Faking It

You've heard it a million times: the only safe tan is a fake tan. Well, strictly, that's not entirely true any more: experts now think that a little bit of sunshine is a good thing, helping to prevent osteoporosis, heart disease and even (ironically) some cancers, by triggering the production of vitamin D. This is not, however, an excuse to go out slathered in bronzing oil and baste yourself like a chicken: the prescribed 'exposure' is just 10 (unprotected) minutes, a few times a week. And that, let's face it, is not going to result in an even, toasted tan - which is why fake tanning is still, frankly, the way to go...

Most of us long ago realised that the fake tans on the market are a quantum leap from the originals (writes she who used to walk around with legs a sort of Hermès orange, in the 70s - great colour for an 'It' bag, but not for humans.) In fact, there have been huge technological advances in the fake tanning world. One of these is that while tanning products used to come in one shade only, you now have a choice of 'shade' - much as you do with foundation. (Although unlike foundation, the shade isn't always instantly visible.) You can now decide whether you want to look lightly sun-kissed, moderately toasted - or as if you just got back from Rio Carnival, depending on the product you choose. And to make things even more goof-proof, you can now also choose gradual, daily self-tanning body lotions, which add a hint more colour each day - and you just stop when you've reached the shade you want, wait a couple of days, re-apply. And so it goes on, making it so easy to maintain a great (fake) tan all summer long. In the past, many women simply mixed their body lotion or facial moisturiser half-and-half with self-tan, but these gradual tanners do the trick beautifully.

Which would I recommend? Personally, I think the originals are the best: Clarins Radiance-Plus Self-Tanning Cream-Gel, £23.50, for faces, and Radiance-Plus Self-Tanning Body Lotion, £24.50 for the décolletage downwards. Or try Johnson's Holiday Skin - which took the beauty world by storm with the launch of the first mass-market gradual tanner; the newest version - Holiday Skin Light Glow, £4.99 - is subtle enough to be used every single day. Another terrific option is Clinique Self-Sun Touch of Bronze Moisturising Body Lotion, £15.

If you're feeling a bit braver and are ready to go the whole hog, rather than the gradual route, my top picks include the following. For a light-to-medium finish, try Clinique Body Quick Bronze Self-Tanner Fair, £15. For a medium result, check out Lancasater Sun Silk Bronze Moisturising Milk SPF6, in Medium, £17.50 (though don't rely on that SPF6 to really shield you in the sun), and Clarins Delicious Self-Tanning Cream, £19.50. (If you've noticed the same names coming up time and again, it's because they really do have expertise in this area.) If you're really daring - and naturally darker-complexioned - then the deepest tans of all are achieved by Piz Buin Summer Sensation Self-Tan Foam MID/MAX, from £5.99, or Garnier Summerface 12-Hour Moisturising Cream, £5.99, in Deep Sun-Kissed Look. And Rodial Brazilian Tan Dark, £39, is the darkest self-tanner on the market, with a spritz-on formula that delivers an instant chocolate-y tan. (Find it at www.HQhair.com.)

But even with a great formulation, you can't just slap it on. Listen to a pro like Marcia Kilgore, founder of Bliss Spa and the fab, witty Soap & Glory range - and follow her advice for seamless at-home self-tanning. Ignore her at your peril...

• 'Exfoliate your body thoroughly with a scrub before applying self-tanner; when DHA, the active ingredient in self-tanners, reacts with dead skin cells, it turns them brown – and exfoliating will prevent self-tanner from clinging to those areas and looking patchy.'
• 'Never apply self-tanner in a hurry. You really need to set aside time to distribute the product evenly – either a spray, or lotion – so that you don't miss any spots, or you don't suddenly have to throw your clothes on to rush out the door. If the self-tanner hasn't sunk in and you get dressed, any areas where clothes are a little tighter will rub off. So warning No. 1 is: don't leave this till just before you leave the house for church! The best time is two days before the Big Day – but always do a test application once or twice, so you get the hang of it.' (Marcia suggests that you 'preview' the colour of a fake tan by applying a small amount to an inconspicuous area, such as the inner elbow.)
• 'Wear snug-fitting medical gloves – which you can get at Boots – when applying a lotion or spreading a spray. It keeps the palms of the hands from turning orange, and keeps it off your wrists – a definite self-tan giveaway.'
• 'It can be tricky to achieve a uniform colour around areas that naturally tend to get a lot of dead cell build-up, like knees, elbows, knuckles and ankles. For those areas, dilute the self-tanner by mixing it 50/50 with your favourite light body lotion, so you don't have to worry about it going all patchy on the 'tricky' areas. A light application is better: stark white feet beat smudged ones any day.'
• 'Most self-tanners contain dehydrating ingredients, so when your tan has developed, apply lots of body moisturiser, to extend the “life” of your tan'.
• 'The face is even trickier,' warns Marcia. 'Because blackheads are made up of dead cells and oils, the DHA is apt to react with that, making blackheads blacker. Also, there may be certain areas of our face where dead cells tend to build up – and these will grab more colour. Never use a dark self-tanner on the face, because if you make a mistake or happen to be a little sloppy, your face has nowhere to hide. You are better off applying small amounts of self-tanner to your face more frequently than trying to turn into an “island girl” in one fell swoop.'