Cocktail Club: Impress your guests with this sophisticated, smooth, chocolatey concoction
Cocktail Club: Impress your guests with this sophisticated, smooth, chocolatey concoction

Megan Burns

Irish Roots, Global Opportunities: How to successfully scale your business overseas
Irish Roots, Global Opportunities: How to successfully scale your business overseas

Lizzie Gore-Grimes

Real Weddings: Holly and Stephen’s dreamy Manhattan wedding
Real Weddings: Holly and Stephen’s dreamy Manhattan wedding

Shayna Sappington

How this clinic is transforming women’s skin this Black Friday
How this clinic is transforming women’s skin this Black Friday

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Give the gift of luxury this Christmas with a sparkling diamond touch
Give the gift of luxury this Christmas with a sparkling diamond touch

Edaein OConnell

Feel like you can’t get ahead of your finances? It may be time for a financial review
Feel like you can’t get ahead of your finances? It may be time for a...

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The College Green Hotel review: A 5-star stay in the heart of the city
The College Green Hotel review: A 5-star stay in the heart of the city

Sarah Gill

Join our community for a complimentary Rhythm Ride class
Join our community for a complimentary Rhythm Ride class

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Win a €500 gift voucher to use towards training with Image Skillnet
Win a €500 gift voucher to use towards training with Image Skillnet

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MUA Lauren Egerton’s five top tips to do your make-up like a pro
MUA Lauren Egerton’s five top tips to do your make-up like a pro

Melanie Morris

Image / Beauty

Why are we all so scared of clear tanning products (and should we be?)


By Aisling Keenan
08th May 2019
Why are we all so scared of clear tanning products (and should we be?)

We’re so used to tans having a guide colour that when we use a clear tanning product, we have the ultimate fear. Should we be nervous? Will it all go wrong? And can we achieve a streak-free colour with no guide?


Clear tans strike fear into my heart. How do you know you’ve gotten it right?! Will it be streaky? Which bits of my body have I done? Have I done some bits twice?! My nerves can’t take it. So for the longest time, I steered well clear of those tanning water-style ones that don’t hold your hand through the tricky tanning process.

Until recently, that is. When, for the sake of research, I decided to try a few. And thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. There were no major disasters – once I stuck to my methodical limb-by-limb application, I ended up streak-free every time. But that’s not to say it wasn’t without a learning curve. I did find out a few clear tanning lessons along the way…

What to remember:

  • Make sure, as with any tan, to do your hair removal and exfoliation at least 24 hours before you’re due to apply the tan
  • Don’t moisturise before you apply it, but moisturise daily afterwards to keep the tan locked in for longer
  • The best part of no indicator colour? No destroyed sheets, tan sweat stains on clothes or weird biscuit smell to contend with.

What NOT to do:

  • Don’t use an oil-based shower gel or cleanser before application – it will mess up the adherence to your skin
  • Don’t forget to wash your hands if you don’t use a mitt to rub the tan in
  • Don’t worry about streaking – focus on feeling the tan saturating every inch of skin and come up with a methodical application system so you know which limbs you’ve done and which you haven’t

Tans I’ve tried (and liked!)

Isle of Paradise Self-tanning Water, €24.99

St Tropez Purity Self Tan Aqua Mousse, €40

James Read H20 Tanning Mist, €24