A natural polished look

IT’S OFFICIAL: we’re out of love with self-tanners with developing time, endless prep, maintenance and that tell-tale stinky, stale biscuit odour.

There’s no doubt that faking it held sway here for many years as our instant pick-me-up of choice and while salon services remain popular — we’re hearing about the steady uptake of Tanning Thursday offers where weekend tan fans spread ‘em before the spray gun — we’re ditching at-home routines for something a lot simpler.

It’s easy to see why. No other beauty product demands so much time for such a questionable result. First there’s the buffing and moisturising prep steps, making sure not to raise skin’s pH levels. Then there’s the application of the product itself.

Get this bit wrong and all your careful body polishing comes to naught. And then there’s the aftercare: if you don’t lash on the lotion, you’ll find colour wears off in piebald patches. Nice.

But we’re a pasty lot, and we do need a little help in wedding, debs and strapless dress season to even out skintone and give our hides some polish. The new trend for skin-finishing is the perfect way for a gal with a grá for the bronze to get her tan on zero-commitment style. Even better, skin finishing doesn’t leave those who’d rather rock the pale and interesting look out in the cold, with tons of options for pallid hides too.

Everyone needs a little help to look their best every now and then — and if it’s a slap on and wash off, no hassle kind of assistance, then hey, so much the better.

The Snow Whites

The rise of pale and proud beauties like Anne Hathaway, Dita Von Teese and Nicola Roberts has given girls who’d like to dare to bare the courage to do so. But what to do about the problem of reddened upper arms, uneven skintone and those veiny bits you’d dearly like to hide? That’s what body makeup and light-reflecting shimmer was made for, ladies.

1. Make Up For Ever’s Face and Body Foundation, €32, is a pale gal’s best friend. Gel-based, it’s available in lots of shades, is water-and budge-resistant and will cover up broken veins and blotchy patches

2. New from St Tropez are Body Illuminators, €19.99, which impart a subtle sheen. Choose from gold, rose or violet to flatter your particular undertones

3. Tess Daly’s line for Marks and Spencer is a boon for anyone who likes to get a bit of polish on. The Beauty Daly Body Sheen, €20, is great smoothed down the middle of bare legs, arms and across the chest for a subtle sheen

4. Illamasqua’s amazing-looking Illumine dry body oil in Volt, £22.40/€25.50, gives a gleam along with really pretty iridescent violet shimmer

5. Mac Face and Body, €36, was used on the set of Baywatch to get Pamela Anderson ready for her red swimsuit closeup, so you know it’ll pass muster on bare legs. This light coverage foundation is enough to even out skintone and give a polished result

The Bronzed Beauties

Poster girls for a golden glow Blake Lively, Gisele Bundchen and Kim Kardashian showcase gleaming shoulders, sun-kissed cheeks and bronzed gams and remind us why we fell in love with faking it in the first place. Try these wash-off tints on for size.

1. Irish brand Rockstar Tan has nailed skin finishing with Fame, €19.99. A great little bit of beauty kit, this is kind to skin, easy to use, delivers a realistic-looking finish and sets well so it’s great for use on legs. We like

2. Bourjois’ Delice de Soleil, €11.99, is particularly good for face, decollete and arms. It’s literally spray and go — oh, and did we mention that it smells deliciously of chocolate?

3. Garnier Ambre Solaire No Streaks Bronzer, €15.39, is a tinted gel that applies just like a body lotion and the guide colour means you can see exactly where you’re putting it. Give it a few minutes to dry and you’re all set

4. Another great pick for a great, subtle instant result, He-Shi One Day Tan, €20, is a light gel formulation that’s instant and easy to apply

5. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or, from €25, is a beauty gold standard for a reason. This dry oil is nourishing and hydrating, making it a great holiday accompaniment, and contains gorgeous shimmer which makes skin glow. Particularly nice on shoulder blades and legs.

Stockists

Bourjois at pharmacies; Garnier Ambre Solaire at pharmacies and supermarkets; He-Shi www.he-shi.eu; Illamasqua at www.illamasqua.com; Mac at Brown Thomas ant BT2 stores; Make Up For Ever 38 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2, 01-6799043; Nuxe at larger pharmacies and department stores; Rockstar Tan www.rockstartan.ie; Tess Daly at Marks and Spencer.