Brown and white versions of moi

There are certain things in life I don't like cheaping out on.

I'm paler than pale and have tried numerous tinted moisterizers and self-tanners from over the counter, all with the same depressing and orangy streaked results.

So when The Forest Hill Spa announced it had just introduced the St. Tropez method of airbrush tanning, I figure I'd give it a whirl.

It's only $65 for a full-body spray that takes about 20 minutes, then maybe another 25 or so to try.


Here I am in front of the booth, with legs whiter than the underbelly of a fish.


This is me after, looking hopefully like a bronzed beach babe.

I've never been this dark before, and it feels good. Having a tan - even a "fake" one, just makes you look healthier.

And there's no exposure to UV rays with this method.

What do you think? Shall I drop large hints to the man about getting me a package of 3 or 6 more treatments? (Hey, the Grunge Queen can maybe do $65, but not several hundred smackeroos).

This will wear off in a week or two, so if I don't keep it up I'll be white again in no time.

But for now it's nice to try out a different look, and it's definitley nice not to wear cover-up on my face! We'll see how the man - and men? - reacts.

P.S. I'm writing this the next day and I have the answer: men go bananas over tans. On my way home after work yesterday a man FOLLOWED ME ONTO THE BUS after I told him I wouldn't go out with him. He said I was "the most elegant woman" he's ever seen!

Mmm, this could be an interesting social experiment. Maybe I should dye my hair blond too!

BY THE WAY that dark blue dress I'm wearing is new, though it was $4.99 at an end-of-the-line shop I discovered across fromt he Value Village on the Danforth in Toronto.