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The 3 Best Self-Tanners for Beginners to Get a Faux Glow Like a Pro, Tested by Editors

Tested, vetted, and beginner-approved — these faux tan formulas deliver believable color without the learning curve.

By Claire Sullivan Plus Icon

Claire Sullivan

Most self-tanners come with instructions, but a great, believable fake glow can feel more like it warrants a user’s manual longer than your Sephora VIB sale receipt, especially when it’s your first time. There’s the essential skin prep for even application, the matter of applying the product itself, and learning the do’s and don’ts of maintenance. And that doesn’t even cover the most important part: Starting the whole process with one of the best self-tanners for beginners.

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I’ve been testing self-tanners for more than a decade. I’m so obsessed that I’ve made the deeply impractical choice — for a New York City apartment, at least — to house a full-on spray tan machine and pop-up tent to give friends custom spray tans before weddings and red-eye flights. And while I’ve worked with professional-grade solutions, I’ve also tried dozens of at-home self-tanners on the market. So believe me when I say: Not all self-tanners are beginner-friendly.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably waded through the myriad mousses, mists, gels, body lotions, and bronzing drops that promise glowing skin. The active ingredient that tints your skin, DHA, is available in all of the aforementioned formulas, but for beginners, mousses and mists are your best bet.

Gradual lotions sound easy — but building up color requires repeat applications, which often leads to areas of splotchiness around tricky areas like ankles, wrists, and knees. Clear mousses, too, seem foolproof but actually make it harder to see where you’ve already applied product — a recipe for streaks. In my experience, tinted mousses give you the most control, and they’re easy to blend. Mists, on the other hand, diffuse more evenly. (So even if your technique isn’t perfect, the result will still be soft and believable.)

The three self-tanners that I rate as best for beginners include a quick-developing mousse that’s easy to control, a lightweight face mist that builds gradually, and an oil-based mist that delivers rich color and hydration. Once you see that streak-free, sun-kissed (without the damage!) finish in the mirror, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try one of them sooner.

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St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse Tropical Colada

$46

Buy Now at sephora

There’s a reason this express mousse has stayed in my top rotation for years — it delivers consistent, believable results with almost no learning curve. The Tropical Colada scent is beachy without veering into saccharine territory, and the formula itself is tinted, so you can clearly see where it’s going as you work it into your skin.

I recommend using a mitt — always — and sticking to two pumps per limb for even, streak-free coverage. On your first application, try leaving it on for just an hour to test the waters, then gradually work your way up to four hours if you want deeper payoff. In my experience, the color develops evenly, wears well for four to six days, and fades like a professional spray tan: soft, gradual, and never patchy.

Price upon publish date of this article: $46

WWD/ Claire Sullivan

Dolce Glow Acqua Hydrating Self-Tanning Face Mist

$36

Buy Now at Dolce Glow

Face tanning drops get all the hype — but in my opinion, they’re not the most beginner-friendly. That’s why I reach for this Dolce Glow mist when I want foolproof facial color. The mist is superfine, so you won’t have to worry about uneven droplets settling on your cheeks or forehead.

You can layer it over a few days to build a more bronzed effect, or spritz it on once or twice a week to maintain a subtle glow. It’s also great at ensuring spots that usually give away a faux tan — your ears and neck — stay perfectly blended. Technically, you can use it as a setting spray, but I’ve found the best color payoff comes from misting it directly onto clean, dry skin.

Price upon publish date of this article: $36

WWD/ Claire Sullivan

Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Oil Mist

$32

Buy Now at amazon

Buy Now at sephora $32

This oil mist is a bit of an insider pick — most people know Isle of Paradise for their tanning drops, but the Self-Tanning Oil Mist deserves a spotlight, especially for beginners. It gives one of the richest faux tans I’ve tested, and the undertones are shockingly well-balanced. No orange, no green — just a deep, warm bronze that looks like you’ve been sunning in Ojai for the weekend.

The formula is moisturizing, which helps extend the life of your tan, but don’t be tempted to apply it like a body oil. Instead, step into a dry shower or stand over a towel to protect your floors, mist it on generously, and use a mitt to blend as you go. It’s one of the most low-effort, high-impact formulas I’ve tried, fading just as beautifully as it applies.

Price upon publish date of this article: $32

Self-Tanner Tips for Beginners

The way you apply self-tanner has a major impact on the quality and longevity of your faux tan. After much trial and error in applying dozens of faux tan formulas on the market, these are my top tips for a flawless application and long-lasting tan.

Prep starts the day before you apply: Ensure that all exfoliation and hair removal is complete a full 24 hours before you’re planning on applying your faux-tanner. Your pores won’t have time to fully close if you opt to exfoliate, shave, or wax closer to the time of your tan — and this causes little dark dots of product buildup that won’t fade until your tan does.
Apply on clean, dry skin: Perfumes, deodorant, and body lotions are likely to interact with your self-tanner formula, so ensure that you’ve removed any you’re wearing prior to your tan.
Protect your elbows, knees, and ankles from splotchiness: Major joints like your knees and elbows tend to have more folds of skin where self-tanner can settle, making them appear dark or uneven. To prevent this, rub a few dots of body lotion on the elbows, knees, ankles, and wrists.
Take your time with application: The way you apply self-tanner depends on its delivery system. Face mists can be sprayed directly on skin, mousses are best dispensed into the palm of a mitt and massaged on, and body mists are best sprayed on then rubbed in with a mitt. No matter which way you apply the product, take your time massaging it on to ensure that you’ve covered easy-to-miss areas like the backs of your arms or the tops of your feet.
Skip soap on your first rinse: After the self-tanner has developed for the time recommended on its packaging, rinse in a lukewarm shower without soap. If you’ve used a tinted self-tanner (versus a clear one), wait until the water runs clear before toweling off.
Moisturize daily: Dry skin is a self-tanning formula’s number one enemy. To extend the lifespan of your glow, make sure to moisturize with a body butter or cream daily. Seek out an option without mineral oils, which are prone to breaking up the tan. This should also help your tan fade evenly, but if you are left with areas of buildup an exfoliating mitt can help to break up any excess patches.

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Meet the Author

Claire Sullivan is a contributing commerce editor for WWD and Footwear News, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion, and lifestyle stories. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She’s tested hundreds of products during her time as an editor, so she’s well-versed in selecting the products that make a meaningful difference in your skin and hair.

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The 3 Best Self-Tanners for Beginners to Get a Faux Glow Like a Pro, Tested by Editors

Recent Articles by Claire Sullivan

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