20 Best Self Tanner From Ulta (2023 Updated)

This is by far my favorite tanning product! First of all it doesn’t smell bad at all and doesn’t have that typical self tanner smell. It goes on really well, I use the loving tan tanning glove (that is sold separately unfortunately) but it holds up great, I’ve had it since 2018 without replacing it.

I even washed it in the washing machine. My tan is always even and a beautiful color. It’s more warm than olive but it looks very natural. It takes about 1-2 minutes to dry o would say and I usually wear loose fitting clothes afterwards but the other day I had errands to run and actually got dressed and it didn’t rub off the tan or messed anything up.

It’s super quick (2 hours) , I apply it in the morning abs go about my day. It is the same result, actually a better result than when I tried their regular tanning mousse. I shower with aveeno shower gel and wash myself with a loofah and my tan lasts about 2 weeks! I shower every night and I lotion my body with La Roche posay.

I think that’s what makes it last so long because my skin is moisturized. It fades very even and the little bit of smell it does have fades after a few days/showers as well! I don’t use it in my face.

If I want it a bit darker I leave it on a bit longer or apply a second coat. I got the smaller bottle (4oz) for the first time and so far I’ve used it 3 times and have a lot left so a bit goes a long way and I will update this how many tans I got out of this.

For reference I’m 5. 5’ and 164lb. I lotion my knees, elbows and hands before I apply the self tanner. I tried Bondi before because people hype it up so much but this is honestly so much better!.

My first Tax-Luxe product and I have been really impressed with this! Was slightly hesitant to use a transparent water self tanner, however this could possibly be the most convenient self tanner I have ever used (and I have tried a good fair few in my time!).

The spray bottle was super easy to apply and whilst I couldn’t see the product on my skin, I throughly blended using a tanning mitt and was completely streak free. I applied two light coats and ensured I blended well.

Results were a lovely subtle golden glow! I loved how this dried almost instantly and I was able to dress straight away. I applied before bed for the colour to develop overnight, and pleasantly found no colour stains on the bedding.

Also this product has next to no smell which is great as no one wants to smell of biscuits when self tanning! Top tip – less is more! Despite being a water, this product actually gives a really decent colour, so best to start light and build up to the colour you desire.

The product can be a bit of a faff to apply. I opted for trying to spray it directly on to my skin and quickly get my tanning mitt to smooth it in. As you can’t see the colour being applied, it was difficult to see where I had missed.

Because of this, although the colour was very natural looking, I did have a few orange patches every time I tried to apply it, when I hadn’t quite mastered the application. I used a mitt to distribute evenly.

It’s a little trickier than others in this range as it’s clear and needs spraying. The glow it gives is lovely and natural on my fair skin, certainly not orange. Would highly recommend if you are a bit more skilled at applying fake tan.

This did develop a slight smell over time, but not awful.

This tanning water has a really nice perfumed scent that isn’t overpowering – it smells like a premium product, which is a welcome change from the usual fake-tan smell that isn’t very pleasant. When it dries, there is a slight fake tan smell, but not as strong as other products I have tried.

The tanning water is very good quality and leaves a nice, golden, streak free finish which fades evenly. I would recommend using a tanning mitt with this spray just to make sure you don’t end up with any patchiness.

Although this product is on the pricier side, it is quite large so it should last a long time and you can undoubtedly tell the difference between this product and cheaper versions, Would highly recommend this to anyone who likes low-maintenance tanning.

I love this tanner. I’ve tried saint tropez among a few others in the past that have all been much harder to use or yielded a bad color on me. The natural brands seem gimmicky to me – they still have DHA in them and i haven’t found any studies suggesting “naturally” derived is less absorbed vs synthetic varieties.

Onto the product: I think this is a great self tanner for beginners, or someone who is looking to maintain a subtle, regular tame or for when you need to tan in a pinch but don’t have time to tan your whole body perfectly/use a darker color.

