7 Best Self Tans For Fair Skin

With summer just around the corner, I’m gearing up for beach days, BBQs, and basically living in a bikini.

But as a fair-skinned girl who couldn’t get a natural tan if my life depended on it (and wouldn’t want to! SPF all day everyday is my mantra) I’ll be doing a little pre-summer prep before swapping out my maxi skirts for bikini bottoms. 

First on the list? Get a sunkissed glow without the sun.

And while self-tanning pre-shorts weather is hardly groundbreaking, there’s an art to doing it on ultra-pale skin. And after years of testing various products, formulas and techniques, I’m proud to say it’s an art I’ve mastered. 

Here are the 7 best self-tanning products for fair skin that won’t turn you orange!

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FAIR SKIN-FRIENDLY TANNER #1: Ella Baché Great Tan Without Sun

I’m a huge Ella Baché fan when it comes to skin care, but this body tanner is an absolute winner. Never streaky, never orange, and never stinky, it’s my most-loved cream tanner. Better yet, there’s a face version that’ll give your mug a sun-kissed glow, minus the nasty UV damage.

FAIR SKIN-FRIENDLY TANNER #2: Le Tan Fast Tan Foaming Mousse

Super-cheap and easily absorbed by the skin, this is one of the best mousses available at your local supermarket. If you try it, I know you’ll love it. Just opt for the lighter variation on your first go…

FAIR SKIN-FRIENDLY TANNER #3: ModelCo TAN MOUSSE

Easy to apply, has a subtle caramel scent and gives a lovely golden tan. The bottle lasts for ages, too, so it’s definitely worth parting with your pennies.

FAIR SKIN-FRIENDLY TANNER #4:St Tropez Everyday Gradual Tan Mousse

Possibly one of the best tanning brands out there, this product works with your skin type to produce a natural-looking golden hue that’s perfect for you. Oh, and if you’re fair and yet to experience a spray tan, this option is a wonderful place to start, as you’ll never come out looking orange or fake. I promise.

FAIR SKIN-FRIENDLY TANNER #5: Rimmel London Sun Shimmer Self Tan Mousse

This matte tan comes in three shades and the lightest is perfect for fair-skinned beauties. Don’t believe me? Let bh silver member Laura Amy explain, “I have very pale skin and most fake tanners just make me look like an oompa loompa – this one however comes out a true beautiful bronze. You can also layer it if you want a deeper tan.” 

FAIR SKIN-FRIENDLY TANNER #6: Jbronze Gradual Tanning Cream

A cream is a fab idea for any pale-skinned tanning beginner! This one from Jbronze is kind of like a tinted moisturiser – it leaves your skin super soft and develops a light, bronze glow that you can build on with each application. 

Did you notice I’m a bit of a mousse formula lover when it comes to faux tanning? Yes? Well, there is good reason for this, beauties, and that reason is this: mousse formulas absorb into the skin relatively quickly, meaning that awful sticky feeling that sometimes comes part in parcel with fake tanning products is dramatically lessened. Love it!

FINAL TANNING TIP: when you’ve got exceptionally fair skin, it’s really important to exfoliate and moisturise your ‘dry bits’ (read: elbows, knees, feet and hands) before applying the product. If you don’t, these areas will rapidly soak up the formula, and will appear outrageously muddy in comparison to the rest of your body.

Are you a big fan of fake tanning? Do you have and product recommendations for fair-skinned ladies wanting to dabble in the faux glow?

Main image via @leoniehanne