A GREAT tan isn’t just for the summer and nothing beats bronzed legs paired with a slinky LBD on a night out – it’s a huge confidence booster.
But, if you were born with milk bottle pins, sometimes it’s safer to achieve an all over bronzed look via a bottle rather than baking out in the sun.
Fake tanning can be a tricky business, so you need the creme de la creme to avoid embarrassing tell-tale streaks.
There are so many different fake tans out there, from clear mists and instant tanning gels to ultra dark slow-developing mousses to express balms and aerosols.
These products can be a complete hit and miss if you haven’t properly done your research.
Ingredients such as argan oil, coconut water and Vitamin E are ones you should be looking out for as they all help hydrate and moisturise the skin, which is crucial as fake tanning your legs can be quite drying to your skin.
From sweet-scented girly bottles to super quick and easy ultra-dark formulas, we’ve covered all bases and you’ll be sure to come across the best fake tan for your legs that suits your budget and desired darkness.
If you’re already a fan of Doll Beauty’s products (its eyelashes and highlighters are huge hits), you won’t be disappointed with their newly-launched tan.
The girly pink bottle is super on-brand and is the first ever fake tan to have caviar in it, how luxurious!
The mousse formula comes in both medium and dark shades and there’s a dark guide colour for easy application.
Not only does it look amazing but it smells good too, as it’s been infused with marshmallow extract – the sweet smell is worlds away from the biscuity aromas often associated with fake tan.
It’s best to let this product work its magic overnight because it takes around six hours to fully develop, and you can layer twice without worry of streaking if you’re after an even deeper tan.
For a budget fake tan, St Moriz actually does an incredible job and leaves you with a natural, brown tan as opposed to the orange tones cheaper products often result in.
The fast tan means that you can be ready to go on your night out in as little as one hour – perfect if you’ve left everything to the last minute.
Paired with a trust tanning mitt, the mousse formula glides on effortlessly, and the dark guide colour means it’s easy for you to see if you’ve missed any patches.
For maximum effect leave the tan on for the full three hours, and if you have the time and want to be extra dark, layer up again after the three hours and sleep in the tan.
Your white bedsheets will hate you but you will look like you’ve just stepped off a plane, fresh from an exotic holiday.
The coconut-scented self-tan liquid from Fake Bake will give you one of the most natural looking glows from our list.
Rather than slathering on layers of mousse for an ultra-deep tan, you can layer and build up your colour with this spray bottle of medium coloured liquid.
Promising a streak-free application and a six-hour developing time, the Flawless tan comes with a free mitt – use it to buff out the product after you’ve spritzed the formula evenly all over your legs.
Bondi Sands is currently one of the biggest tanning brands of the moment, and while all of their products would make great tanners for legs, the Express 1 Hour Self Tanning Foam is undoubtedly one of our favourites.
At £18.99 it doesn’t come too cheap but a little goes a long way with this product, and you only need to wait an hour for it to develop before seeing a noticeable difference in your skin tone.
While it’s recommended you only leave the tan on for an hour, leaving it for around three will give you the darkest natural glow without taking it too far.
Sienna X’s 1hr Self Tan Tinted Mousse is packed with Pomegranate and Vitamin E infusions which are known for their antioxidant and moisturising properties.
The super fast-drying mousse has a natural guide colour so the tan can be worn out in public whilst developing and nobody will bat an eyelid.
The bestselling tan is used by celebrities and models across the country and is surprisingly affordable, given the fan base.
While the tan should be left on for one hour to achieve a glow to the skin, it’s worth letting it develop for the maximum four hours for a noticeable difference.
Though the tan isn’t particularly pigmented, it is incredibly hydrating and works well on a number of skin types – just make sure you moisturise your knees.
Unlike all the other choices, Sally Hansen’s Airbrush Legs is an instant tan, meaning you can just spray and go – no developing time needed.
It’s also an absolute bargain at only £10.16.
It promises no streaks and the endless five-star review testify that this product is not only great for giving your legs a temporary tan, but for evening out skin tones and covering up scars for the night.
As you can wash it off, that means no mess on your clean bed sheets and the small can is super-portable if you need a touch-up.
Enjoyed our roundup of the best fake tan for legs? Then be sure to check out more recommendations on our Sun Selects Beauty page.
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