It has a DHA scent that is much lighter than most tanners I’ve used before. It smells a bit of coconut (fairly natural imo, not too perfume-y). My one con is that it is a fairly light tan. If you are looking for a super deep tan, you might want to try the ultra-dark express tan by ulta (similar quality results; stronger DHA smell).

That said – it is buildable, and the lighter color is less punishing if you don’t blend it perfectly at your wrists/ankles. The color guide with this is really helpful. It pretty accurately shows you where any streaks or darker patches might be.

You can apply a bit more tanner to your mitt and blend any inconsistencies out. My two tips would be to do *multiple* lotion applications to hands, feet and other dry areas before use. This is the best way to absorb enough lotion and make sure you’ve covered your entire hand/foot/whatever with something hydrating so you can blend the product nicely over your skin and avoid any dark patches or bright white skin! My last tip is using a wet rag (with a little soap for palms) to touch up any dark spots.

My skin: I’m Irish/German. Fair skin w neutral undertones. My shoulders tan slightly but the rest of my body is very fair skinned, slightly olive (and I do mean slightly), and i freckle!.

I used to use a spray tan and didn’t like the orange color. I kind of gave up on self tanners until I found this one. It applies well with a mitt, exfoliate and lotion on the rough spots first. I did a double application on my legs.

Other than that, followed the directions completely. Rinsed off after 3 hours and went to bed. The next day took a regular shower and applied lotion after. I didn’t get color transfer on my clothes nor did it smell after the full shower.

It lasted from Sunday night when I first applied to Thursday night when I wanted to start the process again because I was leaving for vacation. However, If I didn’t do this, I think it would have lasted at least a full week.

In fact, after I used an exfoliating mitt (and I was rough with it), I was still a little tan! I’ve had no problems with streaks and the color is natural. I think If I used it too much, it would throw orange.

For reference, I’m a natural blonde, cool toned, tan well in the sun after burn (which I won’t be doing anymore. ) For hands and face I used the face drops with CeraVe lotion, this also worked well.

I just used this for the first time yesterday and love the color so much (using the light to medium). The only thing is I realized it smelled exactly like bug spray when I first sprayed it. The chemical smell was kinda odd to me but I used it anyway.

Then noticed it kind of stung when applying which I thought was odd as well. I had just shaved so I figured it was just getting in a couple of the little nicks I’d done. However, I slept with it on because I had showered/shave before applying and throughout the night my skin became more itchy and continued to sting everywhere.

I saw below a girl said she broke out in hives as it started to fade. Fingers crossed that doesn’t happen but I’d say if you have sensitive skin at all (get allergic to cheap jewelry or anything like I do), you should probably opt for a different brand.

I’m gunna have to probably waste this bottle sadly cuz I’m not trying to irritate my skin every time I want to apply :(.

I am so disappointed I did not read the reviews. I LOVE the Ulta brand Body foam tanner and was excited to have an even tanned face but on first use – was repulsed by the smell, it was so oily, then after using for a couple days my face started to burn.

For the last week I’ve bad blotchy red bumps, scaly and burning skin. I usually have pretty great skin and now I look HORRIBLE. I went through every product I use that’s been different lately to rule out what caused it and this is the only real change – and now I see others have had similar reactions and their photos resemble mine.

Now as a result of trying this so i could wear LESS makeup, now i have to put on way more and it looks horrible because of the bumps and scaly/oily patches. My face still is burning and painful. I hope I can return this for a better product.

So, I went to prom using this product, and it turned out great. My face, hands, and wrist matched my other tanner perfectly for a nice healthy glow. BUT, I was misled by a Ulta worker that you can use this product with out moisturizer.

Keep that in mind. So, now I’m at graduation and I’m applying my tan again so that I don’t look pale with my white dress underneath. I didn’t use moisturizer this time because I thought the tan was light last time and I wanted to go darker.

So, I applied it and washed my hands then, went to bed. I woke up with a beautiful face and neck but, the palms of my hands were dark brown. I spent all day trying to get it off and now it’s a orange shade.

