b.tan, or b tan as most of us type it, says it was dreamed up in Australia. It now belongs to Marq Labs, which was acquired by the Mibelle Group, and its bottles have names that read like group chat messages: Tanned AF, Glow Your Own Way, Gimme The Glow Down. Behind the jokes, the pitch is speed. The darkest mousse here has a one-hour development time, and you leave it on longer for more color.

Every self tanner in this edit works the same way. The FDA describes DHA, the active in sunless tanners, as a color additive that darkens the skin by reacting with amino acids in the skin's surface. That is why a tan fades as your skin renews itself, and why the FDA restricts DHA to external application and does not permit it around the eyes. It also means a self tan is not sun protection. Only a product with sunscreen, labeled with an SPF, protects you, like the Allies of Skin bottle in the second grid.

The b.tan range is built for dark, fast color. If you want something slower or more natural looking, the second grid has gradual drops, a face pad and mousses with softer undertones.

The first grid is b.tan, from the darkest mousse to a face cream, plus a mitt. The second grid is the other tanners I would compare them with. My tip: exfoliate the night before, moisturize elbows, knees and ankles right before you start, and apply with a mitt in circles.

b.tan Tanned AF in Dark Dark Dark Brown is the most reviewed tanner in this edit. It is a mousse with a one-hour development time, and you leave it on for four hours or more for a deeper result. Glow Your Own Way Self Tan Gel is the clear, rinse-free version in a 16 ounce bottle, with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and a tropical scent. The Shimmer Self Tanner is the gradual one, a clear gel with golden shimmer that you use daily to build color.

Gimme The Glow Down is a rosewater tanning mist for face and body, and it is the easiest b.tan product to use on your face, as long as you keep it away from your eyes. The OG Glow Mousse is labeled darkest and develops over one to eight hours with no rinse needed. Addicted To The Glow is a gradual face cream with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and niacinamide, and Bronzed Like A Boss is a tinted spray lotion that gives instant color while the tan develops. Those last three have only a handful of reviews each, so try them second.

St. Tropez Double Sided Tan Mitt is here for a reason. A velvet mitt blends mousse evenly and keeps your palms from turning orange.

What I would skip: the darkest mousse on your face. Use the mist or the face cream there, and save Tanned AF for the body.

St. Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse is the one many people start with. It dries quickly, has no self tan smell and fades evenly, which matters as much as the color. Isle of Paradise has two. The Self-Tan Face Drops in Light mix into your moisturizer for a gradual tan, and the Express Self-Tan Mousse is tinted and develops in as little as 30 minutes.

Dolce Glow Lusso in Medium to Dark has an olive, brown-based undertone, which is the pick if other tanners turn orange on you. Lux Unfiltered On Holiday is the extra-dark, fast-drying mousse with hyaluronic acid and a blood orange scent.

For your face, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pad is a self-tanning towelette with encapsulated DHA, and it has the best rating in this grid. Caudalie Self-Tan Hydrating Face Drops mix into any moisturizer or serum and are suitable for sensitive skin.

Allies of Skin Sunless Tan SPF 50 is the only product in this edit that is both a sunscreen and a self tanner, with broad-spectrum SPF 50 and a gradual DHA tan in one step.

What I would skip: face drops on top of a full body mousse on the same day. Pick one tanner for the face, let it build over a few days, and keep the body mousse below the jaw.

I think b.tan is the brand for people who want a dark tan fast and like a cheeky label. The mousses and gels do exactly that, and the mist and face cream handle the face. If you want something slower and softer, the drops and pads in the second grid are easier to control. Whatever you choose, prep, a mitt and patience do more for the result than the bottle does. And wear sunscreen over it, because the tan will not protect you.