Summer is the perfect time to give yourself a more tan, glowing complexion, but getting too much sun isn't the healthiest. For this reason, we have compiled a list of the best self-tanners for 2009 that will help you get the bronze look you desire without the risk of damaging your skin.
Best Overall Application
Clarins Delicious Self-Tanning Cream- We love this cream because it's easy to use and formulated with aloe vera to moisturize and cocoa beans to help prevent premature aging. Its golden color guarantees you don't miss a spot, and because it comes in a tub rather than a spray can, you won't be cleaning up spots all over your bathroom after applying. $42, nordstrom.com
Best for Face
Jergens Natural Glow Daily Facial Moisturizer- For an everyday glow and the protection of SPF 20, this oil-free moisturizing facial self-tanner delivers the perfect amount of natural-looking color. It absorbs quickly and wears well under makeup. $7.49, drugstore.com
Best For Travel
L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes are packaged in individual wrappers, making them perfect for travel. One towelette is enough to cover our entire body, and the result is a natural-looking tan-- no orange in sight. We found it best to apply in a circular motion for a streak-free finish. The smell isn't our favorite, but subsides after a day. $8.99 for 6, drugstore.com
Most Dependable
Neutrogena Sun Fresh Foam should be in your sunless tanning arsenal if it isn't already. Cherished by its loyal users for years, this citrus-smelling foam goes on clear, develops a golden glow in a few hours and dries quickly once applied. $9.99, drugstore.com
Best Import
Lancaster Easy Bronze Milky Spray SPF 6- As the authority in the field of prestige sun-care products in Europe's, we now have access to these best sellers. Easy Bronze Milky Spray can be applied at any angle, even upside-down, making it very user-friendly. The result is a streak-free golden glow that lasts for days. $27, spalook.com
Best For Customization
Aveeno Continuous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion- The innovative, dual-chambered package has a dial design that allows the user to choose the depth of color to be applied and can be readjusted until the desired shade of bronze is met. $12.99, target.com
Best Fool-Proof Kit
Mystic Tan Perfect Tan Kit for Face ensures the perfect tan with its 3-step system. Gone are the days of over-application thanks to the uber-genius base that increases color depth and saturation in all the right places. $54, sephora.com
Best Multi-Purpose Formula
Hourglass Solar Tan Self-Tanning Primer is just what we gals-on-the-go love. A primer and self-tanner in one, this glow-giving product leaves skin moisturized and prepped for your foundation. Subtle color develops over five days for a more radiant, natural look. $60, sephora.com
Best Smelling Formula
Bliss A Tan For All Seasons- A user favorite, this antioxidant-rich formula provides a gradual, believable color without the typical "self tanner stink" thanks citrus-scented odor-repelling actives that mask the smell of DHA. $36, blissworld.com
Fastest Dark Tan
Bare Escentuals Faux Tan- This super-hydrating formula dries quickly and delivers instant color ensuring you won't miss a spot. Maximum color develops in a few hours and lasts for up to a week. We recommend wearing gloves to apply this one, as the formula is highly tinted. $22, bareescentuals.com










This was our top golden pick for a gradual tanner. The smooth lightly scented formula is loaded with high levels of glycerin to keep skin super hydrated even after the tan tint appears. We also loved that Olay didn't rub off on our sheets and towels as much as its competitors.
Quick Tan excels at creating a browner bronze that sprays dark and dries fast. You have to use your latex gloves to ensure an even glow - and work fast - but this brown lasts and lasts. Mist your body in your shower area for a quick clean up after tanning.
The dial a shade container allows you to start out light and customize the exact deepness of your tan. Aveeno Continuous Radiance formula is oil-free, but loaded with moisture rich soy to keep your skin soft for up to 24 hours. The lotion works streak-free on legs and even arms as long as you start out in a lighter shade and work your way to deep dark bronze in a few applications.




This is the new craze in gradual tanners and let me tell you, oh do they work! I like Sally Hansen's because the scent is clean and the color is golden brown. It takes about a week to get a brown frame and about ten days to really notice a much softer hair growth in between shaving. Smooth Glow lasts longer than other gradual tanners because you are shaving less and therefore there is less exfoliation. 

Liz Earle's Sun Shade Botanical Tan Spray is a plant based formula that comes in a pump spray bottle. The glycerin used for tanning comes from organic sugar beets and its melanin from sunflowers. It claims to be odor-free, although we did smell a slight scent. It's as chemical-free as a sunless tanner gets. Check out the rest of Liz Earle's naturally active product line. It's just a matter of time before it explodes in the US. 

