Summer is here & that means pool days, sangria and that summer glow!
For the past two months, I’ve been trying & testing out different self tanners for you guys in hopes that this could be a super helpful post when it comes to picking out or buying a self tanner for yourself. My goal is to keep trying new ones, each from different retailers & in different price ranges and then continue to update this post as time goes on.
As much as I love laying by the pool, let’s be honest, not everyone has time for that AND too much sun ages your skin…..thanks but no thanks!
But how good do you feel when you have an amazing tan?!?! Your clothes fit better, your skin glows and you overall just feel a little bit more confident.
So let’s get into each of the sunless tanners I tried and then I’ll be answering frequently asked questions at the end!
St. Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse
Dry time: Dries in about 10 minutes.
Easy to apply: Super easy AND the more you do it, the better you get at it – applying this one with a mitt is KEY.
Sticky? Only while it’s drying. Once you don’t feel sticky anymore, you know you are dry.
Rub off on clothes & sheets? Slightly if you don’t wash it off in 4 hours or so. If you sleep in it and don’t shower the next day, it will run if you sweat or get wet.
Foam? Oil? Lotion? Foam like mousse that blends well.
Final Color: A deep looking tan that looks real and not orange.
Scent: Barely any scent!
How long does it last: I can make one application last about a week if I keep my skin moisturized.
Price: $42
Hydrate or drying? Very hydrating.
Safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding? Yes on both! You can read more about that here.
Overall review: I’ve used St. Tropez for years and it’s still one of my favorites. It overall just gives you a super natural looking tan and it actually works! I apply it with this mitt to get a super blended and not streaky tan look.
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Josie Maran Argan Liquid Gold Self Tanning Oil
Dry time: Dries in about 5-10 minutes.
Easy to apply: Very easy to apply and comes with a mitt.
Sticky? No.
Rub off on clothes & sheets? Slightly if you don’t wash it off in 4 hours or so. If you sleep in it and don’t shower the next day, it will run if you sweat or get wet.
Foam? Oil? Lotion? Oil.
Final Color: NOTHING. And I’m not joking. I tested it THREE times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. I didn’t notice any tan look at all.
Scent: I got the Vanilla Apricot one and I honestly couldn’t stand it. It gave me a headache.
How long does it last: Not sure because I didn’t see any results.
Price: $38 and comes with the mitt
Hydrate or drying? Unknown.
Safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding? Yes on both! It’s made with natural & “clean” ingredients.
Overall review: If you can’t tell already, I wasn’t a fan. The oil was a little strange when I was applying it, the mitt kept slipping and like I said before, I didn’t see any tan color whatsoever on my skin. Oh, and that smell…..ugh.
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Vita Liberata pHenomenal Tan
Dry time: Dries in about 10 minutes.
Easy to apply: Very easy to apply & rubs in nicely.
Sticky? It’s sticky until it dries.
Rub off on clothes & sheets? A LOT! My sheets after sleeping in this tanner were definitely brown stained.
Foam? Oil? Lotion? Mousse.
Final Color: A good medium shade tan but with a slight tinge of orange.
Scent: Smells like tanner. Not too over powering but you can smell it.
How long does it last: 4-7 days.
Price: $54
Hydrate or drying? Pretty hydrating.
Safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding? Yes on both! It’s paraben-free & sulfate-free.
Overall review: This one was just “ok” for me. I don’t think I would buy the full size for the price it’s listed at.
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St. Moriz Fast Tanning Mousse
Dry time: Dries in about 5-10 minutes.
Easy to apply: Very easy to apply & rubs in nicely. I used a mitt.
Sticky? It’s sticky until it dries.
Rub off on clothes & sheets? A little bit but nothing crazy.
Foam? Oil? Lotion? Mousse.
Final Color: A good medium shade tan with no orange tint.
Scent: A slight smell of tanner but not bad.
How long does it last: About 4 days.
