell you, they are white.
I don’t want to risk any sun damage, but I do want my extremities to possess just a bit more color, so that they’ll be less eye-catching in their naked glare. Then again, I’m leery of those “self-tanning” products that change the color of skin (usually to a ruddy orange, as far as I can tell). So what are my options?
LUSH released Black Stockings, a “solid body tint,” a few years ago; I’ve finally gotten around to trying it, and I’m hooked. It’s a heart-shaped bar of cocoa butter and shea butter, scented with natural cinnamon and orange oils and colored with mineral pigments.
Even though Black Stockings is recommended for darker skin tones, I’m finding that it works as the perfect artificial “glow” for my milky-white legs. I rub the bar in three or four strokes down my shin and calf, then gently blend the product into my skin with my fingers. If I want a little more color, I touch up here and there. Then I do the other leg. Easy!
The result is a kind of burnished warmth that makes skin look “sun-kissed”—a silly expression, maybe, but an appropriate one! The tint is somewhere between rose-gold and copper, and the mica flecks are so fine that they create a gleam rather than a glitter.
Since Black Stockings is basically a solid lotion bar with added color and scent, it also does double-duty as a moisturizing product. And, of course, healthy skin always looks best, whether it’s “tan” or not.
Enjoy the sunny weather in style, and be safe!
LUSH Black Stockings ($9.95) is available at LUSH stores and the company website.
Disclaimer: this product was purchased by the reviewer.
Images: photos by Tinsel Creation; 1951 stockings advertisement via Vintage Ad Browser.
TINSEL CREATION 
THANK YOU for introducing me to Lush! :O My wallet holds a grudge against you now, but that’s ok :D
Ah! Sorry about that. ;)
I can also recommend their body lotions, hand creams, shower gels, and massage bars! The soaps are fun, but I prefer them as hand soaps, rather than as serious get-clean soaps. The bath bombs and other bath treats make fun gifts.
Ha! I have already planned what I’m going to get my mum for her birthday from Lush (as well as a scent-journey – I’m giving her samples I’ve tested that I think she’ll like, with the promise of buying her a FB of one of them). She’s a vanilla lover :D Thanks again, I’m so glad I found Lush, esp for face stuff – they get a lot of good reviews, so let’s see how it works on my skin :D
Side note: How do you find their perfumes?
Melissa, I’ve tried many (not all) of their perfumes, and I find them very interesting. My favorites are Imogen Rose, Cocktail, and B Scent. But I strongly advise ordering samples before buying a whole bottle, because they’re wonderfully unpredictable scents — they smell different on different people, and even different from wearing to wearing!
Oh, and if your mother is a vanilla lover, you’re in luck — Lush has so many vanilla products nowadays! The Vanilla dusting powder would be a nice treat, and so would the Dee-Lite lotion!