Instant tan to give you a year round glow


by Lorna White |
Updated on

No time for self-tan or nervous of looking streaky? Arm yourself with one of these brilliant instant tans to work on your face and body to give you a year-round bronzed look.

These formulas can be applied using a tanning mitt or your hands (which you should wash well after), onto the body and face. You can just pop it on your exposed limbs if you prefer not to do your whole body to help even out your skin tone, blur any imperfections like bruising or bites and give yourself a healthy glow.

The tan won’t transfer onto clothes or run, even if it starts pouring it down or if your tot splashes you during messy play.

It's affordable, blends easily and gives the most natural tan colour. It doesn’t budge until you wash it off with soap and water. Choose the matte formula for giving face and body a natural tint, or the shimmer formula for exposed limbs, or evenings.

One reviewer said: 'Lovely smell and has a really nice colour. It is the only tan that I will use. Simple and easy to apply, and it doesn't go orange like most tans.'

A little of this goes a long way, it’s easy to blend onto skin and doesn’t move until you remove it. Available in light/medium or medium/dark so you can choose how dark you go. It lasts up to 24 hours so you don't need to worry about it budging and best of all, it doesn't smell.

One reviewer said: 'Bought this a couple of times now, the colour is a golden brown and it doesn't show any shade of orange at all on me. Stays on really well, sometimes even have to really scrub to get it off the next day. Worth spending a bit extra on!'

Bondi Sands instant tan comes in three different versions, matte, shimmer and glow. We personally prefer matte for a nice everyday look. You can also get this in a cream version or a mist depending on what you prefer. It glides on effortlessly for a flawless finish with a high coverage. It's perfect for the face and body and washes off easily.

One reviewer said: 'This is BY FAR the best instant tan I've used...and I've used a lot of 'em. My legs are super, super pale (ginger, 'nuff said) and this gives such a gorgeous natural colour. Goes on so evenly with the Bondi Sands brush too. Love it.'

Don't let the budget price fool you. This instant tan is water resistant and transfer resistant so you don't have to worry about it getting on your bedding or clothes. It's medium shade gives a nice, natural look when applied with a mitten or glove.

One reviewer said: 'Love it. The best washable fake tan that goes on without streaks and washes off at the end of the day and it isn’t orange like other ones.'

This works like make up for your body to blur out any unwanted visible veins, discolouration or bruising on your body to work almost like a filter. The formula lifts your skin using light reflecting particles for an instant radiant glow. Apply in circular motions with a mit for a natural finish.

One reviewer said: 'I actually got a sample size in an Ipsy bag, and ended up loving it. I like mixing it with a little lotion and putting it on my legs when I wear shorts or a dress. It gives you an instant tan with a glow. It Doesn’t have a weird odor and doesn’t leave streaks.'

Every mum's favourite nail polish brand Sally Hansen also do their own instant skin make up too. Simply shake well and spray onto your exposed limbs to cover imperfections and enhance skin tone. It dries in 60 seconds and washes off easily with soap at the end of the day.

One reviewer said: 'This tan is so handy to have, it’s so easy to put on and unlike proper tan it comes off in the shower straight away so you don’t have to scrub yourself silly to get it off. It comes out really natural and gives you the perfect glow. It’s my go to tan for any occasion.'

This quick drying tinted lotion is perfect if you're looking for a real subtle and natural look. It doesn't wash off afterwards like many other instant tans and you can gradually build up a deeper tan. The lotion dries in 10 minutes and will start to develop in 1-2 hours so pop on a few hours before you head out.

One reviewer said: 'Since wearing this tan I've had no end of people asking if I've been on the sunbeds! People have complimented that the tan looks natural and I have to agree. Other positives are that it's easy to apply, quick developing and a good price in comparison to other premium brands.'

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