Shades of summer: the best self-tan solutions

Don’t panic if you haven’t been able to sunbathe yet. Whether you go for a light glow or a dark bronze self-tan Emma McCarthy has the solution
17 July 2013

London is currently hotter than St Tropez. It’s also hotter than Rio, Ibiza, LA and Tenerife. And according to Carol on BBC Breakfast this morning, the good weather looks set to continue into August. August!

Who needs a holiday when you’ve got weather like this on your doorstep? It seems only fair that we should rebrand the British tan from pasty and lacklustre — or in the case of the TOWIE lot, tangerine — to its shiny, happy new self: the type seen on Londoners who have replaced three square meals with picnic food and spend the evening chasing the sun around beer gardens. But for those didn’t strip off and start sunbathing at the first sign of summer, a little help may be in order. And if Carol is to be believed, there’s no time like the present.

Whether you’re seeking a lightly sunkissed glow or the type of deep bronze usually acquired only on far-flung shores, here are three ways to get your complexion matching up to the new British summer standard. Enjoy it while you can.

Sunkissed

Along with the picnic blankets, disposable barbecues and cans of Red Stripe, every patch of greenery in the capital is currently home to flushed cheeks and lightly browning shoulders. For a touch of sun even the palest complexions can warm to, try Sisley’s new Super Soin Autobronzant Hydrant Corps (£72, johnlewis.com). First and foremost a moisturiser, the lotion leaves skin baby soft with a luminous golden after-glow. Tone 1 Gradual Tan Lotion from the aptly named LDN: Skins (£22, ldnskins.com) is another good, subtle option containing English lavender for a refreshed and healthy flush, while fake tan phobes can perk skin up by mixing Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector (£33, spacenk.com) in Topaz with moisturiser for an all-over, sunkissed sheen.

Golden

As the heat settles in, so can your new-found bronze. One of the simplest routes to an effortless and natural-looking tan is with Brownberry’s Clear Sunless Tanning Spray (£30, thisisbeautymart.com). Already a cult product in its native New York for its very un-fake tan-like fresh green tea scent, the spray is designed to be applied before bed so you wake up with a golden tan which lasts up to eight days. Next month, James Read is also due to launch his new Instant Bronzing Spray (£25, jamesreadtan.com), which boasts a non-stick formula and 60 second drying time for speed-tanning.

Deep bronze

If ever there was a time to mimic a two-week holiday-type tan without anyone batting an eyelid it’s while we’re in the grip of a subtropical heatwave. Rodial’s Brazilian Dark self-tan (£35, spacenk.com) contains caramel for a deep chocolate colour, along with nourishing Shea butter to ensure it stays put for 10 days, while Tanatomicals Holy Grail for the Deathly Pale self-tan mousse (£6.99, asos.com) is one of the few on the market that boasts an inexpensive price tag without the tango.

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