The Procrastinator's Guide To Self Tanning

The countdown to summer has officially begun, and the act of avoiding your Dark Sky app for fear of more snowy forecasts is being swiftly replaced by crop tops, Summer Fridays, and — for anyone after the covetable post-vacation glow but is stingy on PTO days — self-tanner.

But, as you prepare your limbs to come out of hibernation for the first time in what feels like 24,000 days, fear not: Finding the right bronzing formula is easy, so long as you adjust it to your timeline. Got a hot date tonight? Try an instant tanner. Have two weeks before your trip to Portugal? Get a gradual color that goes the distance. Ahead, we asked self-tanning pros to break down the best formulas to whip out before a big event — so you can start thinking about more important things, like which rosé to order once you're there.