Not as noticeable as this morning but, it’s still there. I’m not too upset with this product though, since it was a misdirect by a employee at my local Ulta (which I don’t entirely blame her either since she probably was just going off of what other customers have said to her) Overall, it’s a great product, just seriously DONT SKIP THE MOISTURIZER!.

First off, I’m pale, so when it comes to self tanners and spray tans, I’m extremely picky. Anyways, I ended up not being able to get into my spray tan appointment the day before I left for vacation, so on the way I figured I’d stop by Ulta (in Asheville, NC), and they really didn’t have much in stock, or the one I wanted to try didn’t have a suitable shade for me, but they had this.

I’ll be honest, I was super hesitant because it’s Ulta brand, and cheap. I’m not the type to go the cheap route because, I just think you get what you pay for tbh. I grabbed this anyways because I needed somethingggg.

Well, I ended up spraying it on my legs on 01/22/22, let it dry, ended up taking a nap, and took a shower once I got up (so about 2 hours after applying), got out the shower and my legs looked good! (Didn’t spray anywhere else because the type of dress I wore) Fast forward to today, 01/27/22, it’s finally really wearing off.

I am BEYOND impressed. This is also coming from someone who showers twice a day, but I have also take about 3 baths, which is even more amazing that it hasn’t faded quicker. Im not sure why people are complaining about it “staining”, because.

duh. Lol. No different than if you apply makeup, then go lay down and put your face in a pillow. it’s going to rub off. However, after the first shower, I had no issues with it staining my sheets, and the hotel and I have white sheets so it’s super easy to tell.

Sn: i definitely prefer the mist tanners over the mousse.

Let me tell you, I’ve used every brand there is for self-tanners, I do not tan since melanoma runs in my family. I am in pageants and have to spray tan A LOT. I’ve used mousses, lotions, and sprays, and this was my absolute favorite.

This mist was so easy for application and was mess-free if you put it on in the shower. Just rinse out with the shower head and go to avoid tanning stains in the shower! The finishing color is more of a brown tint vs.

an orange so it leaves you with a beautiful natural sun-bronzed look! No streaks, and if you miss a spot and need to retouch it is super easy to fix! The scent is not overbearing like a lot of other formulas.

This tanner lasts me about 4 or 5 days before I start getting my original color back but if you leave it on it will stay on for about a week! And it’s easy to layer if you need a touch-up or a second layer after the first layer has faded.

I will continue to buy this spray, it’s awesome!! Especially for the price. I feel like I get like 5 uses out of it. And I think the color is great, maybe a little orange, but definitely not bad. My only complaints are that I still do have to rub it in, the nozzle is hard to squeeze with one hand for when I do my back, and if you do it in your bathroom it gets on the floor-so it rubs onto your feet so be careful! But although those things are true, I will still continue to buy this spray, because it stays on longer than most products I use and it’s so quick to apply- which is a big win because I get really lazy putting stuff like this on.

I bought this after seeing some tik toks of people saying that it was their favorite self tan after trying St. Tropez and bondi sands, but I’m on day 2 and i’m just not loving it! I usually use bondi sands and I love it.

Now for this one, yes it gives a deep color, but it’s a little orange-ish, it’s very apparent that it’s fake. All of my skin today feels like it’s stretching due to this formula being SO DRYING! I have moisturized my face and body multiple times throughout the day and it still feels so dry and tight (not just my face, my whole entire body) Also, i’m not sure if it was the mitt that I have but it was also fairly hard to apply evenly.

It would get so dry and almost ball up on certain areas and wouldn’t spread, but on the other hand, once you were done, it was pretty sticky and you had to be very careful when sitting or laying down about not smudging it around.

The one thing i will give it, the color is ultra dark. And if you don’t mind the very slight orange-ey tone, then it’s not terrible. It also doesn’t smell too terrible either.

It gives a very even natural finish. But, it doesn’t darken in just 3 hours. I’ve slept in it overnight each time I’ve used it, because when I showered after 3. 5 hours, you could barely tell I applied it.

