I’m Obsessed With St. Tropez Self-Tan Bronzing Lotion

Summer is looming just over the horizon. Warm weather, long, lazy days, and bare skin are just weeks away. It’s that time of year when women get obsessed with tans. Spray tans, tanning beds, self-tanners…women are constantly on the hunt for the prettiest glow. But if you prefer to get your tan in your bathroom, you know that it can be a trying process; believable color is hard to come by, and streaking, blotchiness, and orange mishaps are par for the course. It may be time to try St. Tropez Self-Tan Bronzing Lotion ($30 for 8oz.), because, I promise you, this will be the last one you ever buy. I really can’t say enough good things about this lotion; it truly may be the perfect self-tanner.

Find out why!

One pump of the bottle dispenses a supersmooth lotion the color of mud. I was a bit alarmed at first because it looked really dark (and i’m really pale), but the color mellowed to a golden glow as I applied it. It went on smooth, with no streaks, and dried quickly.

After the initial application, I thought I had nice, subtle color. It looked like a real tan, not the standard orange-y cast I’d been getting from so many drugstore brands. But it wasn’t dramatic; I was just a little toastier than usual. But, I woke up in the morning, and tada! My skin looked like I spent a week on some tropical island. Except if I actually did spend a week basking in the sun’s glow, I wouldn’t tan; my skin would just turn pink and freckly. So this stuff made me look like I had the lovely, cocoa-colored skin of my dreams. What’s not to love about that?

Another nice thing about this lotion is it can be applied to your body and face without irritating or clogging pores. I’ve been using it on my face and have had no issues.

This product is a 2-in-1; it’s tinted so it gives you an instant glow, but it also deepens your color over time. Apply it daily until you get the desired effect, then maintain by slathering it on a few times a week.

And if you need a little guidance applying the lotion for a perfect, steak-free tan, check out St. Tropez’s videos. They offer application tips and tell how to really nail that faux glow.

One valuable trick I learned from the back of the box: before applying self-tanner to your face, lightly smooth a regular moisturizer over your brows and hairline. This acts as a barrier cream for the tanning lotion, and won’t darken your brows or discolor your hair.

One final tip: the videos recommend wearing latex gloves to apply the tanner. I haven’t yet done this, and I may start. This tanner does stain your hands, and ruins a manicure by staining the nail bed. It’s also really tough to get off of the palms of your hands; I’ve needed a good scrubbing with exfoliating hand wash and some nailpolish remover. Also, it can stain your clothing, sheets, and upholstery, so wait until you’re dry to the touch before getting dressed or sitting on furniture. It dries quickly, so it should just be a few minutes.