When it comes to wedding, hen party or honeymoon tanning, we know that many of you prefer to leave it to the professionals. But we’re often asked about the best self tan for brides, and, as always, we aim to please. That’s why, here, we’re sharing our pick of the best self-tanners for brides, with options for light, medium and dark skin tones. But first, a few important points to note about DIYing your wedding day, hen party or honeymoon glow.

A Word of Advice!

To get the best from your self-tan, you should do at least one trial run before the big day or a couple of trial runs with multiple self-tanners if required. This should help you figure out which formula you find easiest to use, and which suits your skin type, and compare the results. For our top tips on self-tanning at home, click here. And don’t worry if you make a mistake, we have a whole post too showing you how to fix self tan mistakes from patchy tan to streaks!

How to Choose Self Tan for Your Wedding, Pre-Wedding Events or Honeymoon

When choosing a self tanner, there are a few things to consider, aside from shade. You want a product that’s easy to apply, and it should also have serious staying power. It’s also worth thinking about the finish you want, whether you prefer a subtle radiant or darker bronzed look. For all of the above, you need to consider the formula of the self tanner. The most common formulas are liquid, mousse, or lotion.

• Liquid self tanners will dry the fastest and are great for the summer months, but they can streak a little more than the others, particularly if you aren’t used to the formula.
• Mousse self tanners are great because they dry fast, but they offer very little hydration so are best avoided by dry skin types.
• Lotion self tanners tend to have the most hydration, and, if you moisturise daily, they will fade away evenly.

We highly recommend trying out a few products to see which works best for you. Now, let’s talk about our favourites!

The Best Self Tan for Brides: Light Skin Tones

For skin that doesn’t tan easily in the sun, the best self tanner is a light to medium shade. To avoid any unwanted breakouts, choose a non-comedogenic (aka non-pore clogging) face-specific tan, and another for the body. In general, light to medium self tanner has a peachy undertone that works well with light skin tones, giving a natural and glowing finish.

OUR PICKS:

Mousse: Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Mousse Light, 200ml, €27.95 at Brown Thomas

Liquid: Clarins Radiance-Plus Booster for the body, 30ml, €36, Clarins counters

Gel: Lancaster Self Tan Golden Body Gel, 125ml, €36.99 at Boots

The Best Self Tan for Brides: Medium Skin Tones

If you’ve got a medium skin tone that tans easily in summer, you can enhance your complexion with a medium self-tanner or ramp up the bronze with a darker shade. The natural warmth in your skin works well with a self-tanner with a green or caramel base that delivers a natural, radiant golden glow. A dark self-tanner with a violet base will give the skin a more bronzed look if that’s what you’re after, but for a wedding day, hen party or honeymoon tan, stick with a medium shade if you’re looking for radiance.

OUR PICKS:

Mousse: St.Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse, 240ml, €37.45 at LookFantastic

Liquid: Bondi Sands Self Tan Oil Liquid Gold, 150ml, €21.99 at Boots

Lotion: Bare By Vogue Self Tan Lotion Dark, 200ml, €24 at Boots

The Best Self Tan for Brides: Dark Skin Tones

Deeper skin tones that rarely burn can look dry or ashy when sunlight is in short supply, but a layer of self-tanner can counteract dull skin to bring back vibrancy. A medium tan is perfect for adding warmth to the skin, especially in winter. The base tones of green or caramel enhance deep skin tones for supermodel skin on your big day.

OUR PICKS:

Mousse: Vita Liberata Tinted Tanning Mousse 200ml, €31, Cloud10Beauty.com

Lotion: Bali Body Gradual Tan, 200ml, €24.95 at Brown Thomas

Lotion: Tan-Luxe The Gradual Illuminating Tanning Lotion 250ml, €29.45 at Look Fantastic

Getting your pre-wedding pampering on? Our wedding skincare timeline will help you plan. For more bridal skin, hair and makeup ideas and tips click here and follow us on Instagram.