As we make our way into cooler temperatures and shorter days, that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to sport “Twilight” pale skin quite yet (though the vamp look is so in now, right?). For those of us who want to maintain a rich bronze glow — without looking like a carrot — Xen-Tan self tanner is the perfect option.

What makes Xen-Tan unlike any other sunless tanning product we’ve tried?  Well first, it’s the ONLY one we’ve seen that has no hint of orange.  Not even a tiny bit.  In fact, when we tested the Xen-Tan Deep Bronze Luxe, which has a hint of color for streak-free application, the glop that dried around the rim (we’re slobs) actually turned green.  Yes, green.

But don’t worry — that’s not the color it turns when applied on skin.  After a few hours, it becomes a very natural bronze glow with subtle olive undertones.  The end result is so natural looking that multiple people asked where we went on vacation, and others questioned what bronzers we used to get “such a nice glow.”

Before Xen-Tan

After Xen-Tan

Of course, this is exactly what every self tanner hopes to achieve, but none have seemed to get it quite right.  That’s why Xen-Tan founder Dera Enochson made it her mission to develop a sunless tanning product that solved the “orange versus pale” dilemma.

“I created Xen-Tan because being a natural red head meant I have the fairest skin possible,” said Enochson.  “Every self tanner that I used left me with rusty patches on my knees and elbows.  And even worse the smell was intolerable!  I wanted to create a product that had a natural color and smelled great especially for people like me who self tan during the day.”

Enochson asserts that all Xen-Tan products are formulated to have the most olive undertone, which she believes is the key to a natural effect in self tanners.

“The artist Caravaggio used to paint his canvas with a light green tint before painting human figures.  This was because he noticed that the green tint made the skin tone look more realistic.  We decided to bring the same logic to self tan.  Instead of looking orange the skin looks more brown with Xen-Tan,” said Enochson.

Xen-Tan Mousse Intense

In addition to developing into a rich, natural glow sans streaks, Xen-Tan passed our discerning sniffer test with flying colors (i.e., Anne’s husband didn’t recoil with disgust). The product has a light vanilla scent that dissipates quickly after application, so it doesn’t compete with other scents you may wear. The color itself lasts well, and we found that reapplying after four days was the ideal time to maintain the rich glow, though the product literature says it may last up to a week.

As for application, be sure to wear gloves.  The instructions advise you to wash your hands thoroughly after rubbing in the lotion, but we found that the color was just too strong to fully come off with a strong washing, leaving our palms a little too olive for our liking.  When we used plastic gloves the next go-around (you can buy them at any drugstore), there was no problem, and we simply dabbed a bit of product on the back of our hands after removing them.  Since Xen-Tan has a rich formula, you need to wait about five minutes before dressing in order to make sure the product is fully soaked in. But once it is, in two to three hours, you’ll be beautifully bronzed.

Xen-Tan products are available as lotions, spray mists and mousses (we tested the Deep Bronze Luxe, $39, and the Face Tanner Luxe, $22).  You can purchase them online at http://xen-tan.com and at select Nordstrom stores.

Photo Credit:  Images courtesy of Xen-Tan and Anne Houseman