There’s a new generation of fake tans in town making it easier than ever to get your best bottled bronze.
There was a time when fake tanning at home would equal orange sheets, streaky patches, telltale marks around your fingers and that distinctive biscuit smell - but no more.
Tanning waters are here to make the process more user-friendly than ever to create that faux glow. They appear transparent but are spritzed onto skin and develop in a few hours or overnight with impressive bronzing effects.
The lightweight formulas are not only easier, but they are also quicker, covering a greater surface area where all you need to do is buff into skin after with a mitt. Minimal effort required. They also are packed with hydrating and nourishing ingredients like coconut, avocado oil or even hyaluronic acid to leave your skin looking soft, smooth and tanned.
Whether you are an expert tanner or a novice in the art, these tanners are foolproof where you take each area of the body at a time to ensure you are thorough. The non-clogging product can be used on the face as well as body to get an all-over realistic coverage.
To maximise the results, exfoliate your skin beforehand to remove old tan or dead skin to give yourself a clean and even surface.
For a no-fuss golden glow, see our favourite tanning waters below.
Tanologist Self-Tan Water Medium
Founded by Lottie Tomlinson, this fake tan has become one of our go-to products for its effective and seamless results. You can choose between the three shades; light, medium and dark, opting for the one that most closely represents your skin tone. Spritz directly onto your skin for a quick fix as it only takes one to four hours to develop. It is quick drying and creates a beautiful and realistic colour.. It is packed with vitamins and can be used on both the face and body.
Buy now £11.89, lookfantastic
Tan-Luxe The Water Hydrating Self-Tan Water
Feel like a bronzed goddess without even needing to leave your home with this tanning water from Tan-Luxe. The clue is in the name, this is a luxury product that you spray and buff into your skin for that fresh-from-the-beach look in only two to four hours. This isn’t like your usual fake tan. It has a pleasant floral scent and is packed with the nourishing combination of raspberry oil, aloe vera and vitamin B,C, and E. It leaves a lovely subtle tint and bronze glow behind without streaks or clogging your pores.
Buy now £27.20, lookfantastic
Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Water Medium
Isle of Paradise was designed to bring easy and seamless tanning to your home. The formula is both lightweight and super hydrating with coconut, chia seeds and avocado oils. There are three shades; light, medium and dark that work to even out skin tone, colour correct and reduce redness while tanning. The product is easy to apply and will not transfer onto your sheets or drip after a particularly sweaty gym session.â
Buy now £21.95, Sephora
Skinny Tan Coconut Water Tanning Mist
If you are a regular user of fake tan, you’ll be very familiar with that telltale biscuit aroma - and if you thought that was par for the course, think again. Skinny Tan’s tanning mist is infused with a coconut and vanilla scent that leaves a lovely lasting impression. But this is only where the good stuff begins with this faux bronze product. Its spray top encourages an easier and more flawless application where there’s no need to wash it off once applied. The formula is also hydrating and moisturising thanks to the inclusion of vitamin C. This is a vegan and cruelty free fake tan that is made from only natural ingredients.
Buy now £14.39, Amazon
St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Water Gel
Tanning specialist St Tropez has created this innovative gel to water formula that absorbs instantly into your skin without leaving behind a greasy or sticky residue. Super easy to apply, you just pump it onto skin for a long-lasting and believable tan that is a sort of middle ground between water and a mousse, if you’re still not convinced. While tanning, it provides 72 hours of hydration and has a lovely tropical scent.
Buy now £24.75, lookfantastic
James Read Self Tan Rose Glow Water Mist
Your skin will thank you for this. James Read’s Rose Glow Mist offers a refreshing cooling as you spritz it on to prep and prime skin and leave behind a natural-looking glow. The formula contains the skin-boosting combination of hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, aloe vera and witch hazel. Use everyday over moisturiser or SPF for a pick-me-up that develops over a few hours. Top tip form the brand, keep in the fridge for added hydrating effects.
Buy now £25.00, Amazon
Vita Liberata Invisi Foaming Tan Water
Developing over four to six hours, Vita Liberata has created this tan to do much more than just give you a healthy glow. It contains organic botanics that have anti-ageing effects so that you are nourishing your skin while tanning. The clear formula leaves no stains or transfer on your sheets or clothing and dries almost instantly onto your skin.
Buy now £25.00, Boots
utan Coconut Tanning Water
Now considered a cult product, this lightweight tan from utan makes your skin look healthier with an even tan that doesn’t stain or transfer. Gradually building over four to six hours, it has a quick colour development. It contains the uplifting combination of aloe vera, vitamin E and coconut extracts.
Buy now £16.10, Allbeauty
Bali Body Face Tan Water
With nourishing jojoba oil and calming rosewater contained within this tan water, you get a natural and healthy complexion after just a few squeezes. While you may have steered away from fake tan on your face in the past, this product allows you to get an even and glowing coverage without clogging your pores. Apply onto a mitt or cotton wool pads - don’t make the mistake of using your hands.
Buy now £25.95, Sephora
Verdict
For one of the easier and most seamless applications, Tanologist Self-Tan Water Medium has won us over. It builds a gradual and realistic tan in only a few hours and really feels like it is nourishing your skin at the same time.