Price: $12.99
Hydrate or drying? Hydrating. It’s made with olive milk and vitamin E, so I think that helps.
Safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding? Unsure. I can’t find that info on this one.
Overall review: For $12.99, this one is GREAT! It’s super similar to the St.Tropez one except for the tan doesn’t last as long and it smells a little bit more.
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Questions from you guys:
1.) Do you wash it off that night or sleep in it?
For the best tan results, I’ve found that sleeping in it overnight gets you the deepest looking tan.
2.) Do you use a mitt?
Yes, I always use a mitt now as I feel it spreads the tan more evenly & doesn’t leave you with orange hands or a streaky tan. My favorite mitts to use so far have been the Loving Tan mitts! They last longer than the other mitts I’ve used and really do apply the product evenly over the skin.
3.) Do you self tan your face too?
I don’t! I use the self tanner all the way up to my jaw line and on my neck. I then just add bronzer to my face to even out my face with the rest of my body. I haven’t had great luck with using self tanner on my face as I feel that it turns out too orange or uneven in color.
4.) How do you do your hands?
I do my hands LAST after I rub the self tanner all over my arm. Whatever I have left on the mitt I LIGHTLY rub over the top of my hand, in between my fingers & in the palm of my hand. Sometimes it feels like no product is being rubbed on, and that’s ok. Light strokes & great blending will give you even, tan hands.
5.) Does it ruin nail polish?
I’ve never had any self tanners ruin nail polish before and I get white polish on my nails a lot in the summer.
6.) Is it safe while pregnant?
Each one is different, so do your research. All of the ones I listed above (except for the St.Moriz because I couldn’t find that info) are safe to use while pregnant and breastfeeding. But like usual, when you are pregnant and wanting to try or use something new, you should consult with your doctor first.
7.) Have you ever done any other blog posts on sunless tanner?
Yes! You can read that post HERE. I explain a little bit more in detail how I apply the self tanner and they steps I take to prep for a good tan.
8.) So after trying all of these, which one is your overall favorite?
I have to still say St. Tropez. It overall gave me the deepest looking tan, stays on the longest, doesn’t have a super strong scent and blends really nicely.
UPDATE JULY 2019
I’ve recently added and tried a couple of new tanning products this year, so I wanted to hop on and update this post for you all!
LOVING TAN 2HR EXPRESS IN SHADE “DARK”
- This was my first time using any Loving Tan products and overall I LOVED it. It doesn’t smell, dries super fast and leaves you SUPER dark and tan. The only thing I noticed was that it faded a little more blotchy then the St. Tropez tanner. Per usual, I apply the tanner at night and sleep in it for maximum tanning results & I always use a glove. The Loving Tan glove is absolutely amazing and leaves a smooth overall even tan when used.
BODY BLUR SUNLESS GLOW
- Ok, this is the game changer product! This body blur is more like a body makeup as it’s thick like a lotion and makes your skin look flawless. I only use a tiny bit on the same tanning mitt and rub it onto my legs in a circular motion the morning after my tan has been set for more than 10 hours or so. I’ve also applied it about 30 minutes after my self tanner has dried the same day and it works just as well. This body blur sunless glow makes your skin appear even more tan but also smooths imperfections and adds a slight shimmer to your skin. IT’S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Once you shower, it pretty much washes off, so I apply it anytime after I shower and want a natural looking tan again. I’ll apply my sunless tanner once a week and this body blur about twice a week. (Ps. Don’t be afraid when you first put it on, as it’s definitely different than other products. But remember, it works!)
I’m going to be sharing a little tutorial over on my Instagram stories on how I apply these products, so head there to see all the details!
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Hoping this helps answer all of your self tanning questions! Did I miss something? Leave me a comment & I’ll update this post with the answer!
Also, do me a favor….if you have Pinterest, pin this post!
I want this to be THE place that you guys go for all of your self tanning questions!
And remember, I will keep updating this post each time I try a new tanning product, so make sure you check back from time to time.
