Bronze age here to stay

ANYONE who watches reality TV will know that none of the participants would be seen on camera without glowing bronzed limbs. The cast of TOWIE always look a couple of shades darker than the rest of us with even Arg and the other Essex boys proud to admit to their sun-bed sessions.

From the 1920s when iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel stepped off a boat in the south of France with a glowing tan, much of the Western world has become obsessed with acquiring a healthy glow. During the 1980s, film star, George Hamilton, as famous for his perma-tan as he was for his acting, was the poster boy for sun beds but when the links to skin cancer were discovered, many tan-lovers reached for the bottle.

Apart from a few exceptions (such as Nicole Kidman, Katy Perry and Nicola Roberts) most celebrities have embraced the notion that tanned skin equals beauty and success with everyone from Katie Price to Victoria Beckham rocking various shades of orange.