Here's nothing like a pair of toned, tanned legs to set off a flirty spring sundress. The toned part's up to you and your Stairmaster. As for the tanning, that we can help you with -- and help is no farther away than your local drugstore. We tried out a flurry of this season's new self-tanners. Here, the ones we liked best.

For the quickest fix, try Bain de Soleil's Streakguarde; our tester liked that it took just a few minutes and left her with a smooth finish even on her heels and knees. Neutrogena's Instant Bronze Foam was another favorite ($10 each at Duane Reade).

If you have a little more time -- say, an hour or so -- pick a product that acts more slowly (you can see it work and can take it off when your skin's the color you want). Potions to try: Clinique's lotion for your face ($15.50 at Bloomingdale's and Macy's) and Coppertone's Endless Summer ($11.99 at Duane Reade) for your body. For a very subtle effect, one of our testers loved Elizabeth Arden's Quick Spray ($21 at Lord & Taylor), which yielded smooth, natural color with no mess.

Related:

• Archive: “Sales & Bargains”
• Articles by Aja Mangum
• Table of Contents: April 29, 2002 issue of New York | Subscribe!