HOW GLOW CAN YOU GO?

It was always going to be the case. Just when you’d nailed that barely-there glow, the full-on tan makes a full-on comeback. At last week’s Met Gala, Kate Moss, Hailee Steinfeld and Ashley Graham all made a strong case for deep terracotta; their limbs bronzed to high heaven and enhanced with a lightcatching sheen. Alicia Vikander and Katy Perry were also a-glow. But it’s not one for commitment-phobes.

Though well-planned prep is key to a long-lasting tan of any intensity, when the shade is more fortnight-in-fiji than a-few-days-in-france, it’s crucial. Tackle exfoliating, waxing and shaving a day in advance to ensure skin is at the optimum ph level for tan development, and tanning expert James Harknett warns against over-moisturising beforehand. ‘This can weaken the colour and cause streaking,’ he explains. Instead, smooth a feather-light hydrating lotion over the ankles, knees, elbows and hands – Fake Bake’s Oil Free Moisturiser is a good bet – and allow it to fully sink in before reaching for your glow-giver of choice.

For this level of bronze, Jules Von Hep, founder of tan brand Isle of Paradise, suggests his Dark Self-tanning Mousse – an ultra-rich, velvety formula with built-in actives to thwart tangerine tinges. ‘Glide it on in long, sweeping motions and layer up for added colour pay-off,’ he says. Then wash hands with serious enthusiasm. What are you waiting for? It’s time to up your tanning game...