In pre-COVID days, we’d spend our weekends by the beach getting our tan on with our girlfriends, while sipping on our favourite cocktails. With many frequenting beach clubs like TBC, Ola, and Rumours, those sunny beach days are long over — with many switching over their bikinis for their PJs during this quarantine.

And although our skin has cleared up from all our days going barefaced, we have to admit, that we do miss those days basking in the warm summer sun.

Fortunately, with the evergrowing list of beauty products that have been churned out in the market over the past decade, self-tanning at home has become more sophisticated than it was before. For those looking for a nice sunkissed glow, we’ve rounded up some of the self-tanning products that you can try at the comfort of your home.

1. St. Tropez Bestsellers Kit

Known for its beaches and nightlife, St. Tropez is a summer dream vacation for those who love the sand, the sun and the sea. Eponymous to its name, this St. Tropez Bestsellers Kit features the brand’s signature products — that includes the Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse, a Tan Remover Mousse, and a Luxe Applicator Mitt. The Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse applies luxuriously onto the skin and gives you a light to deep tan, depending on the amount of time you’ve left it on for (1 to 3 hours) before rinsing it off. The tan is also said to last you through a few days. And if you’re looking to remove it, you can reach out for their Tan Remover Mousse that effectively removes all traces of the tan while rebalancing and priming the skin.

The St. Tropez Bestsellers Kit ($66.50) is available at Lookfantastic.

2. Sephora Collection Illuminating Bronzing Oil

Though it may seem like our days of returning back to the beaches are still far away, we can still mimic that sunkissed glow with this Illuminating Bronzing Oil by Sephora — even if it’s for that at-home Instagram shoot you have planned. This temporary bronzing oil might only last for a day, but it promises to give a beautiful and iridescent glow that illuminates your skin while giving you a nice bronzy touch to your complexion. Apart from its affordable price tag, the bronzing oil also finishes with a beautiful scent thanks to its exotic monoi fragrance.

The Sephora Collection Illuminating Bronzing Oil ($15) is available at Sephora.

3. Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Tanning Foam 

If you’re wondering what summer would look like bottled, then look no further than this self-tanner by Bondi Sands. Labelled as a ‘Liquid Gold Tanning Foam’, you’d best believe we’d expect the perfect, bronzed glow for the season — it’ll feel like you’ve just stepped off from Bondi Beach. Formulated with skin-nourishing ingredients including Jojoba oil, Aloe Vera, and Argan Oil, the foam goes on seamlessly with a no-rinse formula that promises a tan that takes 6 hours to develop and lasts for days.

The Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Tanning Foam ($27.99) is available at ASOS.

4. Eau Thermale Avène Moisturizing Self-Tanning Lotion

Besides getting a nice sunless tan, it wouldn’t hurt to give your skin some extra TLC while you’re at it — and Eau Thermale Avène Moisturizing Self-Tanning Lotion does just that. A lotion that comes with a non-greasy, lightweight texture, the self-tanning lotion is made suitable for all skin tones. Its formula, on the other hand, is made to protect the skin against free radicals, restore the skin’s barrier and prevent moisture loss too. Of course, with its iconic ingredient that the brand is known for, the Moisturising Self Tanning Lotion is also made with the Avène Thermal Spring Water that soothes and softens the skin.

The Eau Thermale Avène Moisturizing Self-Tanning Lotion ($79.62) is available on Amazon.sg.

5. Clinique Self-Sun Body Tinted Lotion

One of the concerns about applying self-tanners would have to be its texture. Though we love the beautiful, tanned finish that it gives our skin, most of us prefer something that doesn’t feel oily to the touch. Peep Clinique’s Self-Sun Body Tinted Lotion. With a non-greasy formula, the lotion works to create a medium to deep tan in a matter of hours. With regular use, you’ll be able to keep your tan all summer long, with a long-lasting formula that fades evenly as well.

The Clinique Self-Sun Body Tinted Lotion in Medium/Deep is available at Zalora.

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