Top tanning

Smart girls fake it!

Everyone knows that a golden tan looks good - it evens out your complexion, makes limbs appear longer and leaner, and sets off bright, summery colours to perfection. But while a tan can help you to look fabulous, exposure to the sun's UVA and UVB rays can cause lasting damage on your skin.

So what's a girl to do? For many years, fake tan has been considered the exclusive preserve of daytime TV presenters and ballroom dancers - not really a look you'd want to recreate! However, a new breed of sheer colour, easy-to-apply self-tanning products will ensure that you'll be glowing golden rather than radioactive orange!

Take a look at our handy guide to getting an even, sun-kissed look in just a few simple steps:

Top tips for streak-free self-tanning

• To get a lovely, even finish to your tan, exfoliate and moisturise before you apply your tanning product. Concentrate particularly on dry areas such as the elbows, ankles and knees - apply less tan or mix it with a body lotion to thin the colour and prevent orangey patches.

• Once you've applied your tan, wait five minutes or so then rub damp hands over your skin to blend the colour in. Remember - damp hands, not sopping wet - you're aiming to blend the colour, not remove it!

• Worried about tanned hands? Thin latex or cotton gloves made especially for tan application are the answer. You can find them in larger chemists, and plenty of kits on the market also include them. Remember to give the insides of your wrists a good wipe afterwards as colour can easily accumulate at the tops of the gloves.

• Missed a bit? You can fill in the missed areas with a cotton bud soaked in your self-tanner.

• If it's the first time you've used a self-tanning product, it's really easy to use too little, so you end up looking yellow rather than golden-brown. Apart from the bits you don't want to over-colour, slap your tanner on liberally. If you still look too pale, apply another coat.

• You can use a specially formulated facial tanner, or mix your body product with moisturiser. Apply first to where the sun naturally bronzes your face; the forehead, cheeks and nose; then blend the colour out over the rest of your face.

The first time you apply self-tan, it's worth giving yourself half an hour to carefully check your product, blend thoroughly and remove any excess from the areas you don't want (don't forget between your toes and fingers!).

The bathroom is the best place to self-tan, as some products can stain carpets and soft furnishings, and you'll also good light and a decent mirror so you can see where it's all going! With a bit of practice, you'll soon be able to do a full-body application in no more than five minutes.

After application, wait for 10 - 15 minutes before you get dressed. This gives your colour time to dry without staining your clothes or streaking.

Most self-tans take two to four hours to develop, and many formulations continue to work overnight, so if you're tanning for a special occasion it's a good idea to do it the night before. You may also find that you need two or three applications to achieve your desired colour - plan these in advance as applying coats of colour too quickly on top of each other can lead to an uneven tan and flaking.

Once you're happy with your shade, a top-up every four days or so should keep you looking nicely golden. Remember, you should still exfoliate and moisturise before topping up to prevent patchiness in your tan.

Hopefully our 'safe sun' guide has given you the confidence to get out and glow! Here's a few of our favourite products to keep you in that summer mood all year round...

Our top tanning products:

If you're a self-tanning virgin, a great starter product is this Ecotan Spray. It has a unique, easy-to-use spray formulation that helps you achieve an even cover while keeping your hands stain-free.

If your face is looking a little pasty, then Fake Bake's Facial Tanning Set is the one for you. There's Bamboo Buffing Polish to prepare your complexion and Anti-Ageing Sunless Self Tanning Lotion to give you a natural, sun-kissed colour.

If you'd like colour with a touch of sparkle, then check out the Liz Earle Sun Shimmer Collection. As well as Gentle Face Exfoliator and Botanical Self Tan Spray, there's also Sheer Gold Shimmer gel to highlight your tan.

If you want to glow on the very first day at the beach, then you'll love Fake Bake's Travel Collection. It's neat, contains all you need to get a great colour and even comes in a glitzy gold travel bag.

If you're looking for a luscious tan for a night out, then you can't go wrong with the Pout Ultimate Sunwear Collection. The Instant Shimmer Tan in this duo is enriched with Manoi de Tahiti, a moisturising blend of coconut oil and tiare flower petals with a gorgeously uplifting aroma.