I'll be honest. While I love self-tanner and never go without a bottle or two in my bathroom cabinet, I don't use it religiously. In fact, I'll only use it when I have a big event in the near future or my skin looks really dull. The latter is what drove me to use it most recently. You see, I used to live in L.A. and Austin—two warm-weather cities where I stayed sun-kissed all year round. Last year, though, I moved back to my hometown in the Midwest. That means, for the first time in forever, I spent an entire winter in the cold, gloomy snow.
Unsurprisingly, after four months of little to no sunlight, my skin started looking pretty lackluster. One morning, I woke up, looked in the mirror, and was genuinely shocked that my skin looked the way it did. I knew it was time to bring out the self-tanner. But not just any self-tanner. I'd been seeing a specific brand all over Instagram and TikTok. The before-and-after pictures were so good that I felt compelled to try it. So I did, and wow. It gave me a post-vacation glow in just a couple of hours.
I'm not just saying that either. I had not one, not two, but three people compliment me after I used it. "Your skin looks so good," "I need your spray-tan deets," and "Girl, you're glowing," were a selection of the compliments I received. Needless to say, I love this self-tanner. Keep scrolling to see the product (or should I say products?) and a pretty epic before-and-after picture if I do say so myself.
Before Using the Self-Tanner
After Using the Self-Tanner
What I love most about this transformation is that my skin still looks natural in the "after" picture. This isn't one of those self-tan situations where I look unnaturally bronze or (even worse) orange. My freckles were still visible, there were absolutely no streaks, and the color developed within two hours. Not to pat myself on the back, but I could see why people asked for my spray-tan artist. It wasn't that the tan looked obvious or over the top; it was that the tan looked so seamless that they thought I went to a professional.
Here are the products I used. If you're like me, I'm sure you've been seeing this brand, Saltyface, all over social media. It offers two self-tanner formulas—foam and water, respectively. Not only do they look very luxe in their packaging, but they contain good-for-skin ingredients, so they can actually enhance skin health. Cool, right? I could have purchased each product separately, but I like that this handy kit contains both, along with the brand's blending brush.
An In-Depth Look at Each of the Products
First up, let's talk about this Tanning Water. It's meant for use on the face specifically. As such, it's suitable for all skin types (including sensitive and acne-prone). The formula is packed with "fruit and root" extracts, like tea plant, aloe, and cucumber, so it's exceptionally hydrating.
I used this on clean, dry skin. I just spritzed it over my skin, picked up the brand's handy Tanning Brush (see below), and blended it across my face, neck, ears, and chest. The color will gradually develop over 24 hours, but I rinsed it off after only four. Even though I cut it short, the effect was visible. The tan was seamless and sun-kissed.
This soft, densely packed brush is the perfect tool for blending it out.
Now for the Tanning Foam. I used this on my body. Again, I applied it to clean, dry skin. Like the Tanning Water, it will gradually develop over 24 hours and has no guide color (or bronzer). This is a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. Some people prefer clear tanning formulas because they don't transfer onto clothes and sheets. Fair enough. Personally, though, I was hesitant to use a self-tanner without a guide color in it. I thought I wouldn't be able to see where I was putting it, which would result in missed spots, streaks, and patchiness, but I pushed on in the hopes I could get as good of a result as people on social media. And, surprisingly, I did.
Maybe the lack of guide color made me blend more aggressively, but I was shocked to see a totally seamless tan develop on my arms and legs. It looked, dare I say, perfect. And I appreciated that the formula's floral, aloe, and cucumber extracts hydrated my skin while it was working.
Larger in surface area, this soft brush blended the foam across my body.
The last Saltyface product I want to talk about is this bronzer. It only comes in one shade, which might sound crazy, but it's more of a perfecting tint than a traditional bronzing formula. Add it to a moisturizer, foundation, or SPF. Or, apply it directly to the cheeks, nose, forehead, and eyelids. Either way, it provides an instant (yet still natural-looking!) glow. And, yes, it benefits the skin just like the brand's other products. In this case, it's spiked with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and a bevy of botanical extracts. That means it can hydrate, brighten, and even out the skin tone.
I chose to add this to my moisturizer and apply it all over my face for a boost of color. It instantly gave me a post-vacation look. Even though my tan has worn off, I continue to use this Liquid Bronzer as part of my daily makeup routine.
Shop More Glow-Boosting Products I Love
This sunscreen makes my skin gleam in sunlight (and it's moisturizing).
Here's yet another TikTok-viral product that lives up to the hype.
Mix these with your foundation, and you'll look instantly sun-kissed.
I'm obsessed with this new foundation from Make Up For Ever.
This product is one part pigmented blush, one part dewy highlighter.
Yep, I still back this iconic drugstore bronzer. It's so silky and blendable.
A lesser-known product, this highlighter gives skin the most natural-looking sheen.
-
Alex Cooper Looked Like a Champagne Angel on the Red Carpet—Here's Every Makeup Product She WoreAn exclusive interview with her makeup artist.
-
I Asked AI How to Look Like a Bronzy Internet It Girl This Summer—Then I Wore Its 6 Recs for a WeekSummer glam, simplified.
-
Say Hello to "Toasty Glam," the Hottest (Had to) Makeup Trend of Summer 2025It's flooding my FYP.
-
I'm a Beauty Editor With a Fashion Degree—How I'm Translating the Fisherman Trend Into My Makeup RoutineThese looks are compliment bait.
-
I've Been Traveling Nonstop—My Friends Can't Stop "Borrowing" These 9 Beauty Essentials I PackOfficially influenced.
-
I Just Got Engaged—This Is the Foolproof "Marry Me" Skin Routine I Did for 6 MonthsI've never looked better.
-
I'm a Nontoxic Self-Tanning Expert Who Loves a Beachy Aesthetic—Here Are My 15 Desert-Island ProductsThese are Bethany Menzel's clean beauty selects.
-
Calling It—Addison Rae's Pop Princess Blush Will Be Everywhere After Her New Music VideoSabrina Carpenter and Sydney Sweeney are fans too.
