Just as if you were shopping for a foundation, you want to choose a highlighter that matches your skin tone. If your skin is a lighter tone, highlighters with pink tints work well. If you have dark skin, warmer highlighters like those with beige, brown, and chocolate tints work well.

Bronzers and Self-Tanners

Bronzers and self-tanners also require proper matching to your skin tone for best results. Don’t try to go too dark by choosing a product several shades darker than your natural skin tone or your skin might look more oompa-loompa than sun-bathed beauty.

Bronzers come in powders, creams and sprays. Effects from a bronzer are evident shortly after application, and can be removed with simple soap and water. Bronzers work great for a temporary glow, whereas self-tanners offer more lasting results.{relatedarticles}

The active ingredient in most self-tanners is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which reacts with the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin to produce a visible tan. It takes a few hours to see results, but the tan will last as long as it takes for the dead skin cells to slough off of your skin.

For an all-over tan, think sprays or mists instead of creams. "They go on evenly and don't require rubbing, which causes streaks," Victoria’s Secret makeup artist Meredith Baraf tells Women’s Health. Her pick? Victoria's Secret Bare Bronze Self-Tanning Body Spray.