The ideal self-tanner for the off-season

I’m pretty particular about my self-tanner any time of year. Spring and summer may be primetime for a gorgeous glow, but I rely on a bottle bronze during fall and winter as well so I can bare my legs (or at least my ankles) without embarrassment. But cooler weather calls for more subtly sun-kissed skin (a too-dark tan screams fake in February, am I wrong?), which is why I usually opt for a gradual tanner so I’m more in control of my color. Well, that predilection went out that window as soon as I tried The Water by Tan-Luxe.

I’ve tried many tanning liquids before, but they tend to be tinted to help ensure even application. Although this fluid is crystal clear, I wasn’t at all nervous simply because it says “Light” right there on the bottle. Delivering perhaps the most effortless self-tanning experience ever, I simply sprayed it on my legs and rubbed it in with a mitt. Come morning, I had just the right amount of color to confidently step out in cropped pants and slides—with zero smell and not a streak in sight.

Self-tanning may not be your biggest beauty concern as Halloween approaches, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a good one to stave off pale, pasty skin (even if it’s covered up). If your summer stash is gone, this is the product to pick up for winter!