Airbrush tanning is a relatively new and exciting way of tanning that saves your skin from harmful UV rays but still gives you the glow you are looking for. When you tan under the sun or the direct contact of UV lights in a tanning bed you are setting up your skin for disaster. The overexposure to UV rays leaves your skin dry and damaged which causes premature aging and sun spots. You also leave the door wide open for more serious skin conditions, including skin cancer which can be deadly. Conventional tanning methods also often leave your coloring uneven and with tan lines.

Airbrush tanning takes away all the harmful risks and side effects from overexposure leaving your skin healthy and soft as it was before you started tanning. You also have the convenience of going to a salon or airbrushing in the comfort of your own home with the availability of airbrush tanning services and kits. Whether you go to a salon for airbrushing or decide to purchase a kit and learn the art yourself you have the opportunity to customize the tone you want for a more natural look and use airbrushing techniques to make your body even more gorgeous. You can define areas and conceal others to give you a tighter look and more defined body when you step out in your favorite bikini.

Airbrush tanning is a great way to get the look you want without putting your skin to the test and creating an unhealthy looking tan. You can keep your skin soft, healthy and beautiful while still getting the results you want. The at-home airbrushing kits are easy to use and a cost-effective way to tan in the comfort of your own home. You can maintain a yearlong tan or just get a quick tan for a special event. Once you learn how to airbrush like the pro’s you can invite friends over to join you in a healthier approach to tanning.

Decorative painting is of interest to every DIY decorator for the many exciting possibilities it opens for decorators looking for an inexpensive way to perk up their homes. In a sense, decorative painting artists are pushing the envelope on home decorating. Faux finishes from onyx to alabaster, from serpentine to breccia are now available to the DIY decorator, very handy in raising the glam factor of any home decor, or in tying together the decor style dictated by one’s acquisition of magnificent wall grilles and other metal art. Wrought iron wall grilles, stuccoed walls, terra-cotta and plaster pots with relief designs in faux verdigris, Corinthian-capital base of a glass-top table in faux granite– what more can a Mediterranean style fan want?

If the DIY possibilities excite you well enough to want to try your hand at decorative painting, here’s what you need to know about the different types of paints. Green concerns make water-based paints popular. Of interest to you are latex paint, aerosol acrylic paints, craft acrylic paint, ceramic paints, and fabric paints.

Latex paint
Latex paints use acrylic resins, vinyl resins, or both. You’d want to choose latex paints of acrylic resins because they provide an even and complete finish and wear longer, but you might settle for acrylic-vinyl mixes, or all-vinyl depending on your budget. Latex dries fast, wears well, and can be custom-mixed to your precise color. It’s available flat for a matte appearance or high-gloss for a more durable finish.

Craft acrylic paint
This is 100 percent acrylic-resin paint which should not be confused with the ones used for canvas painting. Sold in 2-oz, 4-oz, and 8-oz bottles, they come in various colors and in fluorescent, iridescent, and metallic versions. If a thinner consistency is needed, they can be diluted with water, latex paint conditioner, or acrylic extender.

Fabric paints
Although acrylic paints can be used to paint on fabrics, there’s a paint that’s manufactured exclusively for fabrics: fabric paint. To avoid unnecessary stiffness, remember to apply lightly. You know you’re doing it right when you can see the fabric’s texture. The painted fabric can be machine-washed or dry-cleaned once heat-set.

Ceramic paints
These are paints specially formulated for ceramic surfaces, although you can use acrylic or latex paints on a previously-primed surface. Subjecting the finished product to hardening in low temperature improves the paint’s adhesion, durability, and water resistance.

Aerosol acrylic paints
This type dries quickly and covers well. Extremely handy, they can be applied quickly, and are best-suited for painting irregular surfaces. To be on the safe side of green concerns, use only the type that’s free of fluorocarbons and methylene chloride.