RIGHT AFTER I RAILED AGAINST THE SELF-TANNER JUGGERNAUT...

…I succumbed to the siren song of this J.Crew skirt that Emily blogged about (it’s on sale now! I got it in the pale gold!), put it on to go to a nice family dinner in New Orleans, and found that this awesome tinted leg gelplayed a crucial role in making me look respectable enough for my genteel Southern aunts. Now. It had very little to do with disguising my extreme whiteness (which I’ve essentially come to terms with—thanks, all). It had more to do with the spotted landscape of ant bites on my ankles (within hours of landing in Louisiana, I stepped into a fire ant nest); and the alarming shin bruises, origin unknown, that made it look like I had been attacked by a very angry and powerful toddler. So, yes: My legs needed help.

Anyway. Here are the reasons this gel is so awesome:

1) It’s not a self-tanner, it’s a tint—and a subtle one at that. Meaning you see the results, understated as they are, instantly. No midday orange surprises.

2) Unlike self-tanners, it has absolutely no scent. And all self-tanners smell, at least a little bit. It is their nature to smell. Some people mind it, others don’t.

3) Once on, it doesn’t come off on clothing. Why it doesn’t, I can’t tell you—but it doesn’t.

4) Don’t like your newly even-toned skin? Rinse it off with soap and water. Simple as that.

--Cristina Mueller, senior beauty editor