So, I’d definitely recommend leaving it on longer if you want to see a big difference. It has a slight orange tint, but that seems to only show up on the hands and feet if too much is used, so definitely use it sparingly in those areas.

I also recommend using a mitt to apply it with, so you don’t stain your hands. It lasts about 3-4 days, depending on how often you’re in the water. I’ve applied the day before I went to a water park, and was still tan for 2 more days.

Since it’s so affordable, I don’t mind reapplying as needed to keep up my glow. It also smells wonderful. It’s got a coconut scent to it, and reminds me of the tanning lotions I used for the tanning bed when I was teenager.

No harsh chemical smell.

I applied this product at night before bed, after exfoliating and moisturizing that morning. On the plus side, the foam was easy to apply using a mitt and the application was smooth; in the morning, my fair skin was much darker and the tan was believable-looking, with very little streaking.

On the minus side, the product transferred significantly to my sheets and pajamas. But the most negative thing was that the product made my skin very dry and scaly and it wore off terribly, leaving my skin looking very patchy in some places and striped in others.

I’ve been self-tanning for many years with a variety of products, and I’ve never seen one wear so badly. I had to exfoliate hard for several days in a row to get all the patchiness off. Will not use again.

I purchased my first bottle in store and that was it since then I have ordered six to eight more and are on the way, along with a plethora of other tanning items. Let me start by saying this, IF YOU DO NOT DO THE PROPER PREP WORK YOUR TAN WILL TURN OUT HORRIBLE NO MATTER WHAT PRODUCTS YOU USE.

You have to shower, exfoliate, shave, and moisturize. With shaving, if you plan on applying right after what I like to do is rinse off or set in cool water to close my pores. You can not simply buy the product and apply it with no prep.

What I did was watch a lot of YouTube videos and tutorials to see exactly how to minimize errors. Once it was time for me to apply I did a decent job for my first application. Each time you do it you will get better but for my first time it went well.

Work from your feet up and in small sections for best results. Once done allow to dry fully before dressing and make sure once dried fully you properly moisturize again and often. But I love the ease of application, the length it lasts, the ease of removal even without removal products, and the color pay off.

Also the bottle says gradual tanner and will build a medium tan if used everyday but I seen a big difference after one use. If you use a soft body rag/scrubber and a light body scrub or no body scrubber you could even apply the tanner every other day to save some money.

I purchased this product in store to try before prom! (i am fair and my dress is light pink but i did not want a spray tan!) i LOVE it!! i shower and shave and then a dry off real good and moisturize my dry spots and then apply! it’s so easy to apply just pump it out and blend it out really good! i had a few spots i didn’t blend well my first few tries but i got the hang of it now! Some people don’t like the smell, but to me it smells pretty good compared to other self tanners i have tried.

I recommend this product to beginners or someone who wants a simple tan this is your product! The color looks so good too! None of my friends could tell i was using self tanner!!.

This product does the trick effortlessly, and I’m a fair skinned gal. Shower, scrub, moisturize THEN use self tan after! As you’re applying go around knees/elbows feet until your *MIT* is nearly out of product.

Don’t go straight for the sensitive areas with a full pump of product. This is gradual, therefore doesn’t give a dark tan. If you wanna be dark and bold it’s not for you! If you need just a little something that doesn’t stress you out (about getting too dark, streaky, missing spots, having a horrid color or having to blend till you’re sweating) you’ll love this!!.

So for anyone who might be reading this, it is going to be a little extensive. I have a story to tell before my actual review. So…. a few weeks back I saw Shawn presenting Bondi Sands Self Tanner – it was a set of 2 with the mitt and I thought that it was interesting that a company from Australia, who I had never heard of before, had developed this self-tanner because they know tanning! Fast forward a few weeks past that and I am out shopping with my Mom.

We stop at one of my fav drugstores that starts with an R, (store with a door) as the QVC hosts always say, and I noticed this exact Bondi Sands name, the Gradual Tanning Milk and I remembered the name from when Shawn was presenting the self-tanner, so I bought this.

