So back in April I decided that a resolution I would make for myself in May was too master fake tanning, why?! A little because I was just beyond sick of my Snow White complexion and a little I suppose was peer pressure....oh and the ridiculous heat wave we had! 
Anyways I was one of those people who would mess about with fake tan for one day out of the year, not really understand it, wake up orange and patchy and then proceed to never touch a bottle of tan again until the next year. So the month of May was an interesting one consisting of patchy tan streaks, hand marks where I had wiped the tan off un-nonce to myself, dodgy orange knuckles and elbows, hands that didn't look human, one day I was even green and then the odd day where I had nailed it.

So after a good 3 months of self tanning I've finally figured out the fool proof tans that work for me, and while my hands still never look quite right I'm almost always guaranteed I can wake up in the morning with a golden glow and no streaky lines! So I've tried quite a few and lived through a few disastrous tanning mishaps to bring you this post!

I'm just going to jump right in and start talking about my absolute favourite tanning brand. You may be able to guess which one it is from these photos alone or if you follow me on Instagram you've definitely witnessed me fangirl over the brand. Tantastic tanning products take up a good 80% of the fake tan collection I've quickly accumulated over the previous months. I just find that no matter which of their products you use, you're guaranteed to wake up with an amazing looking streak free colour. 

Starting with their Gradual Tanner in the shade 'Light'. This is perfect for topping up your tan throughout the week or if you haven't self tanned and just want to add a little hint of colour to your skin so you're not looking as pale. This cream is white so when you're rubbing it into the skin you've to just be aware that you've applied it everywhere, as it's a gradual tanner though it does take a few days for the colour to start really showing so if you tend to miss a spot you wont notice it too much. 

Their Fast Drying Lotion is probably my favourite formula out of the whole range just because I find it extremely moisturising so if you do have any dry skin this won't really stick to it to outline the area! This comes in the shade 'Medium' which is such a beautiful colour and the only one I used for about two months. The Lotion has a colour indicator which I think makes the application of the tan so much easier to ones that don't have it. Because of the colour indicator it's extremely easy to see if youve missed any areas on your skin. You only need to let it dry for 2 minutes and then you can get dressed and go about your day, the indicator colour is so lovely and natural looking that you don't have to worry about it being on show. Throughout the hours then the colour starts to develop and by the end your left with a glowing golden tan. 

Another Tantastic favourite is their Dark Liquid Tan. So I will be the first to say that since I tried their 'Dark' colour I find it very hard to pick a Medium colour because it's no longer dark enough for me and I end up doing two layers of the product if I'm using the medium shade. The other thing I will say that you have to seriously make sure your skin is well moisturised when using the liquid because if you've a bit of dry skin anywhere trust me this will point it out to you no matter how careful or precise your application is. However the formula feels so quick and easy to apply and as I mentioned because its the dark coloured version it leaves you looking like you've just gotten back from a two week vacay from the Bahamas. The only thing I will mention is the liquid dries very quickly so you have to work quite quick with this formula. 

I picked up the Cocoa Brown Medium 1 Hour Tan on a whim to try it out and I had to include it in here because I was so impressed with it. Again just like the last one it has a colour indicator, now personally I didn't find it as noticeable as the Tantastic one but you definitely are able to spot and patches you missed which is great. This tan gives an indication of the colour you'll turn by how long you leave it, so 1 hour will be light, 2 hours will be medium and 3 hours will be dark. Ofcourse me loving myself a good Dark tan I left it on for the 3 hours and the colour is a lovely natural colour. I also found that this tan lasts quite well on the skin, it took at least four days until it started to fade and even at that it was a nice fade and not a drastic white patch here and a dodgy orange line there, it wears really well and removes very easily especially when using the Tan Eraser they released.

Finally I couldn't not include a Bondi Sands tan, I mean even Kylie Jenner is posting pictures on Insta using it so of course I had to buy a bottle to see what the hype was all about. So a few things I will say is make sure you give the bottle a good shake before using just to make sure everything is mixed together well. When you pump the foam out it does look very orangey toned but don't panic too much about it because when you apply it to the skin and wash it off after letting it set you are left with a golden colour rather than an orange one. The foam also dries quite quickly so you do have to work quite quickly with it, I'm not saying lightning speed but you just have to start blending as soon as you apply it to the skin. The colour is beautiful though once developed and theres a coconut scent to it so you're not left with that horrible fake tan scent that absolutely nobody enjoys. I will also admit that when I use this tan I get longer wear out of it than any other tan I use so it is well worth the price tag as its the most expensive one I've mentioned here. 
Of course preparation before tanning matters but the application is just as important and what you use to apply your tan can make or break a good application. Lately I've been trying out The gLove* and I have to say I have been LOVING it. Rather than your usual tanning mitt this is a tanning glove and its unbelievable how much easier its made tanning, especially for those tricky areas such as your hands and feet. Theres also an elasticated end on it which means it stays putt on your hand when your applying tan especially for your back! Literally everytime I was tanning my back 9 times out of 10 my mitt would fall off from the crazy yoga poses I do be pulling to try and not to miss a spot. The gLove has definitely changed how I tan and like I mentioned I definitely feel like it's made tanning 100 times easier! You can find more info on the product that retails for €9.95 on the website here.

What are your fool proof self tan products?
xo.

*This post contains PR samples, all opinions are 100% my own. Find out more about my Disclosure here.