I'm always slightly concerned about the long-term effects the tanning agent dihydroxyacetone (DHA) could have on my health (before slathering myself in self-tanner anyway), but Elemental Herbology Sun Kiss, $52, lets me bronze away without worry. The formula is "an eco-certified botanical self-tanning agent" that uses a sugar beet-derived ingredient to give the skin color. Best of all, there's no need to apply moisturizer afterward. The bio-oils (watermelon seed, macadamia and olive) in it left my skin silky-soft.
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When you desperately need a vacation
I would stock up on Xen-Tan Moroccan Tan, $35, based on the scent alone. This self-tanner delivers the perfect golden hue along with a tropical coconut scent that miraculously doesn't remind me of sunscreen. Though this product does dry quickly, it will stain your clothes if you happen to get the wet product on it. So don't throw on your clothes and rush out the door to show off your newly bronzed skin before the tanner has a chance to dry. (Guilty!)
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For the budget-conscious
A self-tanner habit can get expensive (especially in the warmer months that call for bare legs). Suave Visible Glow Gradual Tanner (a Total Beauty award winner), $6.97, is a drugstore option that's just as good as pricier versions. The gradual formula takes daily use for about a week to build up to a deep color, but does spare you the embarrassment of everyone wondering how you became insta-tan. And the scent? Nonexistent.
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If you seek a long-term relationship
If you have extra-dry skin like me, self-tanners that promise long-lasting results usually don't last as long. Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Lotion, $54, is the exception. The gel-like formula lasted a full week with zero reapplications before it began fading naturally. After discovering that I should apply the product three times, letting the color develop for three to 24 hours between applications, I was able to get up to two weeks of a just-came-back-from-vacation glow. A piece of advice: Ditch the tanning mitt and resolve to wash your hands multiple times. The gel consistency of the product soaks into the mitt, making it difficult to apply.
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If you like to multitask
The problem with having the bronzed skin of a devoted self-tanner is a face that one may label "alabaster" sans makeup. I'd like to say I don't have a separate set of makeup for when I'm faking a tan, but that would be a lie. Enter: Tarte Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Face and Body Self-Tanner, $39, which allows me to ditch that extra makeup. The formula, which contains vitamins E and A and plant derivatives, has no detectable smell (even when it's applied literally right under your nose).
Summertime means shorts, and shorts mean baring those ghostly pale winter legs you've been hiding beneath jeans all season. Rather than turning to a tanning bed this season, give your skin a boost of color the healthy way with one of these new self-tanners. But before you start grumbling about acrid smells, Oompa Loompa color or obvious-from-a-mile-away streaks, think again. These new instant self-tanners and gradual self-tanners are nothing like the old products you've tried and thrown out in the past. Some of the best self-tanners for face and body in years have hit the market recently -- products that work overnight, last for weeks and even (if you can believe it) smell as good as regular lotions.
