If you’re an avid fan of DIY, at-home self-tanning (and if so, good for you because we all know how bad excess and unprotected sun exposure can be for our skin), you probably already all about fake tanner’s skin-enhancing “off-label uses” too, whether it be concealing bruises and scars or even creating a super subtle contour that won’t wash off with one or two nightly cleanses. Sadly, stumbling upon a natural self-tanner that won’t leave your skin looking like a certain president or character from “Willy Wonka” isn’t exactly an easy feat. Not only is a tangerine-tinged tone a potential risk when it comes to UV-free bronzing, but you also have streaking, stained hands, ankles and feet, and the lingering B.O.-like odor to worry about as well.
These concerns are especially prevalent if you have a fair or light skin tone—instead of the gilded, post-beach-day glow we’re all after, it’s easy to wind up with an unsightly orange hue that looks as though you’ve returned from a botched science experiment rather than a tropical vacation. And, regardless of your skin tone—whether it be light or deep, the chances that you may make a fatal mistake during the application process is sort of likely. Mousse formulas, however, tend to be relatively foolproof and are definitely one of the more beginner-friendly self-tanners to experiment with. We’ve rounded up some of the best self-tanner mousses that are formulated with natural and shade adjusting pigments to prevent this all too common beauty disaster from forcing you to call in sick for work or canceling on your Hinge date out of sheer embarrassment.
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