I have tried it all!! Banana Boat is cheap and so easy to apply. I swear by it. It doesn't streak or turn a weird color and it lasts for a while.

I'm kind of new to self-tanning. Have only been doing it for a year or so and tried only 2 types - Shiseido's Brilliant Bronze Self-Tanner for Face and Body, which is good, but expensive, and Banana Boat Sunless Tinted Lotion, Self-Adjusting in Deep Dark. Banana Boat is much cheaper and I've bought a 2nd tube, but here are the drawbacks:

1. Tinted version contains henna, which stains. It doesn't really help to show you which areas you've covered, because if it's been blended in properly, you shouldn't really see it at all. Don't wear light-colored, dry clean only clothes or wipe off on a light towel after using this.
2. Very strong smell! I kind of like it, but my boyfriend hates it and it gets really strong after a few hours, so you have to shower again to wash off the smell.

On the bright side, it does a great job! The tan lasts about a week, and it looks very natural on my pale Asian skin. I don't use it on my face, since I'm acne prone, and always exfoliate the day before and apply body lotion before self-tanner, so have never had streaking problems. For a cheap, decent tan, I recommend this one!

This came out a nice deep colour (even on my v pale skin!) when I applied it twice, one night then the next. The bad thing was it didn't fade well, it wore off on my inner-elbows & on my chest pretty quick. I'd recommend it for an event (moisturiser on elbows, knees, hands & feet important cos it's dark) but not if u want a long-lasting tan. Was impressed with the colour. continued >>

Great product, went on without streaks (but the color was not right for my skin tone). I'll buy this again in a different shade! :)

I bought this because it was cheap and on sale. The color turns out orangy-brown and it looks fake. No one looks that color of tan. Oh well, guess I'll throw it away since I can't return it. Update: Well, after comparing it to other products, it's not that bad, and color isn't that orange. It does wear off unevenly (I look like my feet are dirty and it's embarrassing)! Still wouldn't buy again. I prefer L'Oreal Sublime Bronze cream - color is more natural.

it seems that choosing a self tanner is a very individual thing, much like fragrance or mascara- sometimes you just have to keep trying out different products to find the one that will work best for you. for me, this self tanner works great and i have re-purchased many times. i am very fair naturally, but the deep dark color works really well for my skintone and does not appear too orange. i also like savage bronze and find that alternating the banana boat and savage bronze gives the most realistic color, but the banana boat does well on its own too. i love that the lotion does not streak and the smell is not too overpowering. if you are using this product on virgin skin, two coats will give you a definite tan. however, i personally like to apply my self tanner mixed with body lotion every day as it prolongs the tan and keeps any smell to a minimum. i also use this product on my face and it has not made me break out as far as i can tell. overall, this is a great product that's not too expensive, so i'll continue to use it for the consistent results.

I have to say for a drugstore self tanner this is amazing! It did have a bit of the ST smell but not as bad as most I have come across. Dried very quickly too so I didn't have to sit around and wait. Easy to apply. It gave me a good bit of color the first use but I suspect to get what I want, I will have to use it a bit more. Pretty cheap too. This could be potential holy grail material!

Used this last night before I went to bed so I could wake up with a great tan. Loved the formula and color guide. BUT, after applying and trying to go to sleep, the smell became so intense that after being awake for two hours, I had to take a shower. Even though I only had the tanner on for about three hours, I still had developed a tan that lasted through the shower! The color is great, but I don't think I can use this again due to the stink!

tried this due to all of the glowing reviews on here, but im disappointed to say that it just didnt work for me. to be fair, every single self tanner i have tried , with the exception of natural glow, has turned me an odd shade of yellow. not really orange, but icky sickly deep yellow. all i want is a light brown, thats it! and this didnt work either. it does leave a bronze cast to the skin due to the color guide immediately, but that goes away, and i was left with a yellow streaky mess. plus it took FOREVER to dry. i stood in front of a large fan for 40 minutes and still wasnt dry. i really think that its me, not the product, that caused the yellowish'ness, maybe its my chemistry. but i cant recommend this, especially to med olive skinned toned gals like myself. on to dior bronze.

I am still experimenting with this. Last night was my first application. I immediately noticed a slight darkening of my skin and was pleasantly surprised. When I woke up, I had a golden tan with minimal streaks. I will examine myself in some harsher light when I get home. The tan seems to darken even more as the hours tick by. All in all, I would use again. No stink and lovely fragrance...reminds me of the beach.