I’ve Been Wearing Fake Tan for Over 35 Years. Here’s Why I Always Come Back to Bellamianta

I’ve been wearing fake tan since I was 16 years old. Back then, there wasn’t a wall of tanning products to choose from. There was one bottle. I can’t even remember the name of it now, but I do remember it was white, and I remember the colour it gave. Looking back, it had quite an orange hue, but at the time we thought it was brilliant!

Me and all my friends wore it because, quite simply, we wanted to be tanned. I have typical Irish skin. I don’t naturally go brown in the sun, and I used to look at the Spanish students walking around Dublin with their gorgeous olive skin and think, “I’d love to have that.”

Fake tan gave me that confidence boost. It still does. When I have a bit of colour, I genuinely feel better. I stand a little taller, I feel more put together, and I just feel more like myself. Over the past 35 years, I’ve tried what feels like nearly every tanning brand that’s come onto the market. Some were lovely, some were disappointing, but I always seemed to find myself coming back to Bellamianta.

Long before I ever worked with them, I was buying their products because they worked. The quality was there, the price point was realistic, and the results were consistently beautiful. So when Bellamianta asked me to become one of their brand ambassadors last year, it genuinely felt like a full circle moment.

What also makes me proud to work with them is that they’re a female led Irish business. I really admire Linda Stinton and everything she has built. Bellamianta has grown into so much more than a tanning brand. Their makeup range has become a huge part of my everyday routine too.

I originally sat down to write about my top five favourite Bellamianta products. I failed miserably.Every time I got to number five, there was another one I couldn’t leave out.

So here are the six Bellamianta products I genuinely use and love.

1. Illuminating Body Elixir

If I’m heading out for dinner and want to feel that little bit more glamorous, this is always my finishing touch. Even over a light tan, a little on my arms instantly makes me feel more dressed up. For weddings, events or glam nights, I love applying it to my collarbones, shoulders and down the front of my shins. It catches the light beautifully and gives my skin the most gorgeous glow. It doesn’t replace fake tan. It simply elevates it.

2. Instant Body Makeup

This is probably the Bellamianta product I reach for most because life is busy. I don’t always know days in advance that I’m going somewhere. It could be a last-minute dinner, a family get-together, or I wake up to glorious sunshine and suddenly decide I want to wear a sleeveless top. Those are the moments this product saves me. If I haven’t had time to tan, I can put this on in minutes and instantly feel more polished and confident. It’s become part of my “getting ready” routine because it helps me look like I’ve made an effort, even when I haven’t had time to plan ahead.

3. Lash Illusion Tubing Mascara

If I had to pick just one Bellamianta makeup product, this would probably be it. It’s my makeup product of the year, hands down. Since it launched, I haven’t reached for another mascara. That’s a huge statement because I’ve tried countless mascaras over the years, but this one genuinely ticks every box for me. I love the length, the volume, the fact that it doesn’t clump and, best of all, I don’t end up with panda eyes halfway through the day. And if Bellamianta announced tomorrow they were discontinuing it? I’d be buying ten of them today.

4. Dreamy Creamy Concealer

As I’ve got older, what I want from makeup has changed. I don’t want heavy products that settle into fine lines or make my skin look older.

I want makeup that works with my skin. The Dreamy Creamy Concealer does exactly that. It brightens my under-eye area, disguises dark circles and gives me a fresher, more awake look, without sitting in the fine lines around my eyes. It’s lightweight, natural and, for me, the perfect concealer for mature skin.

5. Cheek Kiss Liquid Blush

I’ll be honest…

I was never really a blush person. I always wore a tiny bit, but I was much more of a highlighter girl. Then I tried the Cheek Kiss Liquid Blush. What I love is how delicate it is. It gives me the softest flush of colour without making me feel like I’ve overdone it. For me, it’s almost the perfect combination of a blush and a highlighter because it leaves such a fresh, healthy glow. It’s become my everyday blush because it looks so natural.

6. Tanning Oil

I couldn’t finish this list without mentioning the Tanning Oil. One of the biggest things I love about it is how easy it is to use. There’s no standing around in the nudie waiting for it to dry before you can get dressed, and I don’t get that typical fake tan smell that we’ve all become so used to over the years. It develops into a gorgeous, natural-looking colour, and I honestly find it one of the easiest tanning products I’ve ever applied. I never have problems with streaks, it lasts beautifully, and even when I choose the darker shade, it still looks like a natural tan rather than a fake one.

Final Thoughts

People often ask me why I still choose Bellamianta after trying so many other brands over the years.

The answer is simple.

They’ve never given me a reason to leave. The products are consistently good, they’re affordable, they suit every stage of life, and they’ve grown from being a tanning brand into a beauty brand that I genuinely use every single day. As someone who’s been wearing fake tan for over 35 years, I don’t say that lightly. If you’ve never tried Bellamianta before, I hope this gives you a little insight into why they’ve had a permanent place in my beauty routine for so many years. And if you’re already a Bellamianta fan like me… I’d love to know which product you couldn’t live without.