It is finally Fall/Winter, and that means a lot of pasty people walking around… and though I’m half Black so there’s definitely more pigment to my skin, I still get rather pale in the Wintertime. I used to tan in tanning beds a lot (at least once per week), but because it really isn’t great for your skin (and skin cancer is never in style), I now generally rely on sunless tanners for my body, and bronzers for my face.
I’ve used the same sunless tanner for my body for the last 6 years at least, and I still swear by it! Faux Tan Body by bareMinerals is amazing. It gives a nice glow that doesn’t look fake (aka orange), the smell is much better than a lot of sunless tanners, and it develops very evenly. I also love that it seems to go away gradually rather than in splotches which is huge to me because although I’m not ashamed that I use tanners, I don’t need to advertise it with what appears to be a weird skin issue. There’s also a version for your face that I’ve used over the years and I do like it, but I’ve found that just using a tiny bit of the body tanner does the trick for me. Side-note: do not be alarmed when you go to 
use this product… it is in fact a dark somewhat olive green color, but obviously doesn’t stay that way on your skin. And a tip: apply as quickly as possible and wash your hands right away with soap!!! If I’m applying to my whole body I wash many times during the process so my palms don’t end up a burnt orange color. The Faux Tan Body will set you back about $26, and the Faux Tan Face can only be found on sites like Amazon.com because bareMinerals has a new product (which I’ve not tried) called Bareskin Sheer Sun Liquid Bronzer that is $28 and has great reviews. Interestingly enough you can buy Faux Tan Body on Nordstrom.com but not on bareMinerals’ website… so perhaps they’re working on a new sunless tanner for the body as well!
For a cheaper drugstore option (around $8.59) that I use from time to time on my face, try Jergen’s Natural Glow Face Moisturizer. It comes in different skin tone ranges, you can purchase it at any drugstore, and it has SPF 20 inside. The Jergen’s body lotion has a little too much scent for me, so I don’t prefer it, but the face one is great because it isn’t too oily and it develops slowly over time… muchhhh slower than the Faux Tan by bareMinerals… which is good or bad depending on your needs.
Now let me be 100% honest… I don’t like my bronzer to blend in too much… I want it to be bold and intense color. A true “bronzed goddess” is my goal 365 days a year.
For those of you who like a little more subtle of a bronzer, I used to swear by Chanel’s Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Color line and I still think it is great. It is easily layered, has a bit of a shimmer, and it has a wonderful sweet scent. I actually wish more makeup smelled like this one. A huge plus is that it has SPF 15 sunscreen in it as well so you’re always protecting your skin. This one rings in at $58.
But if you want super intense BOLD color, you’ve got to try Terracotta by Guerlain. I believe they were one of (if not THE) first beauty companies to put out a bronzer and WOW does it show. Whether I’m getting ready for a big occasion, or I’m leaving the house with nothing but bronzer on, this is my everyday go to. The price tag is a bit higher for this product than you’d find in a drugstore ($53) BUT even as much as I use bronzer, because it is SO pigmented I’ve been using the exact same one for over a year and I have at least another good six months worth of powder… that’s amazing value. I love this product and encourage EVERYONE to try it out!
If you’re like me and never want to lose that sun-kissed glow this Winter, remember that you don’t have to! There’s great options out there that will keep people asking, “what sunny place did you just return from?”
What are your favorite bronzers? Do you use sunless tanners? Comment below! I’d love to know!
