Fake tan: like marmite, you either love it or hate it. I fall into the earlier category, but unfortunately sometimes the marmite idea can air a bit too true, leaving many celebrities (and myself, in the past) looking muddy and fake, and rather reminiscent of the colour of this controversial condiment.

I’ve had a spray tan in the past, by a rather well-known brand, but left feeling self-conscious and felt I looked an irregular colour. Needless to say, I was looking for something more convincing and realistic.

And then came Celebrity Secrets Spray Tanning. My usual comfort blanket, I grabbed my trusty friend Maria (a fellow avid tanner), who headed to the salon with me to give it a go.

Pale and pasty (we had to visit the salon au natural, minus our usual fake tans), we were sprayed top to toe with a sweet, fresh-smelling solution. Now usually, fake tans have a really gross (almost savoury) smell to them, a real tell-tale sign of faking it. The Celebrity Secrets Tan was different, and was actually quite pleasant.

After a thorough application, we had to stand for a few moments to dry off. We were amazed at just how quickly our skin was dry, and we were able to dress after about 5 minutes – usually I toddle around my house waiting for the sticky solution to dry when I apply fake tan, but this was a dream on the skin.

We were even able to shop after application – hurrah! – and were told that many people even travel on planes with the tan on. I could believe it, too.

So, how did it look? Natural, for starters. The spray tan is supposed to develop as per your skin tone, meaning any orange or fake-looking colour is eradicated with this product. Owing to nerves, we both opted for a shade 8, which was recommended by the technician for our skin tones. The colour was fantastic, really natural and even all over.

And what’s more, the tan lasted 6-7 days, unlike many others I’ve tried.

Perhaps it’s an addiction, but Maria and I went back to another salon to try a different shade in the range. Maria is naturally darker than me, so a shade 10 was perfect. I had a shade 8 again, but this time was sprayed twice, as the technician told us this is the recommended dose. In the first salon, we only had one application, but having had another application in the second salon made a real difference.

The Celebrity Secrets range contains 100% natural active ingredients, including aloe vera. My skin felt so moisturised and refreshed after application, and the fruity smell was really pleasant, and the whole experience was fantastic.

I can honestly say I will be booking-in for my Christmas and party season tan, and I wouldn’t go without it now for special occasions. 10/10.

We visited The Beauty Centre in St John’s Wood, London, contact 020 7722 6603 and Perfect Touch in Old Amersham, Bucks, contact 01494 721532. The Celebrity Spray Tan retails at around £25 per session for a full body, or £15 for a half body application.