12 Of The Best Face Tanners For A Naturally Golden Glow In 2026

Why it’s Vogue-approved: By Terry Tea to Tan is a lightweight bronzing spray that serves as a secret weapon for a luminous, realistic glow in seconds. A favourite among professional make-up artists, it comes highly recommended to instantly warm up a pale complexion without the commitment of self-tanner or sun exposure. The hydrating mist is made with 97 per cent naturally derived ingredients that feel lightweight and refreshing on the complexion – yet it is also long-wearing and transfer-resistant, leaving the skin with a soft matte finish. The instant bronzing effect is achieved through ultra-fine pigments that don’t stain the skin and instead wash off easily with water at the end of the day. The inclusion of organic cherry, black tea, and red tea extracts enriches the skin to revitalise, protect and smooth.

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: If you’re looking for an imperceptible hint of sunshine on your skin, you can’t go wrong with this impressive new formula. Fast-developing and quick-drying, it can be blended into skin, and just three hours later, you’ll have a luminous, subtly bronzed complexion. The addition of hyaluronic acid means it helps keep things plump and hydrated.
• Added ingredients: hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, glycerin
• Type of formula: liquid with a precision dropper

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: It’s virtually impossible to go wrong with this easy-to-use tanning mist. Fortified with calming ingredients like oatmeal, a few spritzes across the face and décolleté ensure a natural-looking warmth to the skin. It’s also worth noting that it fades as seamlessly as it’s applied, so you won’t be left with any tell-tale patchiness.
• Added ingredients: oatmeal, chamomile
• Type of formula: clear mist
• Vogue review: “It’s probably fair to say that this is one of my most recommended beauty products of all time. It’s the best if your skin is looking a bit grey and you just need a bit of perking up, because it’s fast and it really works. I spray it on a big powder brush that I keep exclusively for face tanner and then buff it into clean, dry skin before bed. I wake the next day looking human again,” – Georgia Day, contributing beauty editor

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: With a flattering golden olive rather than orange-y undertones, these drops are a great way to add rich, natural colour to all skin tones, but especially deeper ones. The dropper applicator means the tan is customisable, so go as dark as you want by building up the number of drops you add into your daily moisturiser or serum. There’s no need to worry about self-tan scent either, as every product in the range is formulated with the brand’s Odourlite Fragrance Technology.
• Added ingredients: raspberry seed oil, vitamin E and aloe vera
• Type of formula: liquid with a precision dropper

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: This tanning water not only delivers a pretty sun-kissed glow to skin, but it effectively hydrates throughout the day too, so skin won’t feel tight or dry while it’s developing. Once you have the colour locked in, you may find that the glow is so even and flawless that you can forgo your foundation.
• Added ingredients: Coconut, chia seed and avocado oils
• Type of formula: facial mist

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: With an innovative formula that comprises plant-based DHA as its active tanning ingredient, alongside multi-molecular 4D hyaluronic acid and microalgae, this silky colourless face tanner delivers a warm glow to all skin tones. Fermented mushroom is also on hand to support your skin barrier, which is especially good if other face tanners tend to upset the balance and cause sensitivity.
• Added ingredients: hyaluronic acid, microalgae, fermented mushroom
• Type of formula: serum

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: If you’re worried about face tanner settling into fine lines and wrinkles or looking patchy on drier skin, try this hydrating face tanner booster. Although it’s billed as an elixir, it’s similar to an oil in texture, only without the greasiness left behind. To use, simply pump a couple of drops into your day or night cream. Not only will your anti-ageing skincare be given a boost thanks to numerous plant extracts,but you’ll also enjoy a complexion that looks brighter and more rested too.
• Added ingredients: glycerin, aloe vera
• Type of formula: oil

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: An icon in the face tanner stakes, this luxurious cream delivers the perfect amount of golden glow to all skin tones. Although it’s on the expensive side, you don’t just get great colour payoff and long-lasting results, you get advanced skincare as well, which includes hibiscus flower extract, alpine rose extract and a hydrating complex of active ingredients like stevia leaf extract and glycerin.
• Added ingredients: hibiscus flower extract, alpine rose extract, sesame seed extract, stevia leaf extract, glycerin
• Type of formula: cream
• Vogue review: “I use this when I want a product that can work hard and give me luxe skin treatment and a bit more colour, sun-kissed colour to my face. It does the job beautifully and always leaves my skin looking radiant and my skin tone more even. I’ve been using it for almost 20 years and can’t see that changing,” – Georgia Day, Vogue contributing beauty editor

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Thanks to the super fine mist applicator that deposits an even amount of formula on skin, this face tanner is completely idiot-proof. Delivering a perfect layer of natural-looking sun-kissed colour every time, the formula is also enriched with skin-friendly ingredients like antioxidants to protect and repair against daily oxidative damage as well as plumping hyaluronic acid.
• Added ingredients: antioxidants, hyaluronic acid
• Type of formula: mist

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: If you don’t want the hassle of applying a separate tanner on your face and body, then this all-over tanner is a great option. While the golden-brown tint shows up immediately out of the bottle (which is helpful when you’re applying it) the formula develops into a warm, blurred bronze with no harsh lines or edges. Although other lighter shades are available, this caramel colour gives you a two-week-in-the-sun effect that we love.
• Added ingredients: hyaluronic acid, pentavitin, blue daisy
• Type of formula: mousse

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Traditional face tanners can sometimes cause oily skin to act up, whether it’s ramping up excess oil or causing blemishes and breakouts. As well as containing a blemish control complex to balance sebum production, this contains brightening vitamin C and soothing chamomile to work on blemishes and imperfections, and all while delivering a golden tint to skin.
• Added ingredients: blemish control complex, vitamin C, chamomile
• Type of formula: serum

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: A great option for a dewy, radiant skin finish, these tried and tested bronzing drops are easy to use and can be built up depending on how tan you want to go. The formula is gradual, so it develops slowly, and naturally, over a few hours, and the finish is streak-free, so no one needs to know you’ve cheated.
• Added ingredients: coconut water, hyaluronic acid
• Type of formula: liquid with a precision dropper

• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Everything about this brand’s approach to formulation is based around strengthening the skin barrier, so it should come as no surprise that the ingredients list features the signature Tanzee Barrier Repair Matrix, a component inspired by the skin’s natural lipid structure and composed of a blend of ceramides, cholesterol, and lots more. While that’s great for all skin types, mature skin that’s thinner and more fragile will benefit especially from the extra support. This hydrating cream is ideal if you’re looking for a deeper tan, albeit one that applies easily and fades evenly.
• Added ingredients: Ceramides, cholesterol, niacinamide, hydration actives
• Formula type: Cream