Is “pasty” officially a word? I think so. We women use it all the time to describe how we look when it is getting close to the season of summer sunshine but we have yet to really get a tan. I’ve heard this word (used interchangeably with “pale” or “ghostly”) at least a dozen times in the past few weeks so I know we’re all on the same schedule when it comes to getting rid of our winter white.

You’ve seen a few of my past posts on tanning products and spray tans, but it was high time a full post was dedicated to getting a little bit of a glow, including on your face. I’m going to the Denver Derby this weekend, a huge downtown Denver Kentucky Derby party, and I’m wearing a white dress. I don’t want my dress to look darker than my skin so I needed to get a little glow before Saturday!

Best face products for a glow:

Hands down, Dior Healthy Glow Sunlight is my favorite face bronzer. It never gives that orange-cheek or over-bronzed look and can be layered on for a darker look or just brushed on your cheeks, nose, forehead and chin for a quick addition of color. Sunset was too dark for me personally, but if you have naturally dark or ethnic skin, it would be a good option. Sunlight is perfect for anyone fair-medium.

If you like shimmer with your bronze or want a bronzer that also acts as a highlighter, look no farther than Bobbi Brown’s bronze shimmer brick. With a fantastic and not-too-crazy sheen and a gradient compact (so you can grab colors from the light end in winter, dark end in summer) it’s one of my top picks.

The Dior Healthy Glow is $55 and the Bobbi Brown is $42, so a nice price difference as well.

Best one-day-only tanning lotions:

My two favorites are Tantalizer Bronzer and St Tropez One Night Only lotion but they are still very different.

Tantalizer: More golden, more shimmer, easily washes off in one shower

St Tropez: More coffee/chocolate, easier to blend, lasts a little longer

Here they are side-by-side. Tantalizer is on the left, St Tropez is on the right. I did a blob and a quick streak test.

Best gradual glow:
This category has options in two price points.

SelfTANtalizer is the gradual bronzing option from Lorac. Find it here at the Beauty Bar for $32.

Jergen’s Natural Glow Graduall tanner for $7 is a classic. It’s been around for ages and is the best drugstore option for an easy, gradual tan. They have options for light/medium and medium/tan skin.