Remember when bronzer was used to replicate the more attractive effects of the sun, “tanning” the places it would most visibly hit, rather than used as contour powder? Its current use to mimic bone-defining shadow in the recesses of the face strikes me as illogical, not least because you’d be unlikely to catch the sun here, and shadow has a greyish, mousey tinge (as in Mac’s Taupe Powder Blush, £16), not a bronzy glow. This is why I’m a bronzing traditionalist. Chosen well and used properly, it’s extremely flattering, easy to apply and cheers up the complexion no end.

Colour choice is key. There are five shades of Dior’s Diorskin Nude Air Tan (£36), all of them realistic, but 01 Golden Honey looks exactly how a paleface would want to appear after a two-week holiday: healthy, glowing and well rested. The powder is beautifully packaged in weighty silver and perfectly pressed, in that exactly the right amount coats a brush swirled over the compact, resulting in a subtle, consistent wash of colour. One can’t overdo it, which can rarely be said of any bronzer. If the significant cost is prohibitive, you may like to try Bagsy’s Ray of Sunshine (£18), an affordable, cruelty-free side project by a British manufacturer of luxury cosmetics. This is a smashing (if uninspiringly packaged) bronzer in light/medium, that sweeps smoothly and streaklessly over the face, leaving it aglow.

On dark skins, my preference is for cream bronzer because many powders can appear ashy, but there are notable exceptions. Guerlain has convincing dark shades in its Terracotta Bronzing Powder line (£36.50), none of which leaves a chalky cast or unnatural-looking redness. I used to be hardline about bronzer finish, refusing to entertain even the subtlest of sparkle, but either age has mellowed me or I’ve overdosed on the very matte look du jour, because now I find a soft shimmer quite uplifting in moderation. Should you agree, Bare Minerals exercises perfect restraint in its ethnically inclusive Invisible Bronze Powder Bronzer (£25).

All of these should be applied over base makeup, with a fat, natural-bristle brush, swept from the temples, down the cheekbones and up again and down at the jaw, in a figure three movement. I always blow the brush first, or stroke it on a tissue, to avoid colour saturation.