It was the same price as QVC but my bottle is 13. 2 ounces, so a tiny bit bigger. Now to my review…. whew!! I hate self-tanners. I have tried SO many of them and find them a pain, as well as the whole process of it all…am I right ladies? I live in sunny Southern CA but sometimes need a little color before spring/summer really hits hot.

So here it is, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this gradual tanning milk lotion!!! It is the BEST self- tanning product I personally have ever tried!! It goes on so easily just like a regular body lotion and smells great until about an hour or 2, and then that same awful “smell” comes through, just not AS strong so I do not mind as much.

My hubby said last night that he could not smell it on me. I usually use this around 6pm and by the time I go to bed around 11pm I already see a tan forming! It is NOT orangey, streaky, sticky nor has it gotten on my sheets or clothes!! This is a win-win and I can see why it is on waitlist now.

So I have used it twice and sat outside on my large patio the next day, to start getting even more color and I am overjoyed! Cannot say enough about this fabulous product!.

Exactly what I hoped for. I am a Bondi Sands convert. Every other brand seems to have a really strong fragrance that lingers on my sheets etc. and gives me a headache. This has a very subtle (but delicious) cocoa butter scent.

I can only smell it if I put my nose right up to it (and it smells like actual cocoa butter, not a synthetic fragrance). It goes on really smooth and buttery, isn’t sticky or tacky, and leaves my skin soft.

P. S. Something people don’t seem to understand about “self-tanner smell”. any smell that develops AFTER the product has been on your skin for a while is YOUR skin interacting with the DHA, and it’s different for everyone.

With my skin it’s a sourdough-ish smell. For some people (ahem other review) it’s gym socks. That is unfortunate for you but don’t blame it on the product!.

I’ve been using Flawless since 2012 and the old formula was great with instant natural looking tan. I don’t know what they did but this new formula in a white bottle is absolutely horrible. It has a chemical smell and the color doesn’t blend or develop well.

To make matters worse, after a few weeks of use, the color now developes into a dirty orangy look and doesn’t blend at all. The smell has gotten worse. Fake Bake should ashamed of themselves for putting out this garbage.

Absolute HORROR. Avoid like the plague!.

I am blonde with fair skin and over 60. Over exposure to the sun over the years WILL come back to haunt you. I now have age spots ALL over my legs and arms and about 2 years ago, skins cancers begin to appear, causing a trip to the dermatologist very 6 months to either have them removed or monitor new ones.

I want to wear shorts in the Summer – yet was very self conscious. My daughter, who is learning from her Mom’s sun exposure mistakes, had purchased Fake Bake and said it was really good – so I gave it a try.

It comes with gloves and a mit to use to apply the product. It is very easy to do, it doesn’t have that awful sunless tanner smell and best of all, it works! My legs immediately looked like I had spent some time in the sun, when in reality, I had spent about 15 minutes using this product.

I did order the Fake Bake exfoliating wipes as well for the extra prep they recommended. I will using both of these products for years to come!.

I like that this self tanner is easy to use, I don’t have problems with it streaking, or being uneven. It is easy to see where you have applied the product. I don’t have an issues being discolored on my elbows or knees.

I do make sure to always, shave and exfoliate before I tan. I also apply moisturizer to my knees and elbows before I use the the product. I would like a little deeper tan… and it to be a little yess yellow undertone on my light skin.

I’m a bit confused that this tan has no reviews, I used it for the first time last year after getting board of bondi sands quick fade. First the smell was amazing, it was easy to see whered I had put it and it dried quickly.

I slept in it over night, it wasn’t sticky at all which is something I learned to live with with other tans, I woke up with a glorious tan the watermelon scent had faded and the fake tan smell was there but only until I rinsed off.

I only tan in summer as I’m a jumper lover in winter but I’ve been pining for this tan since I ran out last November. No stress or streaks. I’ve a lot of brands Inc bondi sands, he-she, skinny tan but this is the only one that’s left me satisfied so far.

Its summer and I’m back for more lol.

