The best fake tan for your face: Get a natural looking and gradual glow with drops, tints, mists, milks, masks and more

THE SKIN on your body and face are two very different things, so why should you use the same fake tan all over?

The best fake tans for your face will cater to your complexion, boosting and brightening without blocking your pores. It goes without saying that these products will give you a natural glow, which is especially useful in the summer when you don’t want to be wearing too much makeup, or any at all.

Using your existing fake tan on the face usually doesn’t do a very good job and will more often than not cling to any blemishes on the face and give an uneven tan, which is why beauty brands quickly caught on and started to develop the godsends that are tanning drops, tints and creams.

Particularly useful for the summer, face tan can replace foundation if you want to take a break from makeup but still want a bit of colour to your face. They require minimal effort and won’t wear off throughout the day.

From light mists that work almost instantly to gradual masks that build up colour over a few days, there’s a huge range of products out there that will give you a golden glow and the illusion you’ve just spent two weeks in the Caribbean.

We’ve selected the best fake tans for your face below, all of which have rave reviews and are from trusted brands, so you can be sure you’re spending wisely.

1. Charlotte Tilbury Overnight Bronze & Glow Mask

• Charlotte Tilbury Overnight Bronze & Glow Mask, £38 from Cult Beauty – buy here

The Overnight Bronze & Glow Mask from Charlotte Tilbury doubles up as a moisturiser, so you can justify the price by telling yourself you’re getting two products for the price of one.

Replacing your usual moisturiser, it works as a gradual tanner best applied as part of your nighttime skincare routine, after you cleanse and tone.

Developing overnight, you should wake up with a subtle glow after the first use – but it’s recommended you use it for up to three days in a row for an obvious tan to your face.

The product helps balance out any uneven skin tones and will give the illusion of a flawless complexion.

2. TAN-LUXE The Face Anti-Age Rejuvenating Self-Tan Drops

• TAN-LUXE The Face Anti-Age Rejuvenating Self-Tan Drops, £39 from Cult Beauty – buy here

If you’re after a tanning product that doubles up as an anti-ageing solution, you’ve come to the right place.

TAN LUXE’s two-in-one self-tan drops include a tri-collagen booster to keep skin plump and supple, while also enhancing its elasticity.

Mix the liquid formula in with your moisturiser of choice and, voila, you’ll start to see a natural looking tan building up with zero effort, all whilst reaping the benefits of the anti-ageing properties.

It comes in both a light-medium and medium-dark option.

3. Sienna X Q10 Self Tan Tinted Mist

• Sienna X Q10 Self Tan Tinted Mist, £19.97 from Feelunique – buy here

A cult self-tan brand that has been around for years, Sienna X, is no stranger to a great product for giving you a golden glow.

The tinted mist is perfect for the face, although it can be used all over the body, as you can control how much of the product is applied to your face before buffing it out with a clean mitt.

This tan develops over four to eight hours, so can even be used during the day if you’ve got a party to attend in the evening and have a few hours to spare.

It’s great value for money seeing as you can also apply this tan to the rest of your body and is fully cruelty-free.

4. Skinny Tan Coconut Water Tanning Mist

• Skinny Tan Coconut Water Tanning Mist, £21.99 from Lookfantastic – buy here

This clear, coconut water mist from Skinny Tan is amazing in the sense you can apply it all over, get dressed and let the product do its thing without any worry of staining.

For £21.99 you get a 150ml bottle of the gorgeously-scented spray, which can be layered for a darker glow.

The packaging itself is stunning and it is small enough to use on the go if you feel like you need to top up the tan.

It’s recommended that you exfoliate before using, so make sure your face is completely smooth, as the lack of guide colour means you won’t know until later if the tan has found any dry patches on your face.

5. Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk for Face

• Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk for Face, £11.99 from Lookfantastic – buy here

Australian brand Bondi Sands has gained a huge following over the past few years and has since become one of the leading brands for fake tan.

As well as having ultra-dark one-hour express tan mousses for the body, there’s also a range of gradual tan-building products for the face.

This quick-absorbing moisturiser milk is scented like cocoa butter and should be used daily for at least three days to see any noticeable results.

If used with the Tanning Milk for your body that Bondi Sands also sell, you can ensure a perfectly-matched all over tan.

6. James Read Sleep Mask Tan Face

• James Read Sleep Mask Tan Face, £25 from Amazon – buy here

Much like the other moisturising tans, James Read’s Sleep Mask Tan Face works through the night to give you a fresh-faced glow and the colour can be built up as and when you please.

The fast-drying formula is colourless to keep bed sheets and clothing clean and also has anti-ageing and moisturising ingredients.

It takes over six to eight hours to develop, so you could technically use this moisturiser in the day due to its clear colour.

The 50ml size makes it perfect for hand luggage if you want to take it on holiday.

Can you use self tan on your face?

We would suggest using a special self-tan dedicated to building a gradual face tan.

That’s because your body and face have a different skin complexion and it can result in blocked pores.

Best fake tans will give your face that natural-looking glow without the need to put any foundation on during the hot summer months.

Can you sleep with fake tan on?

We’re always looking for that product that would do wonders while we sleep, right?

With the latest advancements in beauty, it’s possible to gain a gorgeous face tan while sleeping: choose a night sleeping mask such as James Read Sleep Mask that would also serve you as a moisturiser.

Look out for colourless gradual tanners and golden glow boosters to keep your sheets stain-free.

Enjoyed our roundup of the best fake tan for your face? Then you might also like our selection of the best gradual tanners, too.

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