Bare necessities: 14 top products for summer-ready legs

It is with some trepidation that many of us greet the first dose of spring sunshine. Not because we aren’t all dying to drink warm white wine in the park the first chance we get - that we are definitely ready for - but because it means flashing skin that hasn’t seen the light of day since last September.

But no matter what flaking, aching or desperately dehydrated situation your legs are in, there’s a solution to get you goddess-like (think J-Lo in the Gillette Venus advert).

Here are eight steps to transform your pins from pasty to perfect, fast.

Scrub up

For starters, let’s go back to basics - with a good scrub.

Soap & Glory’s Flake Away is formulated for scaly legs with an industrial-strength grit plus nourishing Shea butter to transform your limbs from “reptilian to radiant”, while the Clean Beauty Co’s Scrub Life blends caffeine with antioxidant grapefruit to target cellulite.

Get some invisible tights

If the thought of peeling off your trusty opaques leaves you cold (for reasons that don’t involve the weather) try some invisible tights.

Entirely Lycra-free, these tinted lotions conceal imperfections for soft, shapely bare legs. Legology’s Sun-Lite Sheer Lingerie is a favourite thanks to its pearlised, contouring colour.

Or try applying This Works’ Perfect Legs Sculpt and Shine to the centre of legs for a slimming effect.

Hotfoot it to the leg clinic

Just in time for summer, Mayfair’s Absolute Aesthetics clinic has launched the Leg Clinic - a one-stop shop for perfect pins. Its winter skin-shedding Leg Peel uses Mesoestetic’s remodelling Bodyshock line. First an acid-based exfoliator is applied, then a tightening mask is slathered on and legs are wrapped in clingfilm. It’s not glamorous but the results are worth it.

Fake it till you make it

Thanks to the latest in fake tan technology, getting that two-weeks-in-Santorini glow has never been easier.

James Read’s Sleep Mask Tan Body boasts a colourless, fast-drying formula which works overnight for a fake bake that won’t ruin your sheets, while St Tropez’s in-shower tanning lotion lets you get your glow on while lathering up.

Lighten up

Dead on your feet? An anti-fatigue gel will put the spring back in your step.

Mrs White’s Legs Eleven gel contains a shot of vodka which evaporates on the skin for a cooling effect.

IOMA’s Soothing Gel for Legs is also a must for active types, helping to boast circulation and reduce water-retention after exercise.

Mama Mio’s Lucky Legs Cooling Gel is also a winner on hot days. It’s technically for pregnant women, but we won’t tell if you don’t.

Smoothly does it

No matter how buffed and bronzed your legs may be, the effect is ruined by a smattering of unsightly lumps and bumps.

If you’re a Clarisonic convert, the new Smart Profile device comes with a Turbo Massage Brush Head to give your legs the same deep exfoliation as your face, while Dr Dennis Gross’s Alpha Beta Glow Body Pads contain AHAs to smooth bumpy skin and BHAs to tackle any breakouts, along with minimising the need for shaving.

Accelerate the process

When the sun has got his hat on, boost your tanning efforts with an accelerator.

Caudalie’s Divine Legs activate your skin’s natural tanning process while imparting a light, sun-kissed, wash-off glow, while Decléor’s Aromessence Solaire offers a natural tan activator scented with rose and geranium oils.

And don’t forget your feet

Keep your hooves in check with a daily hit of Margaret Dabbs’s Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion and a weekly once-over with her Exfoliating Foot Mousse.