Favorite Drugstore Self-Tanners

In the summer months, no one laments being pale more than me.  Although I'm naturally very light blonde, I tan very well as long as I have good, steady exposure to the sun.  My college summers were spent lifeguarding at neighborhood pools and country clubs, and I always started my school year with nice bronzed legs and tan shoulders.



Alas, that's not really the life of someone trapped in an office all day Monday-Friday, and now because I don't have easy access to a pool, it's even harder to get color.  At a certain point, you don't want to tan too much anyway.  Skin that looks like a leather handbag isn't attractive, and neither is skin cancer.  So, I turned to self-tanners to help me achieve a safe, summery glow.

I've tried a ton of different brands, and one thing is for certain - they stink!  I hate that tell-tale odor - and I can spot it from a mile away.  And most of them give you orange streaks.  Why on earth would we want to walk around with bright orange, streaky skin that stinks??  I'd rather be pasty white, to be honest.  But, I was determined to find something that works well and didn't stink... and I finally found something I like!

Jergens Natural Glow products give a sunless tan more gradually than other tanning products give, which helps with streaking and unevenness, and it is worth the longer wait for a deeper tan, in my opinion.  I have heard that foam tanners are even easier to apply more evenly, so I decided to give that kind a try.  I love it!  There is literally NO self-tanner smell, it goes on evenly and dries quickly, and I actually feel like I'm moisturizing my skin without greasing myself up like a pig.

The face tanner, unfortunately, does have a slight sunless tanner smell, which is kind of a bummer because anything on your face is closer to your nose.  I doubt anyone else smells it on me, but I can... so I'm on the fence with this one, but I definitely recommend the foaming body moisturizer if you're looking for something to give you a slight bit of color that looks closer to the real thing and is more manageable in terms of streaks and application.  Just be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after applying, or you'll give your secret away with the telltale sign - orange hands!