While body tanning products are, for me, mostly for special occasions (who has the time?), facial self-tanners are a staple in my routine year-round. A twice-weekly application gives me a summery, glowing look and allows me to enjoy light or no makeup in the heat.
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The newSt Tropez Sunlit Skin Self Tan Express(£29) develops very quickly (around two to three hours), but not so dramatically that my usual makeup looks odd by midmorning. It’s tinted, which provides instant gratification and is helpful in providing a visible guide for application and blending. The addition of glycerin gives a plump, hydrated finish. My only minor gripe is that it doesn’t love all of my concealers, and pills slightly under anything more vigorous than a tap, but it looks so nice on its own that I am happy to go lightly thereafter.
Celebrity tanner James Read closed his eponymous brand years ago, but is back with a new line, Self Glow, which takes a more natural, eco-conscious approach.Sunbright Tinted Tan Drops(£39) are so easy to use that I can confidently recommend them to a total beginner. Just add three drops to any other product – serum, moisturiser or foundation – and mix before applying as normal. The brown guide colour adds enough tint to prevent missed patches and develops into the real thing – subtle, glowy and believable – in a few hours.
Also back from hiatus is Vita Liberata, my pre-holiday and Glastonbury tan of choice. This Northern Irish brand makes some of the best tanners around (I never go to a photoshoot, festival or holiday destination without their Body Blur, an instant tanning cream removed only by soap and water) and their newest launch isTanning Anti-Age FaceSerum(£32), which can be mixed like the James Read or applied neat after cleansing. The nervous will be glad of its very natural glow that deepens a little with every application.
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Allies of Skin had the very useful idea of making a high-protection SPF containing tanning agent to allow for a one-stop daytime application that develops in colour throughout the morning. I hopeSunless Tan SPF50Sunscreen + Self-Tanner(£56) sparks competitors to make something similar at a lower price. Unfortunately, the Allies of Skin original made my eyes stream until I washed it off, and given that I don’t want white skiing goggles against an otherwise glowy face, I can’t practically avoid the eye area to mitigate the effects. Less sensitive eyes, however, may find it just the ticket.