Self-Tanning: My New Obsession

I've been MIA lately for no other reason other than the fact that it's summer and I've been enjoying this much-needed break.

Speaking of summer....I don't know about y'all, but I love to have a nice bronze color to my skin if I'm going to be doing any outdoor activities. I'm not about to cook my skin for hours on end (then end up burning) just so I can have a tan- I would also like to avoid skin cancer! To keep those risks at bay, I love to self tan. In high school, I would only go to the spray tanning booth (VersaSpa) for special events, however now I am wanting that look all time, but I am not willing to spend $20 on a new tan every week.

Enter self-tanning formulas:

#1 Fake Bake Darker

I have only been using this one for about a month, but so far I like it. The reason I don't love it is because:

1. A lot of the color washes away right after that first shower (even when you sleep in it for 8+ hours)

and 

2. I wait around 30 minutes to an hour before hopping in bed with it on my skin (to let it dry) and I still wake up with bronze-y sheets. It does wash out, but is still a little gross. I liked that this one came with the mitt and it's still my go-to.

#2 L'Oreal Sublime Bronze

I love using this if I'm in a hurry and forgot to self-tan the night before. It's an instant glow/sparkle and has a great color. Beware, the formula is a little watery, but it works.

#3 Jergens Natural Glow

This is the very first self-tanning formula I had ever tried. I would definitely recommend this to a tanning newbie because it isn't likely to streak and it isn't too bold right when you put it on the skin (more of a gradual tanning formula). They also have a 'firming' version that works really good at tightening the skin on your legs. However, even using the darkest shade of this product, I wanted to be even darker. This one is really good if you're looking for that 'natural glow,' but it just doesn't do it for me anymore.

#4 St. Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower

This formula sounds like an awesome idea: Get tan while you shower. But, the catch is where you have to turn the shower off, then apply the product then freeze for 3 minutes before rinsing. Similar to this (but not pictured) is the Jergens wet skin moisturizer. I like that one a little better just because you put that one on after the shower and there's no rinsing required (refer back to #3 about the Jergens products). I may try the St. Tropez regular liquid/mousse formula because I've seen that one recommended a lot throughout the blogger world.

#5 L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Towelettes

These are really great if you are in a hurry, but be warned that they do streak. M pointed that out when I used them and I haven't been back since. If you're going with L'Oreal I would recommend the Sublime Bronze liquid formula instead (see #2).

All in all, the VersaSpa is the #1 way (in my book) to getting that perfect sunless tan. But, if you're not one to spend $ weekly on upkeep (like me!) then my suggestion is the Fake Bake Darker!

Has anyone tried the Loving Tan brand? I might splurge and try it to see if it's worth the hype!