Battle of the gradual tanners!

Hello everyone! So I have something to admit... I'm a little bit addicted to fake tan. I love love love having that sun-kissed summer glowing skin! It looks so healthy, like you've been frolicking outdoors when actually you've been inside watching Netflix while the rain pours down... However, despite this I do not enjoy the hassle of the fake tan process - I always feel like its a lot of effort to go to for something that's just going to disappear once you get in the shower! For this reason, I am a die hard gradual tanner fanatic. You get the benefits of fake tan without all the mess and effort, and it lasts longer! I don't really mind about my tan being really dark as I'm quite fair skinned, I just like to have a bit of colour.

Gradual tanner suits me for my busy lifestyle (and when I can't be bothered) I can just apply it after the shower, 2 or 3 times a week, in place of my usual moisturiser et voila! I'm good to go. Over the years I have tried and tested many a gradual tanner, and I thought I would share with you my findings on the four best ones (in my opinion)! These are all high street brands and very affordable.

Ranked in order, from least favourite to most favourite!

1. Tesco Sunkissed Gradual Tanning Lotion in medium bronze

This was a recent purchase for me, always on the look out for new gradual tanners! I was enticed by this and wanted to see if Tesco's own product measured up. I was very pleasantly surprised! The best thing about this product is the colour pay-off - it has the deepest tan out of any of the products I've tried and I found it more comparable to an instant tanner. It also smells of cocoa butter and feels very moisturizing and luxurious on the skin, which is a plus!

2. Dove Summer Glow

A cult favourite of mine - this is a product that I keep coming back to and I have many bottles of this stuff in my bathroom! Moisturising and never fails to give a great colour. The smell isn't as good as some of the others but I don't mind it- it reminds me of summer time now anyway! I prefer the one without shimmer, but sometimes it's nice to have a bit of a sheen to your skin!

3. Garnier Summer Body

This product is such a winner. A lightweight, fast absorbing formula that smells of apricots and sunshine, providing an even, all over sun-kissed glow. Love love love. I switched from using the Dove one to this because not only do you get more for your money, the smell is 100% better and I love how easily it applies- I can get ready so much faster!

4. St. Tropez Gradual Tan Firming 4 in 1

This stuff is amazing. I purchased it recently out of curiosity and I can honestly say I'm converted! A little bit pricier than the others but well worth it. Not only does this give you an amazing colour, (not too dark, super natural and healthy looking) but it also moisturises well, smells great and according to the packaging, it also tones and firms your skin! The jury's still out on this one, but anything that claims to give me better looking legs in time for my summer holidays is something I'm willing to put to the test. In the meantime I'm enjoying using this up! You only need a small sized amount to cover your whole body- a little goes a long way. All I can say is, hats off to St Tropez!

These are my top four gradual tanners for Summer 2014, but I'm sure there will be more added to the list in the future as I always like trying out new ones! If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them :)