A number of great Irish-owned tanning brands are currently on the market, but are any of them worth ditching your trusty Sally Hansen for?

Irish women are proven to be the world's biggest users of fake tan, so it stands to reason that we'd know a thing or two about it. In recent years, Irish tanning brands have gotten a serious popularity boost, both in Ireland and abroad, and we can see why.

Here's a look at some of our favourites…

Cocoa Brown
The Cocoa Brown range was launched in 2012, and is currently available in the UK, the US, Australia, and now in 400 stores across Sweden as the brand's founder Marissa Carter revealed to us last week. The collection includes a gradual tanning moisturiser, a 1-hour tanning mousse and the famous Night & Day tan as well as other products such as tanning mitts, an oil-free moisturiser and a body scrub.

Our verdict:
If you're looking for a tan that develops quickly and doesn't leave you (and your sheets) smelling manky, this is it. We're big fans of the Tough Stuff scrub for getting any stubborn leftover tan off, but to ensure an even fade, you definitely need to be moisturising every day. 

 

TanOrganic
Salon owner Noelle O'Connor suffered during the recession but came back with a bang when Dragon's Den agreed to invest in her tanning brand, TanOrganic, in 2010. All TanOrganic products contain only "natural and organic" ingredients. The range includes a self-tanning oil, the original self-tanner, a moisturising dry oil, a bronzing powder, body scrub and more.

Our verdict: 
This brand is great for a natural colour, but the fact that the oil is clear may put some off as there is no colour guide. However rest assured that the tan is fairly fool-proof and you won't be left with streaks and patchiness. The brand does claim to be odourless but in our experience it's not always the case.

 

VitaLiberata
This Irish-based brand launched in 2007 and tagged itself as the "world's first odourless tan." It's currently used in hotel spas around the world including the swanky George V Paris and the Ritz-Carlton. VitaLiberata have a huge range of products, from bronzers to self-tanners, and their 'pHenomenal' 2-3 Week Tanning Lotion which claims to last "four times longer" than regular tans.

Our verdict:
Having tried the 2 – 3 week tanner, we can safely say it didn't last quite that long, but definitely a few days longer than a regular tan would. The application process is quite lengthy, as you're instructed to apply the tan every night for three nights for it to last the suggested 2 – 3 weeks. However it dries almost instantly so is very hassle-free (we had our PJs on within two minutes), and again we saw no streaks and an extremely even fade. 

 

The Tan
This brand is new to the Irish market, having been launched just last week by Jennifer Butler and Jennifer Swaine, the "Two Jenns" behind famous Dublin salon Vanity Rooms. The range combines at-home tanners and professional products, and all products contain the girls' "hero ingredient" Hyaluronic Acid, which penetrates into the skin to boost elasticity and hydration.

Our verdict
As this is a brand new product we haven't given it a test run just yet, but going by the amazing quality of the spray tans offered in the Vanity Rooms, we reckon The Tan will be money well spent.