Funny time of year this. The longest month (mentally) is over and the shortest one (factually) is about to whizz by. So we dare to dream that damp cotton wool skies are disintegrating and, behind them, we can see glints of eye-scrunching low morning sun and green tendrils piercing the earth.
It's all a lie we tell ourselves. Anyone planning their flower nail designs should take a breath and google the Fool's Spring phenomenon. Statistically, February sees more snow than any other month, but how we experience the time of year is as much about our frame of mind as what's going on outside. Compare: pre-Christmas winter and post-Christmas winter - so different in feel they should have a shoulder season between them.
So as we turn towards brighter days, even if we can't put away our puffers just yet, this week's Sunday Service is dedicated to an unexpected winter beauty hero. It's also one of the products I find most cheering at any time of year, but especially right now: self-tan.
Why winter tanner is my product of the week
Counterintuitive as it sounds, I see my best self tanners as primarily cold-weather products. Unless you're one of the lucky few (or many, if my Instagram feed is anything to go by) dodging winter in the southern hemisphere, your skin has probably not felt the lick of a ray since October. My deathly pallor needs far more help now than during more traditionally fake tan-forward months.
This isn't just an aesthetic thing. It's not even about 'bronzing' per se. The core mood-boost of self-tan comes from an evened-out skin tone, radiance, the suggestion of health and - yes I'll say it - wealth. Maybe you did winter in Cape Town, who's to say? Many skin tones, not just peely-wally ones like mine, can benefit, something brands now recognise with formulas for deeper skin. Still, there are stipulations with winter tanner, it has to be:
- A one-step process: Developing mousses that need washing off arguably give superior results, but the faff-reward ratio is off when most of your body won't be on display.
- Fast-drying: No hanging around in the scud on toe-freezing bathroom tiles.
- Guide colour-free: That darker layer looks ok under a floaty dress, but just plain grubby when it rubs off on a roll-neck.
The best gradual tans tick all of these boxes, as do customisable drops that you mix in with other products. This pair have been by my side for months:
This has an absolute mouthful of a name but is a brilliantly straightforward product (and cheap as chips.) Part body lotion, part tanner, you can slap it on with your hands, wash them and get dressed in minutes. I usually notice a glow within two or three hours, which can be built up a few days in a row. This does give an unusually decent hit of colour for a gradual formula, which I like, but if that scares you stick with the light-medium version.
If you really can't be doing with the whole body bronzing shebang, consider instead the best fake tan for your face. These drops are designed to be diluted into your skincare, so are easy-peasy to use plus they contain lots of hydrating plant extracts and have the silky texture to prove it. They also don't smell like biscuity tan at all - hallelujah - and there are light, medium and dark varieties to suit every skin.
Another thing I like about winter tanning is the results are, realistically, more for you to enjoy than others. Sure your face and little snapshots of flesh elsewhere may be on show, but ultimately it's the inner confidence of feeling a bit glowy and sunkissed that'll put a spring in your step.
I'm a big fan of self-serving beauty like this - trying cheerful 2025 nail trends because I look at my hands all day as I type, or using my Dr Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro that's as much about sitting still and unbothered for three minutes as it is benefits on collagen synthesis. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but nobody says that the beholder can't be you. Sound good? Great! Let's chat next Sunday.
