We had our reservations about faux-glow — one of us had a freaky, streaky self-tanning disaster as a teenager, the other grew up in Florida, where tanning is an art form — but we shoved aside our fears and tested four products, putting waterproof tape on our arms so we could judge the results. Our arms are mismatched and some scares were confirmed (check out our five-star rating system for details), but the forecast is mostly sunny.
Neutrogena Micromist
Tanning Sunless Spray
Cost: About $9 for 5.3 ounces at drugstores.
The Glow: We doubted that a spray would give us an even color. But even it was — not a streak to be found, and the baby-powder scent was nice, too. Better still, it was dry in less than a minute.
The Burn: The extremely fine, aerosol spray made us feel like we were tanning the inside of our lungs, too. The medium shade we used was a little more orange than brown, but still natural enough to fool our friends.
Color: 
Streak-free: 
Ease of use: Smell:
Clarins Self-Tanning Instant Gel
Cost: About $30 for 4.4 ounces at department stores.
The Glow: The aloe-like gel formula was easy to apply and gave us a lovely and realistic deep brown shade.
The Burn: This stuff has a potent stink that falls somewhere between flea powder and sweat — gross. And skin stays sticky for a long time; use this only when you have plenty of time to hang out in the nude.
Tip: Beware, fair-skinned. This product only comes in one shade, and that shade is decidedly tropic.
Color Streak-free: Ease of use: Smell: 
L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes
Cost: About $10 for six towelettes at area drugstores.
The Glow: The individual towelettes make it easy to take just a few on vacation, rather than lug along a bottle that might leak.
The Burn: We liked the novelty of the towelette, but the application process was extra tricky. The instructions don't explain whether you should rub in the product, and wiping yourself down with a cold, wet piece of paper isn't exactly pleasant. This product gave us the most streaks and the least natural shade — plus, we smelled less like the beach and more like the gym.
Tip: Seal a towelette in a zipper-lock bag for touch-ups later.
Color: 
Streak-free: Ease of use: Smell:
Sisley Paris Self-Tanning Lotion Spray
Cost: $90 for 5 ounces at Neiman Marcus
(www.neimanmarcus.com)
The Glow: This produced the most natural-looking color — like we'd been on vacation in Bermuda, not fake-baking in the bathroom. The light smell reminded us of baby oil, which was a welcome change from the other sweaty-smelling products. The oil also softened our skin and left a nice, healthy sheen — perfect for summer.
The Burn: This product is a bit more labor-intensive because it comes in a spritz bottle, so you spend a lot of time pumping to get the product out. The oil also has to be rubbed in, which adds an extra step to the process. The spray's high price makes it tough on the wallet, but if you have $90 lying around and no beach trips in the works, it might be worth it.
Tip: Spray some of the oil on your palm, then aim for those hard-to-reach places.
Color: Streak-free: Ease of use: Smell:
