Beauty Favorites: The 5 Best Self Tanners

~ happy friyay everyone!! with the sun being so amazingly beautiful and powerful, we all know that sitting out in the sun for hours trying to perfect our tans is a great big NO NO, especially after Wednesday's sunscreen post. fret not, we've got your tanning needs covered! you can still look amazing and tan this summer without harming your skin! we've rounded up our 5 favorite self tanners, from gradual to instant and everything in between, there is something for everyone's budget and skin tone.  we may have also thrown in a DIY exfoliator recipe for you too.....just cause we love you, and want you to glow with us!

~ gradual self tanners are something we love, especially if you're a lotion girl, and by that, i mean the kind that never forgets {or is too lazy} to lotion up after a shower or bath. gradual self-tanners allow you get the sun-kissed glow all year round, from subtle to " hey, did you go on vacation?" type of tan.  St. Tropez Tan products have by far the largest line of gradual tanning products we've come across. they range from lotions for body and face in 2 color options, as well as a gradual mousse, and easy to use sprays.  as ladies with fair skin, we love the way the natural looking tan that develops with this line of products.  the beauty of this line is there is never any nasty, orange looking tinge, and the gradual line goes on un-tinted ~

~ Jergens Natural Glow and Protect combines the recipe of self tanner, moisturizer and sunscreen all in one easy step.  offering SPF 20, in its fair - medium or medium - tan color options, you can develop as light or dark as tan as you'd like, while keeping your skin protected and soft. we recommend starting with the fair and building up to the medium to get a more natural look, however if you're looking for a quick tan, the next selection are for you ~

~ as makeup artists and beauty bloggers, we like to look for self-tanning products that have little-to-no smell, are never orange, streak as little as possible, are paraben free and have a fast drying time. a personal favorite of SBDgirl Tarah Kostenko for it's natural look and streak free finish is St Tropez Mousse.  it comes in a 200ml and 400ml size,  and is infused with Vitamin E to protect and repair the skin with a 4-8 hr development.  St Tropez also has a new Express Advanced Bronzing Mousse with a 1 hour development. both self-tanners provide for a natural tan on all skin tones, especially fair ones due to the green neutralizer in all their tanning products to eliminate any orange under tones after development ~

~ Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster for the face is another SBDgirl favorite because haven't we all been faced with the dilemma of when to put on moisturizer and when to do the self tanner? {no? lol ok just us} add 3 drops to any moisturizer {doesn't have to be Clarins} for a gorgeous glow all year long!

~ we are also loving the new Vita Liberata Gradual Self-Tan Lotion, as it is fast-absorbing self-tanner with absolutely no smell as there is no DHA or added perfumes. it nourishes the skin while maintaining a tan that can last up to 2-3 weeks. with 3 different intensities , so you can build up a to a true deep tan or being with one from the beginning. we do wish there was a guide find Vita Liberata online or at Sephora.

~ as with all self tanners, you need to do a really vigorous exfoliation where you'll be applying your self tanner.  this will help extend the life of your self tan, and allows it develop evenly without streaks. you can do this with a loofah, scrub mitts or with a body scrub.  now we all know you could go out and buy one, but that can be pretty expensive, and why when you can make one quite easily from ingredients you most likely have at home! try your hand at creating your own sugar scrub from our recipe below:

Brown Sugar Scrub

makes: 4 (1/2 pint mason jars full)

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
(coarse seas salt can be added for stronger exfoliation)
seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp pure vanilla extract

~ place all sugars, vanilla bean, { and salt if adding } into a large bowl.  mix together, pour over olive oil over and let sit for 5 mins to let it soak into the sugar mixture.  finish by adding 4- 5 tbsp pure vanilla extract and mixing everything together.  scoop into jars, making sure to press down the edges at the bottom to eliminate air bubbles. when using it in the shower it will leave a residue on the skin, if you don't care for that just follow with your body wash and the residue will come off ~

~ also make sure to moisturize chronically dry areas such as knees, elbows, under arms and bikini line.  we like to use coconut oil or shea butter.  application can also be messy so to avoid orange palms, apply a good amount of moisturizer to your hands, use a cloth or try out a tanning mitt.
now get your glow on and enjoy that warm weather! Stay tuned for our Makeup Monday post featuring our favorites from Laura Mercier!