St Tropez
st. tropez,fake tan,tanning
St Tropez Whipped Bronze
Tan: St Tropez Whipped Bronze, £15.90
Type: Foam
‘I\'ve never used tanning products before, so this was a real experience for me! This frothy, foam tanner had a very subtle scent and was oh-so easy to use - simply apply as needed, leaving 5 minutes to dry and around 3 hours for the colour to develop. It worked pretty well! I\'m fair skinned so was wary, but it didn\'t streak, or go orange, so I\'m very impressed with the results. Foolproof, even for the fair-skinned.\'
Katherine Mingey, 27, Intern, Harrow
Rating: 4/5
Stockists: 0115 983 6399
Lancôme
Lancome,fake tan,tanning
Lancôme Soleil Flash Bronzer Self-Tanning Face Gel
Tan: Lancôme Soleil Flash Bronzer Self-Tanning Face Gel, £20
Type: Gel
‘I haven\'t tried a face tanner before, I usually stick to bronzers, but this product may just have converted me! The packaging is typically Lancôme; Sophisticated and upmarket, and the gel itself is clear, which is appealing visually but can make it tricky when it comes to application. Luckily, this gel was smooth and very easy to apply, to blend, and it absorbed well. No muss, no fuss. It didn\'t even leave my towels brown! The scent was minimal and the result was a healthy, natural looking glow. Lovely.\'
Michelle Gilmore, 35, Project Director, London
Rating: 4.5/5
Clinique
Clinique,fake tan,tanning
Clinique Touch of Bronze Moisturising Body Lotion
Tan: Clinique Touch of Bronze Moisturising Body Lotion, £15
Type: Cream
‘I try to fake tan at least once a week, so I was keen to try out this new tanner. The cream is quite thick and smells a bit chemical-like, but it does absorb well and develops very quickly - no waiting around. This is a strong colour and is a good choice for the seasoned fake-tanner - I wouldn\'t recommend it for fake-tan-virgins as any mistakes are very obvious (my elbows are proof!) Also, do use a glove during application as your hands will tan quickly and are a dead giveaway.\'
Louise Bury, 22, PR and Insight, Bolton
Rating: 3/5
Stockists: 0870 034 2566 and clinique.co.uk
Dior
Dior,fake tan,tanning
Dior Bronze Self Tanner Natural Glow Body
Tan: Dior Bronze Self Tanner Natural Glow Body, £21
Type: Gel
‘I use fake tans as and when needs, though I usually opt for moisturisers with a hint of tan, but I was looking forward to trying this tanner as I\'ve got a real love of Dior\'s luxurious beauty buys. The scent was a lot nicer than most fake tans, it\'s perfumed to avoid that ‘wet dog\' smell (!) and the texture is thick, creamy and totally non-sticky. It\'s very easy to apply - only took 5 minutes for my whole bod, but the colour took around 8 hours to develop, so make sure you give yourself enough time. The results were rich, gorgeously bronzed and very natural-looking, however, it is prone to streakiness so it\'s a must to be a fake-tan veteran, and not snow-whites!\'
Bridget March, 24, Editorial Assistant, London
Rating: 4/5
Elemis
Elemis,fake tan,tanning
Elemis Total Glow Self Tanning Cream
Tan: Elemis Total Glow Self Tanning Cream, £21
Type: Cream
‘I use fake tans once or twice a week after exfoliating and moisturising, but this self-tanner was new to me. It looks fab - a gorgeous pale gold packaging; very premium and not like a fake tan at all. And it smells lovely, like a rich Aftersun - and definitely didn\'t give out any of that suspect fake tan smell during development. It has a thick texture, which means it takes a while to rub in - but at least you know you\'ve rubbed it in evenly and it\'s not greasy in the slightest. My skin felt really nourished and moisturised after application, and after around 2-3 hours, a subtle light tan began to develop. The result was light, even and streak-free. A great tanner, but if you require more of a deep colour, I would definitely recommend a few more applications.\'
Kate Mitchell, 30, Assistant Accountant, Southampton
Rating: 4/5
Stockist: timetospa.co.uk
Lancôme
Lancome,fake tan,tanning
Lancôme Flash Bronzer Airbrush
Tan: Lancôme Flash Bronzer Airbrush, £20
Type: Spray
‘I\'m a big fan of Lancôme, especially the Juicy Tubes and Blusher, so I was excited about trying this. This tanner had a lovely fresh-smelling scent, and the fact it was a spray made it easier to apply on those hard to reach areas. It took around 8-10 minutes to apply fully, and just another 5 minutes on top to dry. Creates a lovely golden glow after 1-2 hours, but be warned, as the product was clear, it can be difficult to see the areas you have already applied, so be sure to start at the bottom and work your way to help you keep track.\'
Claire Higgins, 25, Head of Marketing, London.
Rating: 3.5/5
Model Co
fake tan,tanning
Model Co Self Tanning Spray
Tan: Model Co Self Tanning Spray, £30
Type: Spray
‘This was so easy to do and the results really looked like a professional tan. The mist was very fine and the area it covered was larger than most that I have used. The spray itself had a soft bronze colouring that helped me be sure that I had applied it evenly and I was able to safely use it immediately before going out. Once the colour developed, it was smooth and even and lasted for about 4-5 days. I also loved the multi-directional spray - it made it easy to do harder to reach areas...though I still found it a little bit easier when I applied it for a girlfriend and she applied it for me. Great smell, no lingering pong. I would highly recommend this self-tanner to anyone...even the completely uninitiated! Full marks.\'
John Gustafson, Celebrity make-up Artist
Rating: 5/5
Stockists: Space.NK
Givenchy
Givenchy,fake tan,tanning
Givenchy Tan To Go for Face
Tan: Givenchy Tan To Go for Face, £27
Type: Smells gorgeous - really freshly fragranced. Especially considering it is a fake tan! It\'s boxed in the kind of stunning packaging you\'d expect from Givenchy, and has great instructions for use. This fine mist felt very soft on the skin and was sooo quick to apply, you literally just spritz it on. The colour was instant and made a big impact - it even looks great on pale skin. Perfect for maintaining a tan on your face after holidays and even better for getting a fabulous glow for special occasions.\'
Bridget March, 24, Editorial Assistant, London
Rating: 4.5/5
Now learn the secrets of how to apply fake tan with ease thanks to handbag TV
Sisley
Sisley,fake tan,tanning
Sisley Self-Tanning Lotion Spray for Body
Tan: Sisley Self-Tanning Lotion Spray for Body, £52
Type: Spray
‘I love this brand, so was excited about trying this tanner. The scent is a bit overpowering, like strong alcohol! Not too strong during developing time but is very strong on application. The liquid dries so fast you\'ll need to be on your toes to rub it in quickly so it doesn\'t dry streaky. Where the tanner is clear, it is difficult to tell where you have rubbed it in, so there is definitely room for errors and patchiness if you don\'t spend time and attention putting it on. Not one for fake-tan virgins. I was impressed with the results - an even, light and subtle glow. If you want a more noticeable tan, I\'d recommend applying over the course of a week to see a true colour - if you can bare the smell!\'
Kate Mitchell, 30, Assistant Accountant, Southampton
Rating: 2.5/5
Stockists: 020 75916381
