Dear BX,

What would you recommend for self tanner that’s a daily lotion?  The one I’ve been using makes my skin feel dry, yet it also makes me shiny. The color it gives me is awesome — it’s just the shine that I can’t stand. The bottle says “dries quickly,” so I imagine that’s why then I end up with a shine, but I’m not greasy. I have normal skin, so what do I use?

-Liz E.

Wow! Well, Liz, you’ve already won more than half of “The Battle of the Bronzer” since you’ve found a self tanner with a good color instead of one that leaves a streaky, carrot hue. Congrats! Now, on to your problem.

First, you probably guessed correctly; we’ve found that a lot of self tanners that tout they are “quick dry” often lack extra moisturizers found in richer lotions. Gels and mousses can be particularly notorious for that, so if you’re using one of those, you might want to switch to a lotion or spray that says “moisturizing,” even if your skin is typically normal. The downside? Many times that means the extra moisture will take a little longer to dry, so give yourself a few extra minutes before putting on that killer outfit. However, a word of caution — if you go too rich on the moisture, you may swing too far the other way and feel greasy.

Before committing to a new brand, one of the best ways to find your match is to sample, sample, sample. Believe it or not, many drugstore brands have a place on their websites reserved for writing in to try new samples. In fact, Wal-Mart recently added a section to their website where you can score samples of personal care items, and lo and behold, one of our favorite cost-effective, daily self-tanners is listed — Jergens Natural Glow.

The Jergens Natural Glow sunless tanner comes in shades to match different skin tones, and they offer formulas for regular daily moisturizer, “firming” and “express.” While the “express” has a higher concentration of DHA (the ingredient making your skin bronze), we find it is a lotion that is fairly light in texture, so you might want to start there. If higher-end self tanners are more your style, we also recommend the Solerra Instant Bronzing Mitts, which are super-convenient, and Xen-Tan Transform Luxe, which offers an amazingly-realistic glow.

In the end, it really comes down to your personal preference — some people love the color of one self tanner but hate its smell. Others love the smell, but hate the dry time.  So play around with some samples, and let us know what you end up loving!

Have your own suggestion for Liz? Leave it in the comments below!

Photos: Cover image – Heather Sorenson; Inside – Jergens, Solerra