This face tanner gives me an immediate summer glow (2024)

The best face tanners aren’t just for those dreary winter months. Avoiding the sun’s harmful rays is crucial for skin health. But when you’re shading your face with a sun hat and slathering on the best SPF, you might not get that gorgeous midsummer glow you're looking for.

Similar to the best fake tan for body, face tanners will get the job done with less risk of irritation or breakouts since they’re actually made for your complexion. “The perfect self-tanner for the face not only delivers a natural-looking tan but also considers skin care concerns,” says Laura Kay, a makeup expert and founder of the beauty clinic Laura Kay London in London, noting many of these products contain moisturising ingredients like vitamin E and hyaluronic acid. Many are also noncomedogenic to keep acne-prone skin happy.

Best face tanners, at a glance:

• Best overall: Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops
• Best glow-boosting: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Island Glow Easy Tanning Drops
• Best for blemish-prone skin: Bondi Sands Technocolour Emerald Self-Tanning Face Serum
• Best shade range: Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Natural Glow Face Drops
• Best skin-loving formula: Coola Hyaluronic Acid Organic Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum

To help you find the best facial self-tanners on the market, we asked the pros—dermatologists, makeup artists, aestheticians, and our own Glamour editors and contributors—for their top self-tanning products, then put the most promising ones to the test. These are the face tanning drops, lotions, serums, and tanning mists that impressed us all-around: ease of application, transfer-resistance, longevity, and overall quality of glow.

Your definitive guide to the best face tanners:

Best Face Tanner Overall: Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops

Easy to use and highly effective, these tanning drops came highly recommended by multiple pros and are beloved by our staffers and testers. “I was never a self-tan fan, but this beginner-friendly formula gives you a very natural look,” says medical aesthetician Kristin Gunn. “I suggest playing around with what shade you like the best by gradually increasing the drops. I start with three drops mixed with my daily moisturiser for the most natural, sun-kissed look.”

Our testers like that, because it gets mixed with your favourite moisturiser, it’s virtually undetectable on skin. “It does have that fake-tan smell, but there’s no tacky or greasy residue,” says Glamour contributor Brigitt Earley. “It didn’t transfer to my clothes or pillowcase, either.” Overall, we got a solid three to five days from this glow too, which was slightly above average.

Type: Drops / Usage: Mix 1 to 4 drops to your usual moisturiser, serum, or face oil and apply to the face. / Development time: 2 to 4 hours

• Pros: Easy to apply; feels undetectable on skin; buildable glow; long-lasting; moisturising ingredients like aloe vera, raspberry seed oil and vitamin E
• Cons: Has that very recognisable fake-tan smell

Best Glow-Boosting Face Tanner: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Island Glow Easy Tanning Drops

These just-launched drops, the first self-tanning products from Charlotte Tilbury, have been a big hit in the Glamour office. Unlike some self-tanning products, these don't leave your skin dry or stripped, thanks to skin barrier-boosting ingredients and hydrating hyaluronic acid.

“What sets this product apart for me is the light-reflecting pigments that give my skin that instant, almost pearly glow,” says Glamour's website director, Ali Pantony. “There's only two shade options – Fair/ Medium or Tan/Deep – but the drops are easily buildable. When I want a more natural glow, I use 2-4 drops, but when I want a deeper tan, I go for around 5-7.”

Type: Drops / Usage: Wear under, mixed with or on top of your daily moisturiser / Development time: 6 to 8 hours

• Pros: Easily buildable; transfer resistant and streak-free; adjusts to your skin tone
• Cons: Not the best for instant results.

Best Overnight Tan: Self Glow by James Read Dusk to Dawn Facial Overnight Tan

James Read's overnight facial tanner is so hydrating and smoothing, it can be used in place of your night cream to help simplify your evening skincare routine. It's packed with hyaluronic acid, a fine line-smoothing microalgae active, and fermented mushroom to nourish the skin barrier.

Reviewers say they love the healthy, natural-looking tan they woke up with, and that it had a pleasant fragrance instead of the tell-tale fake tan smell. Plus, the serum is colourless, so you don't have to worry about any nasty pillow transfer while you sleep.

