Beyond the pale

Two weeks ago, a luminous Emma Watson strode onto the red carpet at the London premiere of the Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. But never mind the gamine haircut and feline eyes, it was the flash of caramel-perfect skin, revealed by her black lace Rafael Lopez for Atelier Mayer dress, that has launched a new national obsession.

"With new tanning trends emerging every season, a tan is no longer just for summer," says Britain's number-one expert James Read, who tans celebrities at London's Agua Spa (020 7300 1414).

"The catwalks were awash with nude tones — the pale tan is the completion of the whole look. It's less about adding colour to the skin and more about giving it a flawless finish."

We asked the top tanning experts how to turn your winter skin from pasty to perfectly pale.

THE RED CARPET TAN
The week of the premiere, Fantasy Tan expert (fantasytan.co.uk) Susie Lung sprayed Emma Watson twice to give her skin a subtle warmth. "Emma is porcelain pale but the latest product technology allows us to tailor a tan to fair skin," says Susie.
Tan technique: To replicate Emma's tan at home, rub Lavera Sensitive Organic
Self Tanning Lotion (£13.50; pravera.co.uk) into the skin — it contains green aloe vera to counteract the orange of traditional tans. Then add red-carpet-worthy high-definition highlights by patting Illamasqua Gleam Cream in Flex (£22.50; illamasqua.com) down the sides of the neck, onto the shoulders and along the front of arms and legs.

THE DUSTY TAN
A tanning texture first, this comes with a powdery, matt feel. "The look is the perfect way to accessorise the camel tones and glossy red lips of the catwalk," says St Tropez skin finishing expert Nichola Joss. "It's chic, understated and the antithesis of the Wag tans of old."
Tan technique: Apply the new St Tropez Wash Off Lotion (£12; st-tropez.com) all over, using a tanning mitt. "This product actually creates a really sheer wash of glow and gives a dusty finish. For a pale, winter look, apply just one coat and really work it into the skin," says Nichola, who recently perfected the look on singer Katy Perry. Create a dusty multi-dimensional finish by using a large blusher brush to dust St Tropez Bronzing Powder (£20; as before) just below the shoulder joints, down the sides of arms and legs and beneath the collarbones.

THE PILATES IN A CAN TAN
Your exercise regimen may have slipped recently, but when you need to show off some skin in the depths of winter, a tan can give the illusion of longer, leaner limbs — no sweat necessary. "To achieve this tan, you need to design it around the style of your dress," says Read, who uses this technique on model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Tan technique: The day before an event, apply oil-free moisturiser all over to prevent the tan becoming too dark. Once absorbed, use Xen Tan Transform Luxe (£23.95;
xen-tan.co.uk) — a lotion that develops overnight to a Rich Tea biscuit-like shade and mimics the look of skin that saw sun a few weeks before. "The next night, stand in front of the mirror and flex the arm or leg muscles — depending on the areas revealed by your dress," says Read. "Where the muscle hollows out, spray L'Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze Express Pro for Medium Skin (£11.39; boots.com) in sweeping movements
to create the impression of elongated toning." Dust talcum powder beneath the armpits to ward off sweat patch-streaking all evening.