The Best Affordable Sunless Self-Tanners

What are the best self-tanners on the market? I have tried an entire array of them, and the lesson I have walked away with is this: don't waste your money buying the most expensive ones! Because believe it or not, you will find that the drugstore tanners are just as good, if not better, than department store ones. Let me discuss with you the ones I have tried and how they rate in terms of color, streaking, resistance to fading, and smell. Read further for great information!

Sunless Tanners for Body

Savage Bronzer: 3.5 stars

You can buy this product at Sally's Beauty Supply and it comes as a mousse. It gives a great chocolate-y brown color; however, it fades away too quickly! And also, the smell reminds me of a wet poodle, and to be honest, it's a bit repulsive. If you can get past the smell, and don't mind reapplying often, you'll find that for its price, it offers an unbelievably great color.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Lotion in Deep: 4 stars

This is a great self-tanner! The color is a nice dark brown and you even get an instant dark glow when you put it on. I love the shimmery effect! The smell isn't horrendous, and is quite tolerable. I guess one con this product has is that it takes a long time for it to dry. I would recommend wearing shorts, and then slathering it on your legs and then go about your business with minimal contact. Within a few hours, you'll have a nice brown tan. I haven't had any problems with streaking with this one.

Fake Bake Self-Tanning Lotion: 4.5 stars

This gave me a great golden tan. It's a bit pricey compared to the other ones, but I could tell that the quality is really good. At first you'll look a bit muddy, but after you shower, you'll love the color you get. There isn't much of a repelling smell, so I find that it's worth the extra money.

Neutrogena MicroMist Tanning in Medium (Two Shades Darker): 4 stars