Tone up your tan

There's a fake tan out there to suit you, whatever your skintone, so make sure you find the perfect match...

Want to transform your complexion from pasty to sunkissed but can't afford the airfare to the Caribbean? Well help is at hand thanks to the staggering array of self-tan sprays, gels, mousses and wipes now available but make sure you avoid looking like a dish of chicken tikka by choosing the right tanning product for your skin type. Here's how:

  Tantastic bodyPale and interesting
The look – a creamy complexion that can be beautifully enhanced by a subtle veil of golden glimmer.
Ability to tan – practically nil which is why you need all the help you can get! If you have dared to venture out into the sun then chances are your skin will have ended up red instead of radiant so faking it really is the best option for you.
Celebrity pale princesses – Keira Knightley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman.
Recommended products – You're after a gentle sunkissed glow so anything that lends the skin a golden sheen as opposed to a full-on tan is best. Luckily for pale, pasty types there couldn't be more subtle self-tans on the market for summer '06. Here are our favourites: Johnson's Holiday Skin Body Lotion (£4.99) Olay Everyday Sunshine Body Moisturiser (£5.99) Clarins Radiance–Plus Self Tanning Body Lotion (£24) and Nivea Body Sunkissed Skin (£5.99).

Fair and freckly
The look – Fresh and natural looking but once a little self-tan is applied your skin suddenly looks glowing and bursting with vitality.
Ability to tan – you probably get a slight hint of colour if your skin is exposed to the sun but it's advisable to give long stints on the sun lounger a wide berth as large freckles and moles can potentially cause skin cancer.
Celebrity fair maidens – Sienna Miller, Kirsten Dunst, Kate Moss.
Recommended products – Tanning Mists and mousses are best for fair, freckly skin as they're sheerer and therefore more natural looking. Try: Dior Self-Tanning Spray Natural Glow (£19.50) Clinique Tinted Self-Tanning Mousse (£13.50), Dr Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate (£21) and Au Courant's Whipped Bronze Mousse (£24.99)

Sallow and sexy
The look – under grey skies this particular skin tone can look rather drab and dreary but once a little summer sun shines on it you go from washed out to beach babe in an instant.
Ability to tan – pretty good as you don't need to spend that long soaking up the sun if you're blessed with sallow skin. But remember that nasty UV rays can cause untold damage to the skin and also trigger premature ageing so it's best to stay in the shade as much as possible. If you do expose your skin then always wear products containing at least an SPF15.
Celebrity sunkissed sirens – Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek
Recommended products – During the summer when your tan is well and truly established you'll just need to top it up using glow-getter products such as St Tropez Shimmering Bronzing Mist (£32.50), No 7 Quick Dry Body Spray (£11), L'Oréal Sublime Bronze Instant Tan (£10.99) and Lancaster Self Tan Silk Bronze Moisturising Milk (£17.50)

Bronzed and beautiful
The look – This particular skin type just has to look at the sun and it ends up sporting a gorgeous golden colour thanks to a good base and even better genes!
Ability to tan – easy but sun savvy girls know that it's not good to lap up those rays if you cherish your complexion and health. Getting your bronzage from a bottle is a much better way to go.
Celebrity golden girls – Jennifer Aniston, Cat Deeley, Elle Macpherson.
Recommended products - Dermalogica Protective Self-Tan SPF 15 (£20.90) Lancôme Flash Bronzer Self-Tanning Dry Body Oil (£18) Superdrug Solait Self-Tan Wipes (£1.42 each) and Origins Great Pretender (£13.50).

Now go glow girls!