I bought this product for the advertised watermelon scent, and while lightly scented it’s definitely the best smelling self tanner I’ve ever used. I usually go for the express mousse because I hate the sticky feeling of most tanners and the smell gives me a headache.

I had no issues sleeping in this, but I did put down dark sheets just in case of transfer. I’m glad I did, as even once I rinsed the guide off the next morning the tan still wound up transferring onto my clothes.

The stains came off in the wash so I wasn’t too pressed. Especially since come nightfall I had a beautiful DARK tan!! I was seriously impressed with the color payoff, I got much darker than I do with other tanners marketed as “dark”.

Looks natural to boot with no streaks or spots. Sadly, when it came time for a shower on just day three, most of the color washed right off and I was left with a splotchy, heavily faded tan. For such an expensive product, I would expect it to stand up to more than one or two washes.

Especially since it’s marketed as a 10 day color. Not sure it’s worth having to reapply every three days at that price 🙁 Expected more from the ST. TROPEZ brand.

I am not a self tan user normally but I wanted to add to my existing summer color for the birth of my baby in a week. This formula had great reviews so I took the plunge and got it. I was super nervous about it because I didn’t want to end up orange or have it uneven from sleeping in it.

I used a sugar scrub, shaved and lightly lotioned up my feet/ankles, elbows, and hands. It went on very easily with the mitt, no streaks and I didn’t even need help despite being 39 weeks pregnant. I am super new to this and nervous about transfer/blotchiness so I stood around naked for like 40 minutes to let it dry but honestly it was dry after maybe 15.

I went to bed and left it on for 9 hours then showered with just very warm water this morning. It seemed like the water coming off of me had a weird greenish/brown tint to it so I was worried it was all for nought but once I patted myself dry I noticed how good it looks! It is noticeable but natural and looked even better once I lotioned up.

I can’t speak on the longevity or how it fades but I love how it looks. The smell is also subtle and I didn’t notice transfer, even with sleeping nude with white silk pillow cases and beige sheets. I’m going to continue using this as needed so I can have a glow once my baby gets here.

People in my water aerobics class even told me I was glowing which made me feel nice and less like Danny Devito.

I’ve never written an Ulta review before but have to for this – SO GOOD. I can’t stand self tanners, they always take so much effort just to end up streaky, takes too long, etc. I am very pale so every mistake shows up.

THIS STUFF IS SO EASY AND WORKS SO WELL. I bought the ulta brand face tanner applicator mitts but honestly any soft washcloth would work. 5 sprays on the mitt, wiped on my face in circular motion for maybe 30 seconds, left my house and forgot about it.

noticed a difference within 2 or so hours. ~6 hrs later and I have the perfectly noticeable without being obnoxious glow. I ONLY applied to my face – not even my neck and didn’t apply any self tanner to my body.

doesn’t look ridiculous compared to my body. I am not the type to leave reviews but wanted to leave an average person’s opinion!!!.

Pros: – Easy to use (use a cotton pad to apply onto your face versus spraying directly or applying with your fingertips). – No streaking when used with an applicator. – I “tanned” within 2 hours after application.

– I have sensitive, acne-prone and oily skin, and this tanner didn’t cause any breakouts. Cons: – I was able to detect a chemical scent, even though it’s mango scented. I guess it’s a typical scent of sunless tanners? – Pricey to buy at regular price, so wait for one of their BOGO sales! – Color didn’t last long (especially on my face; I didn’t wash my face on a daily basis nor use any BHAs/AHAs/other exfoliators), so you’ll need to apply every few days if you want to keep looking tan.

I am outdoors a great deal all year, so I have a fairly deep tan despite wearing sunscreen every time I am outside. Because I wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat, my face is several shades lighter than my body.

Bronzing powder works fine when I wear makeup, but I decided to try the Ulta Gradual Self Tan Face Mist. It works, and it is reasonably priced! I spray a small amount into my hands, mix with moisturizer, and then apply to my face.

The tanning is quite gradual, but there is no sunless tanner odor. I apply it two or three times a week to maintain the shade that I desire. I plan to continue buying this product.