EMILY: I tried two cheat’s options. First stop: Urban Retreat, the spa at the top of Harrods, for a spray tan. I was in and out in half an hour. The result would not have been accepted by a purist, my face was too dark and there were streaky bits, but it was good value and I felt confident on holiday. Sienna X Airbrush Tan, £45  harrods.urbanretreat.co.uk  7893 8333 When my real tan wore off, I was back for more. This time I went for the ‘original’ fake tan, St Tropez, expertly applied by Spa NK in Notting Hill. The experience was much more of a ‘beauty’ treatment - I left the spa looking as though I had forgotten to shower after a mud bath, but the following morning the results were surprisingly natural. Self-tanning session £60 spa-nk.co.uk 127-131 Westbourne Grove, W2 7727 8002