16 best face tanning drops for a sun-kissed glow year-round, tested by 495 women

Score: 92/100

Designed to be mixed with your skincare, makeup or body cream, these tanning drops are easy to apply and 100% customisable. There's no offensive biscuity tan smell and testers liked the easy-to-follow instructions.

It gave an even and natural looking tone, without any streakiness. “Everyone remarked on my healthy glow… and it looks perfectly natural on my very fair skin,” said one satisfied tester.

The only slight niggle from our panel was that the drops are transparent, making it hard to see how much you’re using, but that's a minor quibble.

Score: 92/100

Just a few drops are enough to create an even, natural glow here. Testers said the formula spread very well and “developed into a lovely colour”. Some found it faded more quickly than they would have liked, but it's easy to top up.

Simple to dispense from the pipette, our panel liked how well the drops blended with their moisturiser, too. One tester even said they were “some of the nicest tanning drops I’ve smelt”, which is a big achievement when it comes to self-tan.

Score: 90/100

Suiting a range of skin tones (with light, medium or dark options), this formula has a good consistency, is easy to apply and doesn't leave a messy residue.

It creates a believable tan, with one tester with fair, freckly skin commenting: "These drops gave me an even tan without looking orange." The colour is also long lasting — almost a week for some testers — develops naturally and has a fresh cucumber scent.

Score: 90/100

If being able to apply without a tanning mitt while still avoiding fake-tanned palms is of prime importance to you, this product may be the answer, as it didn't stain our testers' hands at all.

Panellists described the formula (which includes hydrating hyaluronic acid) as non-greasy, saying it gave them an even tan on their face, which developed quickly. It's easy to use and apply, and our panel said they loved the look it gave them — sun-kissed and glow-y, without a hint of orange. Some did find they needed to use a lot of product to reach the desired tone, though.

Score: 88/100

As the name suggests, this product gave testers a radiant, even and golden boost of colour, and it mixed well with moisturiser. Some said their skin felt more hydrated after using it.

Testers were happy with how the tan built up with repeated application and said they'd recommend it to friends. Some commented that it had more of a traditional fake tan smell, which they felt was fine on their legs, but they weren't so keen to use it on their face or arms.

Score: 88/100

Facial tanning comes with a lot of jeopardy – you can either wake up looking freshly sun-kissed, or more on the Oompa Loompa end of the spectrum. Thankfully, our testers achieved the former results with these facial tanning drops from Three Warriors. “I liked that it made a subtle difference,” said one. Another “extremely fair skinned” tester, said that one or two drops provided natural coverage, without it looking like they’d used fake tan.

Alongside a lovely glow, it infuses your face with skin-friendly ingredients, such as pentavitin and hyaluronic acid, which provide a burst of instant and long-lasting hydration. On top of this, Tasmanian kelp and Kakuda plum extracts help to protect against environmental aggressors and keep skin looking fresh and youthful.

Simply mix a couple of drops with your chosen moisturiser and apply it evenly to your face. Take care around your brows and hairline though, as tan can cling to these areas. Oh, and wash your hands! No one wants Wotsit fingers.

Score: 88/100

This buildable serum does exactly what it says on the bottle — creates little drops of sunshine that give your skin a warm glow. The natural tanning agents mimic the skin's natural melanin to make the tan look more natural, too.

The drops are coloured by the caramel in the formulation, so you can see what you're working with when applying and achieve a more even tan. Although not instructed to on the packaging, after mixing it with their moisturiser of choice, some panellists used contouring brushes to achieve a more sculpted-looking complexion. A useful tip!

The sorbet-like scent was also a real winner – it comes from passionfruit extract and is enough to transport anyone to the tropics. Our testers also said their tans had real staying power.

Score: 87/100

Worried tanning drops aren't for you, especially when it comes to your face? Enter Oskia's adaptive drops. The colour develops evenly, to give a warm, healthy-looking tan, with all our testers pleased with the natural results.

There wasn't any transfer onto their bedsheets, either. Ticking even more boxes, there's no smell and coverage was even. However, some testers noted the instructions weren’t clear, and found themselves wishing for a bigger bottle.

Score: 86/100

If you're always chasing that "summer holiday smell", these tanning drops have a delicious coconut scent that will transport you to sandy shores, while also giving you an even, easy-to-build tan.

The vegan formula develops over six to eight hours and adds a little shimmer as well as a tan. Everyone agreed it wasn't at all patchy or flaky, and the drops were easy to apply. All said their tan lasted a good amount of time before fading, while our lab test showed it faded fairly evenly over the course of a week.

These drops leave a tint behind for some guide colour too, which our testers appreciated for precise application. So much so, all agreed they'd use these again in the future.

Score: 86/100

If you're not familiar with Beauty Pie, it's an optional membership service that allows you to buy its products at a discount as you're purchasing direct, with no middleman. For example, these winning tanning drops will cost you just £12.50 if a you're a member, but £22 if you don't want to sign up.

The drops earned rave reviews from our testers for creating a streak-free tan, with all agreeing it wasn't too orange for their skin tone. Our lab test found the tan faded evenly, while testers said it left their skin more hydrated, too.

Score: 85/100

Since its launch, this mist has been one of the brand's top-selling products, and our beauty team was bowled over by how easy it is to build into any routine.

The fine spray is as refreshing as it is tan-enhancing, and you can spritz before your morning SPF or just before you put your head on your pillow, and it doesn't seem to rub off.

Our panel praised the micro-mist technology and said it was great for taking with you on your travels for a top up on the go.

Score: 85/100

Calming aloe vera makes this a dreamy addition to any wind-down routine. Skin will feel soothed and inflammation from any sun exposure should be reduced – plus you'll have a healthy glow come morning.

For our panel, the best bit was the buildable, gradual nature of the tan, with many noting how easy it was to mix with their moisturiser to achieve a warm, dewy-looking complexion without any patchiness. Perfect for beginners or fake tan first-timers.

Score: 84/100

This formula combines skin barrier-boosting niacinamide with hydrating hyaluronic acid and brightening vitamin C to leave you not only with a great sun-kissed glow, but healthier skin in the long-run too.

Testers appreciated how quickly the drops absorbed into skin, with everyone agreeing they didn't leave any stickiness behind. They mixed easily into moisturiser, and almost all agreed they provided a natural-looking tan.

Score: 83/100

The citrus smell of this serum had some testers sold at the very first drop, and the formulation didn't disappoint either.

Our panellists were pleased with their glow straight away, thanks to the instant shimmer, but some would have preferred a little more punch when it came to the tone of the tan.

Score: 82/100

Claiming to last for up to five days, our testers appreciated how kind these drops were to sensitive skin; they weren't too drying and proved irritation-free.

Application was easy without any patchiness, and our panel all experienced a flake-free tan. Providing a natural-looking base, the texture was non-greasy and all said their tan faded evenly, too.

Score: 82/100

With two shades to choose from — 'medium' and 'dark' — these drops provided a fairly customisable tan. It gradually built up with repeated application, with almost everyone saying there was no orange undertone in sight.

Their skin stayed hydrated, and these drops also performed well in our lab test for even fading over the week. The tan was streak-free for most, with one tester describing the result as "a nice healthy-looking, natural colour".