With Summer finally here, I thought it would be the prefect time to talk about my favorite self-tanning products!  Skin protection has been huge for me over the past 5 years, and so I prefer to get color on my skin other ways than laying out to avoid sun damage and skin cancer!

I have three favorite self-tanning products I use on a regular basis during the Summer months and they give my skin the perfect glow!  I use each one for different reasons and at different times, but swear by these three!

MOUSSE

St. Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse & Mitt

For the most dramatic and darkest tan, I use a tanning mousse.  My absolute favorite is the St. Tropez Classic.  I’ve tried so many other brands and formulas and this one is the most natural for me and the easiest to use.  One mistake I feel that people often make with tanning mousses is not using a mitt.  Using a tanning mitt is an absolute MUST when applying a mousse!!!  This will apply the tanning product much more evenly and will keep your hands from getting that horrible orange coloring.  And it’s only $6.  Definitely don’t skimp on this part because it really does make all of the difference!

Before I apply this mousse (or any self tanning product!), I shave and exfoliate with a loofa in the shower.  Then, I put a couple of pumps of mousse onto the mitt on my hand and apply the product to my skin in a circular motion.  This applies the mousse evenly and most naturally.  Within about 3-5 minutes, my skin is completely dry.  I typically apply it before bed and then rinse it off when I wake up in the morning.  If you want a quicker tan, try the express formula (a little more difficult to work with).  And if you want a lighter tan, shower off sooner!

This mousse does have a slight “tan” smell, but not any worse than other products I’ve used (actually a little better).  It also does get on your sheets that first night, but washes out completely.  It dries quickly and is not difficult to apply.  You definitely do not have to be a self-tanning expert to get an even tan with this mousse + mitt combo!  It is not as dark as the express versions, but also harder to screw up!

LOTION

Beauty by Earth Self Tanner

If tanning mousses make you nervous, or if you want a more subtle, natural tan, try this lotion!  It’s an Amazon Prime find and works really well!  I still like to apply it with a mitt just to make sure that it doesn’t get stuck on my hands or in between my fingers.  Again, just put the lotion onto the mitt and then apply to your skin in a circular motion.

This is a really buildable tanning product, so I would suggest applying a thin layer at night and seeing what the color looks like the next morning.  Then, you can add a second layer if you want a darker color!  The lotion formula really is more fool-proof than any, so if you are new to self tanners I would try this one first!

This is also a great product to use in conjunction with the tanning mousse.  I like to bring this on vacation with me to maintain a glow while I’m gone and so that I don’t have to travel with the mousse and mitt.  It’s also perfect to add a little color between the times I use the mousse.

TANNING DROPS

Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Color Drops

The newest product to my self-tanning regimen are these tanning drops.  I personally don’t apply the mousse or lotion to my face, and typically would just match my makeup to the rest of my body.  But now, I actually can get some color on my face without makeup using these!  And they smell so good!

They are super simple to use: just add drops to your facial moisturizer every few days.  I personally use the “dark” shade and feel that they aren’t very dark at all.  You can also adjust the darkness by how many drops you add.  For me, 4-5 drops mixed with my face moisturizer at night gives me a good amount of color!  6 is too many, but 3 isn’t really enough.  You also can use these with regular lotion all over your body, I just feel that uses up the bottle extremely quick and isn’t as noticeable as the two methods I shared above!