WHAT I’M WEARING // Becca One Piece Swimsuit via Everything But Water c/o | Yellow Headband | Circle Tote | Sunglasses | Necklace | Kendra Scott Bracelets
You don’t need to bake in the sun for hours to get a gorgeous tan. Did anyone else spend their teenage year summer weekends “laying out”? Those days for me are long gone and I’ve realized that the potential sun damage is just not worth the exchange for a real tan.
So how do I achieve a bronzed glow at home? Self tanning doesn’t have to be difficult and depending on the products you use, it can be applied relatively quickly, inexpensively and with no down time. I’ve tried a lot of different products over the last few months and have discovered a handful that I really love! These won’t streak and I promise you won’t end up looking orange 😛
If you’re looking for a once-and-done type of tan, then you’ll likely want to use a tanning mousse or mist. These tend to have deeper formulas with long-lasting effects, similar to if you went into a salon for a spray tan.
SELF TANNING MOUSSES & MISTS
St. Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse— the OG self tanner! This was the first tanning mousse I ever tried and has been a favorite of mine for over five years! It blends into skin so seamlessly and all you need is one application to get a gorgeous dark summer tan. I recommend putting it on with a tanning mitt rubbing in circular motions (I have this mitt) and then waiting at least 8+ hours before showing or getting skin wet. I’ve also found that St. Tropez gives me one of the most long-lasting tans too and depending on how aggressively I shower mine will stick around for at least five days.
L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Tanning Mist— no tanning mitt required! This self tanning spray is so easy to apply and the product never needs to touch your hands. I usually will stand in my shower to apply it and then similar to St. Tropez, wait at least 8 hours before showering. I find that this one dries faster than most tanners and won’t transfer to clothing or bed sheets. The only downside is that it does take more than one application to really give you a dark tan, but since it’s so simple to apply you could easily incorporate it into your routine 2-3 times a week.
NKD SKIN Tinted Tan Mousse— a recent self tanner discovery! This one isn’t as aggressive as St. Tropez in that I didn’t have to wait 8 hours for my tan to appear, plus it dried almost immediately. It’s also a lot cheaper too. It’s a great option if you’re looking for something easy without the wait time. PS you’ll definitely want to apply this one using a mitt!
As much as I love the deep look tanning mousses and mists give my skin, I don’t always have the time to apply these every week. Solution? Tanning towelettes. These are SO easy to use, dry instantly and give close to the same effect. You can also pack them with you when you travel!
SELF TANNING TOWELETTES
TanTowel Full-Body Plus 6-Pack–these towels come in two shades: classic and dark. I have the dark and love how one towel gives my entire body a nice even glow. It takes a few uses to get a super dark tan, but the instant dry time is such a big bonus! These have a nice light citrus scent too.
Kate Somerville 360° Tanning Towelettes— a little bit pricier than TanTowel, but I’d say my tan is much more lang-lasting. I have even used these on my face too!
Looking for a product you can use everyday to maintain a subtle glow? You’re going to want these in your life asap!
GRADUAL SELF TANNERS
Isle Of Paradise Self Tanning Drops— As much as I love a one-and-done self tanner, the application process can feel like a chore. Say hello to TANNING DROPS. When I discovered these it was like finding the holy grail! I raved about them in my 2018 Best Of Body Care Favorites post because these are so easy to use. You just mix a drop with a bump of your body lotion, apply to skin and instant natural glow! The more drops you use = darker tan. These come in 3 different shades: light, medium and dark. I personally go back and forth between the medium and dark depending on how I’m feeling. The only downside to these drops is I can’t use them on my face. Even though they say safe for the face, my skin is just too sensitive and prone to blemishes.
Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water— Similar to a tanning mist, but much easier to use everyday. It dries instantly and you can also blend this in directly using your hands. The formula color corrects and evens out skin tone, so it’s a great product to use if you are trying to fix tan lines!
FOR THE FACE
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops— Self tanners do not work on my face the same way as my body. My skin is just too sensitive and I find that the formulas clog my pores giving a dirty-looking effect. It’s frustrating, but there is a solution! These bronzing drops aren’t permanent, but give skin an instant glow without the irritation (thanks to the clean vitamin-packed formula). I mix a small pump in with my serum before applying my makeup and find it bumps up my skin tone to more closely match the rest of my body. Super easy and I don’t have to fear getting pimps or blemishes. You can actually use this anywhere on your body too!
Gigi says
I remember lying in the sun for hours in the summer.
How much damage we did to our skin. If we only knew and had all the items that are out today to tan, it would have been grand.
Kayla says
St. Tropez is my holy grail self-tanner! Great post.
Christiane says
I really love the St. Tropez product line and I am definitely going to try the Isle of Paradise drops!
My only problem is, what do you do with your hands and feet? Stop at your wrists and ankle?
Because the inside of your hands and your feet are really prone for getting orange and uneven.
Brandi says
I am light to medium skin tone so I bought the medium water and got a sample of the drops. I patch tested the drops using 6 drops in my lotion, in a hidden area. No results after 5 hours. I’m guessing you should use the full 12 drops recommended…??? I swatched the water and saw results in about 3 hours. Amazing results, so I did my entire body. The water spritzed on like tanning oil and it’s super easy to blend. I do one body part at a time, and use a makeup wipe to clean my palms, after both legs then after both arms…etc. As far as feet and hands, blend all areas but your feet and hands first, leaving less “water to blend into your feet and hands. While your skin is still damp, rub your knuckles and toes on a makeup wipe..lightly. Also, I have found that wiping the inside of your wrist lightly on a wipe, will give you more of a natural effect. I typically do not tan very well on thinner skinned areas and I obviously dont want a direct cut off line from my palm to arm. It will also keep the water from settling in the creases of your inner wrist causing weird, obvious self tanner lines. Use a wet wash cloth or fresh makeup wipe to wipe your palms and in between your fingers and toes. (I will use a fingernail brush, with soap, to scrub my palms and in between my fingers, after I’m completely finished just as a precautionary measure. I’m a little anal about my hands. I can hide my feet but I cant hide my hands)
My facial skin is not sensitive so I will mist my face and blend as I do my moisturizer. Making sure to blend from face to ears and neck. I start with lower extremities and work my way up. There will be residual mist flying around, hitting your face and especially under your chin. If you do your face last, you have a better chance of not being blotchy, where people see you first.