My weapon of choice is the St. Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Mousse. This is an incredibly lightweight and silky mousse, but doesn't pack as big a punch as their normal tanners. It was my first venture into the St. Tropez line, and I could see the appeal instantly. It is definitely a gradual tanner - after one application I get a healthy glow, and one or two days more and I've got a nice, subtle tan, the perfect natural tan for pale people, and for those who want to start out with something that won't be obvious if you make a mistake. That being said, I highly doubt you will, it's really easy to apply! Once I've built up to the colour I like, I apply roughly once a week to keep up the tan. If I find the colour is fading faster than I would like (say I'd exfoliated a bit too much) then I use the Gradual Tan Everyday Body Lotion in Light/Medium also from St. Tropez to top up, another gradual tanner that works the same way but adds in moisture too! I find it's more subtle so for me it works as a good topper-upper between applications of the the mousse. My only gripe with this one is that I go through it so quickly!
After washing and exfoliating, I apply with a tanning mitt, smoothing the mousse all over my body in sweeping motions. It doesn't have a colour guide but you can see a slight sheen where you apply before the mousse sinks in, so I don't find that I miss any patches. In terms of smell, it isn't too bad. When applying, it actually smells pretty nice and floral. There is sometimes a slight hint of biscuits in the morning, but it's not bad enough that you need to shower it off straight away, and most of the time I don't find a smell at all.
And, for my face I've been loving the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for Face. It's another gradual option but is a lot more subtle which I prefer for my face as I don't want the colour to be too dark. After doing my skincare routine at night, I wait a little for it to sink in before sweeping this lotion over my face and neck with a cotton pad. It takes a few days before some noticeable colour to build, but from the first application my face already looks more radiant.
So there you go, fake tan for pale people! There are plenty of instant options that work well nowadays, but for me I like more control of the colour I'm left with, meaning that gradual tan is my go-to, and also why I think these products are a great option for beginners. Happy tanning, folks.