Type: Serum / Usage: Two pea-sized pumps directly to the face / Development time: Overnight.

• Pros: Lovely scent; packed with skin-boosting ingredients; natural, buildable colour
• Cons: Pricier than some other face tanners.

Best for Blemish-Prone Skin: Bondi Sands Technocolour Emerald Self-Tanning Face Serum

Type: Serum / Usage: Apply to clean, dry skin, ideally on its own until development time is complete / Development time: 6 hours.

If you're prone to blemishes or excess oil and are worried about a face tanner breaking you out or clogging your pores, the new self tan serum from Bondi Sands is the product for you. The formula adds an instant, olive-tinted warmth to the skin, while the non-comedogenic composition and the brand's Blemish Control Complex makes it suitable for those prone to blemishes and sensitivity. There's also antioxidant vitamin C to help brighten and nourishing chamomile extract to soothe and calm.

• Pros: Suitable for blemish-prone and sensitive skin; soothing and brightening; provides an even, streak-free glow
• Cons: Advised to not be layered with other skincare products.

Best for Dry Skin: Bare By Vogue Face Tanning Serum

Type: Serum / Usage: Apply 1-2 pumps to the face and neck in the morning or evening, massaging into skin with circular motions / Development time: 4-8 hours

Bare by Vogue's facial tanning serum is ideal if you're prone to dry or patchy skin, thanks to the high concentration of hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, protective pomegranate extract and smoothing peptides.

“I love the golden glow this serum provides,” says Ali. “I use shade Medium and use the product in place of my night-time serum when I need that extra sun-kissed glow, and I always wake up with an even, olive-hued tan. Unlike other tanners, this one never settles in to my dry patches; in fact, it leaves my skin noticeably more hydrated and smooth.”

• Pros: Lightweight and non-sticky; can be worn under makeup; packs tons of skincare benefits
• Cons: Can take longer to develop than some other facial tanners.

Best Affordable Face Tanner: Jergens Natural Glow Face Moisturiser With SPF 20 Sunscreen

When as natural as possible is your ultimate goal, Jergens is your bestie. The chemist brand offers both a face lotion and a body lotion, and both are more like daily moisturisers than self-tanners, but offer a hint of colour that gradually darkens the more you use it. “I love this because you can get a flawless, quick, gradual tan that mimics results from the sun,” says Rachel Lozina, a licensed aesthetician and founder of Blue Water Spa. “It’s easy to apply and provides streak-free results without any funny odour.”

We’re big fans too. “I love that this formula has an instant tint—that way I can get the colour right away and I can see what I’m doing without streaks,” says Glamour contributor Bella Cacciatore. “It looks great instantly and gradually deepens into the perfect shade.”

Type: Lotion / Usage: Apply as you would any other moisturiser. / Development time: 4 hours

• Pros: Easy to apply; noncomedogenic; oil-free; contains SPF
• Cons: Colour may be too light for some users preference.

Best Self-Tanning Face Mist: St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist

For the ultimate convenience, consider this tanning water face mist by St. Tropez. “It’s super easy to use,” says Gunn. “I simply use a couple spritzes before my nightly skin-care routine and wake up the next morning with beautiful bronzed and glowy skin.” Despite the ease of use, testers told us it offered a long-lasting tan. “For me, applying a few days a week is perfect, but applying each day will help the shade get noticeably darker if you’re looking for that,” says Gunn.

We love that it’s packed with hyaluronic acid too, so the skin benefits go deeper. Our editors note that this makes the product a good choice for dry skin, particularly if you’ve found other face tanners to by drying or irritating.

Type: Spray / Usage: Spray 5 to 6 full pumps onto clean, dry skin. / Development time: 4 to 8 hours

• Pros: Easy to apply; vegan; cruelty-free; suitable for all skin types; contains hyaluronic acid for additional skin benefits
• Cons: Lighter shade than some others.

Best Face-Tanning Serum: Coola Hyaluronic Acid Organic Sunless Tan Face Serum

Our tester called this formula “skin care and a tan all in one.” Celebrity facialist and holistic skin expert Vee Mistry agrees: “It’s an organic product that not only allows you to build a beautiful tan, but also cares for your skin with glycerin and centella asiatica, helping to plump fine lines and improve complexion.”

