There’s just something about a golden and glowing appearance that makes you feel healthy and confident - but here in the UK, our brief summer can fall short in giving us the melanin hit that we so desire.
Even if you’re planning a beach break in some far flung destination with enviable warm climates, sun safety is key and the best way to protect your complexion is to steer clear of ageing and burning UV rays (as well as always wearing SPF).
You don’t need to sacrifice your skin’s health to achieve a rich tan. Instead fake that holiday glow with a self-tanning product that gives you the same bronzed radiance - with no damage to your skin necessary.
The faux glow market has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years with innovation in the space meaning we no longer have to endure biscuit-like aromas, streaky products and pigments that look like we’ve just been Tango-ed. One such is the false tanning mist, a hero to those in the know for a quick fix tan.
These come in face and body variations - although the majority can be used on both. The benefits of the designated facial mists is that they typically come in a smaller size so you can slip into your bag for use on the go and are created with a lightweight fine texture that can sit either underneath or on top of makeup for a setting spray-like radiance boost.
These fake tanning mists for the face also include skincare ingredients as well as the typical tanning agent. The specific face formulas are infused with components that you’ll no doubt recognise from your bathroom cabinet, starring the likes of hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and aloe vera. These offer nourishment, hydration and glow as well as feel calming and refreshing so you’ll relish each and every application.
Using these products is a matter of spritzing and you’re ready to go but to optimise their effect, it’s best to exfoliate your face in advance and employ a clean makeup brush to buff out the product and prevent streaks.
See the best face tanning mist for a holiday glow below
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Ambre Solaire Natural Bronzer Quick Drying Dark Self Tan Face Mist 75ml
Cheap and cheerful, Garnier’s Ambre Solaire has remained a cult classic for a reason. It quite simply works.
While it may not provide the most luxurious tanning experience when compared to some of the other brands on this list, if you want a quick bronzing, this is your golden ticket. The lightweight formula mists over the face, developing into a natural-looking sunkissed glow in less than three hours. It’s handbag sized too so you can pop it in and go.
Buy now £6.70, lookfantastic
Coco & Eve Face Tanning Micromist
Bali-born hair and tanning label Coco & Eve has created this product to be one of the most lightweight mists on the market for the most effortless and natural-looking application possible. One spritz of this brozing product will create an immedaite glow without those pesky telltale streaks.
Alongside the tanning agents come skincare favourites like hyaluronic acid, a collagen complex and botanicals direct from its Indonesian roots that include passionfruit, watermelon and coconut extracts.
All you need now is a backstory - Mykonos or Ibiza?
Buy now £22.90, Cult Beauty
St Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist
A cult classic in the tanning sphere, St Tropez’s products will have you looking like you spent a long weekend in its namesake South of France location. The tropically-scented Purity Bronzing face mist has the finest mist of all on this list, which means a more evenly distributed tan. The formula is suitable for your hands and feet too, so you’ll have a streak-free tan all over.
With hydrating hyaluronic acid and rich antioxidant hibiscus extract, skin is left refreshed and radiant. While it only comes in one shade, St Tropez’s tan tailors to your skin tone for natural-looking sunkissed skin.
Vegan friendly and free from parabens, sulphates and phthalates, you can rest assured this tanning mist will work wonders on your skin without feeling drying.
Buy now £16.50, Boots
Isle of Paradise Night Glow Self-Tan Face Mist
Founded in 2018 by Jules von Hep, this youthful brand has taken the tanning world by storm. The Night Glow face mist comes in a cute and compact mauve bottle and is specially developed for gradual overnight use.
Isle of Paradise’s facial tanning spray features a higher percentage of DHA than others on this list, so it offers a deeper glow, but the organic formula means you don’t have to worry about nasty additives.
The unique oil and water bi-phase mist combines jasmine and argan oils with a hyaluronic acid and glycerin base, so you need to shake the bottle well before use. Calming ylang ylang and lavender oils help you relax into a blissful slumber. You’ll emerge in the morning brilliantly bronzed.
Buy now £12.76, Boots
Skinny Tan Coconut Water Bronzing Face Mist
If you’re well-versed in the tanning process, you may think that the unusual biscuit aroma often associated with the main ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is par for the course. But no longer.
Skinny Tan has created this formula infused with coconut water that sets the scent as well as gives a fresh feel on application. While giving a gradual glowy tint, this product provides hydration and glow thanks to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid and vitamin C respectively, included for their skin-boosting properties. It’s easy to use but if you’re worried about streaks, keep a blending brush on hand.
Buy now, lookfantastic
James Read Rose Glow Tanning Water Mist
Tanning expert James Read always promises salon-worthy products and his Rose Glow Tanning Water Mist is no exception. Infused with sweetly scented organic rose water, a natural ingredient worshipped by beauty buffs, this tanning spray promises anti-ageing properties and will reduce redness.
Control your tone with daily application and once you discover your desired shade, simply top up two to three times a week as required. There’s hyaluronic acid, witch hazel and vitamin E in there too, which will keep skin looking fresh and hydrated. James Read recommends daytime application with this mist - it works just as well as a primer under makeup or as a setting spray over the top.
Buy now £20.00, Amazon
ICONIC London Prep-Set-Tan Tanning Mist
This is more of a subtle glow than some of the other options on this list, designed to be applied before or after makeup to leave a lovely bronzed appearance. A little goes a long way with a golden colour so you can see where it has been spritzed. The darker the shade that you’re looking for, the more layers that you can use. It is infused with cucumber and chamomile extract too that help to soothe and calm, while feeling ultra refreshing. Try just using this as your base product on your next beach vacay and leave your makeup bag behind.
Buy now £24.00, lookfantastic
BeautyPie Awesome Bronze™ Flawless Self-Tanning Mist for Face & Body
If you have found self tan application too challenging in the past, you’re likely in the market for something that will dry quickly, apply evenly and look natural. That’s where this mist from BeautyPie excels. It’s an ultra-fine mist and the benefits of this is that it leaves a really lovely, even finish that requires little blending in - but you can touch it up with a brush too. It has been formulated with the brand’s trademarked Healthy Glow complex that combines the highly moisturising ingredient pro-ceramides with calming aloe vera and balancing niacinamide. There are two shades available and no strange fake tan aroma.
Buy now £60.00, BeautyPie
Sienna X Q10 Self Tan Tinted Mist
This is like a spray tan in a bottle from the brand behind one of the most statement-making tans on the market. Sienna X is known for its pigmented products and this mist follows suit to create a striking bronze that nourishes the skin at the same time. This is through the inclusion of aloe vera, vitamin E and Q10 in the formula that combine to hydrate from head to toe. The product is quick drying.
Buy now £16.95, Sephora
Bondi Sands Pure Self Tanning Face Mist
Bondi Sands has taken a skincare-like approach to this product’s formulation by infusing it with the likes of hyaluronic acid and vitamin C that gives a healthy moisturised and glowy appearance, while also providing a faux tan. This ensures that while you’re getting the tint, your skin feels silky soft after every application. It’s a more intense spray so is best applied onto a tanning mitt to avoid streaks. It’s fragrance free and lightweight though so is ideal for those with sensitivities.
Buy now £9.99, Boots
