Make up a beautiful body

Smooth out imperfections

For a spot-prone or blemished chest or back, use a body makeup spray foundation, like Dior's AirFlash, in four shades, £26.50. It's much easier than trying to blend with a stick concealer, which won't leave an even result. Hold the can about 20cm away from your skin and blend if you need to. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs, £9.99, comes in four shades and is a body makeup Godsend for disguising blotches, spider veins and unloved freckles, wherever they are!

Keep your holiday skin

You can have healthy holiday skin all year round with the latest influx of body lotions with a hint of the self-tanning ingredient DHA, such as Johnson's Holiday Skin, £4.99 for 250ml. These usually come in two shades to suit different skin tones and take about three to five applications to make a real difference. Do alternate these with your usual body lotion to stop you going darker.

Self tan in hours

Gel, cream and lotion self-tans need time to be blended properly if you want a streak-free finish. Self tanner sprays are the quickest and easiest to use without leaving edges if you only want to show off certain parts of your body. Remember, a bit of colour has a slimming effect on legs, can define muscles and make bat-wings look less flabby. Gatineau's Melatogenine, £19.50 (0800 7315805) contains anti-aging pro, while No7's Tan Enhancing Sunspray, £12.50, has an spf 15 and is oil-free. Keep the bottle moving as you spray - how subtle or deep the effect depends on how much you use, so start off with a light layer, which should dry in a couple of minutes. Viatek's I-Bod cordless, rechargeable spray self-tanning system, £39.99 (01452 614068) is the handy alternative to a salon version and has a guide light to show exactly where you're applying the mist.