Form: Aerosol mist
Tester rating: Excellent
Review: "Quick is right! Body Drench Quick Tan Sunless Tanning Mist's tinted formula made it easy to see where to apply, and the color was very natural -- no orange in sight. The coffee-scented mist dried quickly, usually in less than five minutes. The initial color change was dramatic, about three shades darker on fair skin after the first application. Subsequent applications only deepened the tone by about one shade. Tips: Exfoliate before application and either wear gloves or wash hands often during the process [to prevent tan hands]. Also, though the directions advise against it, you may want to rub in lightly to make the application seamless. (The spray is a very intense color and doesn't distribute evenly straight from the can.) The tan maintained its color with a reapplication every two days and lasted at least five days with no further applications." -- Mandy
Form: Lotion
Tester rating: Poor
Review: "Horrific is the only word that can describe what my legs looked like after using Tarte Sunburst Body Beaded Bronzing Lotion With Self tanner. The lotion had little beads of color in it that burst when you applied them. The beads burst all right; my legs looked like they were bleeding. I tried to rub it in, but after 10 minutes, I simply gave up and had to scrub it off. (Luckily, I forgot to exfoliate before applying so I had no permanent stains.) Initially the lotion seemed harmless, with no scent and a good consistency. I wasn't skeptical about the beads of color because the box clearly said that they would burst with pressure; I just had no idea how much pressure it took. Another reason the lotion looked shocking was because the pigment was too dark in contrast with my pale skin." -- Mary
With a new crop of self tanners debuting annually, it's hard to spot the bronzing beauties among the bad seeds. Our panel of testers spent a week trying the latest and reportedly greatest bottled tans to hit the shelves -- from rich, tinted creams to hi-tech mists. Find out which formulas won them over and which made them streaky.