The first time I tried false tan I was 14. It was 1996, and I was an Irish girl living in the suburbs of Chicago, surrounded by bronzed beauties. I desperately wanted to be like everyone else, so a bottle was purchased and applied. It wasn’t for me. The hue was significantly more orange than bronze, and the smell (digestive biscuits/wet cardboard) was too much for this delicate flower. Since then, I’ve largely avoided it, aside from a twice decade experiment to see if I’d changed my mind, only to find I hadn’t.

Since I started this column, though, I’ve felt like I owed it to you and to myself to get back on the tanning train, and to educate myself on what works. What I found is that false tanning products have come a long way, and so have application and removal techniques.

Before we get into some recommendations, let’s acknowledge a couple of hard truths. First, you do not need false tan. There is nothing wrong with your skin colour. You do not, I repeat, do not look like ‘a ham’. However, it is undeniable that it feels good sometimes to add a little glow to your regular complexion, and of course I wouldn’t judge anyone if they decided to paint their body green. Do you, babes.

The second truth is that false tan stinks. Yes, all of it. That’s because the active ingredient, DHA, which reacts with dead skin cells to create the look of a tan, creates that smell as it reacts. No amount of watermelon/coconut/summer rain fragrance will remove that smell entirely. Having said that, whatever tan brands are doing in the lab, the smell isn’t nearly as bad as it was years ago.

So, to the tanning. I decided to educate myself a little on the techniques people are using to get the most natural finish. I learned the following: do not shave your legs immediately before you tan or the tan will sink into your pores and you’ll end up with polka dots. Shower and exfoliate immediately before applying but don’t moisturise except for your knees, elbows, hands and ankles or anywhere else likely to soak up too much product. Don’t apply the product with your bare hands, a tanning mitt or brush is preferable. Be sparing with the product on hands and feet, even when moisturised, what’s left in the brush or mitt after doing the rest of your body is usually sufficient. Use a facial tanner rather than the same product all over your body.

Now, the products. I found that most of the ones I trialled were good. Gradual tans work brilliantly these days, and are probably going to be my chosen product as they don’t require removal. You apply regularly, and little by little the tan develops (no overnight results). I especially like Garnier Summer Body Light Gradual Tan Moisturiser (€8.75 at McCabesPharmacy.com) and Dove Derma Spa Summer Revived Body Mousse (€7.99 at Inish Pharmacy). Both of these are easy to apply and develop a natural looking tan after a couple of uses.

When it comes to the classic false tan, I liked Bare by Vogue Williams’ Self Tan Foam (€21 at BarebyVogue.com). It’s very straightforward, and Vogue herself has multiple videos on her Instagram explaining exactly how she uses the products to achieve a natural look which is helpful to newbs like me. The brand’s accessories are excellent too. I especially like the exfoliation mitt (€8 at MeaghersPharmacy.ie).

Amanda Harrington’s products are superb, but pricey, offering a truly natural looking hue. I used the Body Mousse (€40 at Arnotts.ie) in Natural Honey and Face Mist (€31 at Arnotts.ie) in Natural Honey and got lots of compliments from pals who know a lot more about tanning than me! I don’t think the brand’s Big Body Brush (€50 at BrownThomas.com) is essential, but I do believe it adds to the product’s natural finish.

Buying Irish

Beauty influencer Keilidh Cashell’s brand Kash Beauty has launched its latest collection and it’s all about colour. The Colour Trip collection includes lashes, a blending sponge and a brush set, but the star of the show is the eyeshadow palette. Full of vivid brights, the palette includes 20 shadows and 10 wet liners (to be used with a wet brush). If you love colour, you’ll love this.

Something Old

Anyone who’s ever watched backstage footage of a fashion show can tell you that MAC makeup artists are everywhere. It’s one of the reasons I was drawn to the brand in my youth. MAC’s Art Library: Nude Model palette (€47 at Boots.ie) was developed by 12 of their pro artists to include 12 intensely pigmented neutrals, the kind you might call on when accentuating the beauty of someone who really didn’t need it accentuated. I have and use this palette all the time, it’s excellent.

Something New

Mario Dedivanovic works on some of the world’s most famous faces to make them ready for Instagram (and other things, in fairness). Made famous via his work with Kim Kardashian, Mario’s makeup brand has been lauded by consumers and beauty professionals alike. While I want every single item, the Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette (€47.15 at CultBeauty.com) is one which has universal appeal. It includes 12 matte shadows designed to suit anyone.