My Top At-Home Sunless Tanners for Spring & Summer

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Oh, where to even begin when it comes to sunless tanning?  I am probably the palest person you will ever come across in your life, no joke.  I went through a phase in college (I’m sure you can go back to the archives of PIPM and see for yourself) where I literally got about 2 spray tans a week.  I looked a lot like oompa loompa and loved every second of it.  After college and after getting married, I kind of stopped caring about looking tan and just embraced my paleness.  I do love my pale skin, but it just doesn’t photograph well at all.  I end up looking washed out and ghostly.  I also just feel so blah when I am alabaster in appearance, so I’ve found a happy medium that works for me in getting the occasional “light color” spray tan and using at home products.

I’m going to go through each of these individually, but I want to start out by saying I don’t really like to be that dark.  I like a little bit of color and really cannot stand the streaky at home look a lot of girls are rocking from that scary dark St. Tropez mouse.  I prefer to play with the lighter shades as it affords me more room for error.  I am also going to introduce you to a product you had no idea that you needed in your life, and that my friends is BODY SHIMMER.  Yes, you read that right!  This isn’t your old school Bath & Body works, cheerleading camp, slumber party body shimmer.  This is a new wave of slimming, skin tightening, J LO Glow body shimmers that make you feel like a Victoria’s Secret runway model.

The Gradual Tans

Jergens Natural Glow Body– this is my tried and true product that I’ve literally used since I was in high school.  I like the soft and natural look this gradual tan gives.  I kind of hate the smell but it’s something that I’ve gotten used to over the years.  If you want a very minimal glow that is buildable, this product is for you.

Jergens Natural Glow Face– I think you’d be fine applying the Jergens Natural Glow body to your face but I have also used the face version for years and it gives the same natural glow to the skin on your face.  I will usually apply this as my last step in my skincare routine before bed.

St. Tropez Gradual Tan Face– I got this at Sephora not too long ago and I really like it despite all of the bad reviews saying it doesn’t give enough color.  For me it really does give a nice glow in addition to making my skin feel really soft and look healthy.  There are some other added ingredients to help even skintone and minimize pores.

The Tans

St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse– I really love the color that this OG St. Tropez bronzing mousse gives.  If I am wanting to look pretty dark (for me) I will use this after showering.  In the dogwood tree pictures above, this was the sunless tanner that I had used the night before.  Make sure you use a mitt- I’ve used my hands several times out of pure laziness and I always end up with dirty looking palms.

Isle of Paradise Tan Drops– hello ease and convenience!  These little drops are genius- you just add them to your lotion and they give you really nice color without the smell.  I got the medium color and they work great for me.  I think I am going to purchase the dark color too just to see what happens when I mix the medium and the dark.  I also use these mixed with face cream sometimes.  Just a warning, these are sold out all the time on Sephora’s website, so you may need to go in store to purchase.

The Shimmers

Vita Liberata Blur– alright, let’s just say that if you have a special event or date night that you need to look smokin’ hot for, you need this product.  This body blur is like all of your J LO and Carrie Underwood shimmer leg dreams come true.  It will conceal cellulite, spider veins, rough skin … you name it.  I wouldn’t use this product every day, but for the right occasion it is key.

Charlotte Tilbury Super Model Body– this is one of my holy grail products!  Yes, it’s insanely expensive for what it is, but this stuff will make you feel so good about yourself!  This Super Model Body product goes on feeling really cool and instantly smooths and slims. It is enriched with botanicals and skin de-puffing agents to create an optical illusion of longer, leaner limbs and firmer contours.

Just to give you an idea of the body shimmers, I have demoed them for the following pictures.  In the picture above I am not wearing any product at all besides my base tan which was the St. Tropez Mousse.  As you can see the tan looks good but it looks dry and flat.  I then applied Charlotte Tilbury Supermode Body on the left leg and Vita Liberata Blur on the right leg which you can see in the photo below.

It’s kind of hard to tell, but you can see that the Charlotte Tilbury gives more of an even skinton, shimmery, healthy glow whereas the Vita Liberata Blur literally is like applying makeup to your leg.  I would personally wear the Charlotte Tilbury every day and the Vita Liberata for special occasions.  Also, be aware that the Charlotte Tilbury doesn’t transfer onto clothes at all but the Vita Liberata can definitely get on your clothes if your skin is rubbed up against a clothing item.

Alright gals, what’s your favorite at-home sunless tanners?