It's perfect for maintaining a glow, especially during colder months or in the lead-up to a vacation. And it can be used in two different ways: For gradual colour, pump two to three drops into your daily moisturiser; for maximum colour, dispense a small amount into the palm of your hand and spread evenly across your face. “My favourite way to use this is by mixing a few drops in with my moisturiser before bed, and to wake up with a glow,” says Halpern. “Even though I have sensitive skin, it never breaks me out.”

Type: Serum / Usage: Mix 2 to 3 drops into moisturiser or apply directly to face like a moisturiser. / Development time: 2 to 4 hours

• Pros: Multiple ways to apply based on desired result; contains skin-nourishing ingredients; suitable for all skin types; vegan; cruelty-free
• Cons: Some users say the shade is too light.

Best Self-Tanning Drops: +Lux Unfiltered N°12 Bronzing Face Drops

It’s hard to find anything bad to say about this sunless tanner. For starters, the clear formula comes in a cute little bottle that looks more like a serum than tanning drops. It doesn’t have that weird scent most fake tanners have, either. It works like other drops: You simply mix the desired number of drops with your favourite moisturiser. (Read: Newbies won’t end up with streaks.) “This makes blending a breeze, and you don't have to worry about tanning lines or uneven application,” says Aimee Car, a professional makeup artist and founder of Voodoo Makeup. “You can control how tan you want your face to be by the amount of drops you apply—the more drops you use, the deeper the tan will be.”

We love that it’s nontoxic, vegan, and fragrance-free too. The ingredients list also boasts hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and pomegranate extract. Plus, our testers reported long wear times. “I can get almost a full week out of this face tanner,” says Earley.

Type: Serum / Usage: Mix 2 to 3 drops into moisturiser or apply directly to face like a moisturiser. / Development time: 2 to 4 hours

• Pros: Highly buildable formula; vegan; fragrance-free; includes skin-nourishing ingredients; long-lasting
• Cons: Not available at as many retailers.

Best Shade Range: Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Natural Glow Face Drops

Glamour's commerce photo editor Neamh Randall uses the cult-favourite Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops year-round, but particularly loves the product for keeping up her glow while protecting her skin on holiday. “During the summer, I love when my freckles come out but wearing my SPF and protecting my face is key," she says, “so I love the Isle of Paradise tanning drops, to still give me that natural glow without damaging my skin.”

It comes in three shades – not always guaranteed with facial self-tanners! – and the different intensity levels make it easier to pick the right one for your skin tone, said testers. “I like that they’re customisable too,” says Earley. “It makes it a little bit easier to control the end result, which is key for those who want the most natural look possible.” The icing on the cake? The clean formula also contains DHA and vitamin C to treat the natural tone and texture underneath that tan.

Type: Drops / Usage: Mix drops to your moisturiser or serum, spreading evenly over the entire face and neck. / Development time: 4 to 6 hours

• Pros: Highly buildable formula; works to even skin tone and texture; comes in two sizes and three shades
• Cons: Has that very recognisable fake-tan smell.

Best Instant Glow: Isle of Paradise Sunny Serum Instant Face Bronzer

When you want that tan and you want it now, reach for Isle of Paradise’s instant face bronzer. The lotion delivers some of the most luminous results we’ve seen. “A little goes a long way with this product,” says Glamour's Jenifer Calle. “I would recommend using a moisturiser because it can dry up quickly and you want to be able to apply it all over your face before it does. (I mix it with CosRx face serum.) The first time I used this it gave me an immediate glow—all I needed was blush and I was good to go.”

But perhaps even better than the colour is all of the skin-care benefits you’ll reap from slathering it on. Yes, the glow is nice, but so is the improved tone and texture you’ll get from the niacinamide, the hydration you’ll get from the squalane, and the reduced redness and irritation you’ll experience, thanks to the jojoba oil.

Type: Serum / Usage: Wear alone or mix with your favourite moisturiser / Development time: Instant

• Pros: Instant results; can be used alone or with makeup; packs a lot of additional skin benefits
• Cons: It's a more temporary option.

A version of this article originally appeared on GLAMOUR US.