I may have gone away for a while over the summer, but my self-tanner obsession continued at full blast. And I've found one that's become quite the staple in my beauty closet.

L'Oreal has marketed several formulations of self-tanner over the years, under the Sublime Glow and Sublime Bronze names. The one we're talking about today is the Sublime Bronze Luminous Self-Tanning Lotion. You'll recognize it on the shelf by its opaque bronze bottle with gold cap.

This self-tanner is a tinted gel that has quite a bit of gold sparkle in it. It's a bit much for work, but subtle enough for pretty much anything else. Although, I wish it came in a "Natural" version, the way Lancome marketed their Flash Bronzer line - there was a Shimmer formula and a Natural formula. Much more versatile.

Anyhow, the tint - shimmer or not - definitely helps if you're starting from scratch with super-pale skin and need an instant boost.

But the defining characteristic of this tanner is how fast it dries. It's really incredible -- I think it might be the fastest-drying tanner I've ever tried. If you're in a rush and need to get dressed and out the door quickly, you won't have any issues with smearing or stickiness.

The color is somewhere in between a gradual tanner and a regular-strength tanner; it's noticeable and golden after one use, but not dark enough that you can't easily correct mistakes, should they occur. And the smell isn't heinous -- like other L'Oreal tanners, it actually smells good. DHA smell later on down the road is inevitable, as with all tanners, but it's really not bad.

Sublime Bronze Luminous is my new go-to when I need some color and can't spend hours walking around in the buff, trying to avoid the furniture (and the neighbors!).