Skinny Tan: New Product Promises to Tan-AND-Tone in One. Sounds Too Good to be True? We Put it to the Test.

Dragons are known for fire-breathing, flappy flying and going on adventures with green ogres.

But there are a few who have some money in their back pockets and are looking to invest in good business ideas. And when Kate Cotton and Louise Ferguson stood in front of these scale-y millionaires on BBC's Dragon's Den, all five of them wanted to invest in their product, 'Skinny Tan'.

And now it's about to hit Irish shelves for the first time.

'Skinny Tan' is the tan-and-tone product that claims to be the first to combine a natural tanning agent with a naturally derived cellulite-reducing ingredient. The inclusion of Guarana to 'smooth, tone and contour' is their key point of difference, and the makers promise that the product will help to reduce visible cellulite.

And there are three main products in this range:

• 7-Day Tanner - instantly gives a strong bronze colour and develops into a tan after a few hours

• Gradual Tanner- apply daily to build up to desired shade

• 24 Hour Bronzer - a wash-off temporary colour that dries quickly and sets to a glossy finish

But how does it actually perform? I tried out the 7-Day Tanner to test out all those fancy claims.

First thing I noticed was the smell. It is gorgeous. It's like a honey/coconut mix without a trace of wet biscuit. It reminded me of the old Tahiti shower gel in the white bottle - you know the one, all tropical and kinda nutty.

This product is described as an instant self-tanner that develops into deep tan that lasts for up to seven days. But this instant bronzer is a colour guide only, I wouldn't leave the house after application. It's that deep, muddy shade that St.Tropez users will be aware of, the kind that puts the streaky fear of God into you.

I left it overnight and washed off the next morning to leave a streak-free but quite pale colour. It was more of a glow than an actual tan, perfect for taking the blue-hue off the legs but not enough to allow you to feel like Elle MacPherson hopping along a sun-drenched beach.

Each tube contains four to six full body applications and you would need at least two to get some decent coverage going on. But I am blonde and naturally quite pale, so one application gave me a light, non-biscuity glow.

As for the toning and cellulite reduction, I think a colour on the skin helps to soften the look of the dreaded orange peel but I certainly didn't see any change.

Would you be interested in trying out a product like this? Do you believe the double-jobbing hype? What is your Holy Grail tan and cellulite-reducing product? To the comments!