Gone are the days when bottling it meant turning umpa-lumpa orange.

Today’s fake tans are infinitely more sophisticated. For a luxe option, you can’t beat Estee Lauder Re-Nutrive Sun Supreme Self Tan for Face and Body. It smells divine, smoothes on easily, dries quickly and leaves you with gorgeous, sun-kissed, silky soft skin. At £50, it is pricey, but tan for tan, still cheaper than salon sprays. A more affordable option is Origins The Great Pretender, £13.70, a shimmery self-tanner that gives you amazingly natural looking colour. Want to go darker? Try St Tropez Auto-Bronzant Lotion, £18.50.

Tops tips l Shave, exfoliate and moisturise the day before applying the lotion l Before tanning, apply a liberal amount of moisturiser to your elbows, armpits, knees, eyebrows and ankles l Ideally, you want to wear cotton or disposable gloves to avoid those tell tale orange knuckles and nails l Concentrate on one area at a time, and dot lotion on in evenly spaced gaps, before smoothing it in l If you’re using the same fake tan for face and body, mix it with a little moisturiser for your face and neck l Finish by removing your gloves, or washing hands thoroughly, then gliding the backs of your hands over your legs, to give them a light coverage l Sweep a touch of bronzer across your cheekbones, hairline and shoulders — those areas that generally catch the sun more readily. by Katie Lucas