I've been griping about the woes of facial self-tanners for AGES. Don't use them and you get the photoshopped head effect. Use them and you risk the possibility of orange hairlines, an uneven, dirty looking face, breakouts, clogged pores, foul tanner odors in close proximity to your nose, and worst of all, "tanners" that do absolutely nothing even after several applications.

Then in June I made a brief mention of a new face tanner from L'Occitane's excellent Sol do Brasil line; the preliminary results were pretty good. Now, after a couple of months, OMG CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT.

The Castanha Sunshine Veil has yet to clog a pore, cause a breakout, smell bad, or give me a dirty or orange face. I love it. It has a thin, milky formula that makes it easy to spread and quick to absorb. You only need a very thin layer, and in 2-3 days you'll have a very believable summer glow. Combined with some powerhouse skincare products, you may be able to skip foundation/tinted moisturizer AND bronzer this August with the Sunshine Veil. I've been going barefaced quite a bit these days and have never felt more comfortable!

I know many of you have had questions about how to mix face tanners into your usual routine, especially since AHA/BHA skincare products have an exfoliating effect that can de-tan you pretty quickly. When I'm using a face tanner, I skip any products that contain salicylic, lactic or glycolic acid (or I at least limit them to one), just so the tan has a chance to develop. Then I go back to my normal routine. But, keep in mind that if you use AHA/BHA products regularly, you'll need to use a tanner more frequently just to maintain the "glow." What I like about this one is that in the summer, I can use it in place of moisturizer, so it doesn't throw me too far off track.

The bottle is small for the price ($22 for 1.7 oz) but since you'll need so little, it'll last you a long time. I've had mine since the beginning of June and have been using it regularly -- and there's still plenty left in the bottle!

Ed. note 9/1/10: This product is no longer available in the United States, but can be found on L'Occitane's other country websites (try UK). I'll be on the lookout for its return to the States!