Getting sun-kissed in spite of the grey July days

This July has been another washout. There’s no denying it. Little sun and little fun – even in late June, poor Glastonbury and the first week of Wimbledon suffered some torrential rain before a brief respite – with temperatures in London soaring to 30 degrees, for one day only, June 27th.

That wasn’t to last though, and the island has settled back into what has become the norm for the last few years: a really promising April and May, then a wet and cold summer. Usually this is followed by a lovely September, but to be honest, I won’t be holding my breath.

Some people think that one way to battle the grey British days of summer is to make yourself look and feel like you’ve been away somewhere sunny. Whilst I’m not sure that really works, it does seem to have an effect on heaps of women I know. What am I chatting on about? It’s fake tan, of course, courtesy of brands like Famous Dave ( - no, I don’t quite know what the name means either...).

Fake tan, as a lotion or spray in particular, has been a bigger and bigger component of the beauty industry in recent decades, as consumers aspire to the Californian glow (for the most part, equally fake just done with more money) showcased by Hollywood stars.

Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, Ryan Reynolds all arrive with golden orange-tinged glows on the red carpets, the product of both a healthy lifestyle and (one can’t help but feel) a bit of cosmetic encouragement.

And in a society that makes coffee without caffeine (or the bean), beer without alcohol and honey without sugar, it makes perfect sense to have a suntan without sun.

If I was ever going to use my nemesis, perhaps Famous Dave would be a good place to start – seeing as it’s the only brand I’ve really heard of, and seems to have an unwavering passion for all things fake-tan. Friends, magazines (our real friends) and even celebrities are quick to recommend it. As self-tans go, it is reputed to be the most easy to use, streak free, natural looking and generally nourishing for the skin.