SUMMER has officially arrived. The sun is (sometimes) out, and with every moment of cloudless sky come the mandatory shorts and T-shirts of the ever-optimistic British public, determined to get that all-important tan.

Meanwhile, as we prostrate ourselves on the nearest piece of grass and soak up those UV-laden rays, health experts try desperately to convince us that "pale is the new tanned", that "freckles are out, and clear skin is in".

With the hole in the ozone layer growing bigger, and skin cancer figures rapidly increasing, we have to admit they do have a point.

Herein lies the perennial summer dilemma.

For the health-conscious among us, natural tans seem out of the question; but there is no denying that we all look so much more vibrant and healthier when we are sporting the sun-kissed look.

There is always the artificial option, but I know I've had enough fake tan disasters to put me off that 'bottle-brown' for life.

Teetering precar-iously on a ledge between a mire of creams that were sure to leave me looking streakier than the bacon in a greasy spoon caf, and a river of gaudy, florescent orange liquids, I had begun to resign myself to a summer of whiteness.

That was, until Highworth beautician Jeni Wise presented me with the ultimate solution, in the form of a revolutionary airbrushed fake tan.

St Tropez Air is a new self-tanning technique, designed to give an even tan using a spray.

It is made by the American company endorsed by the likes of Victoria Beckham, Cat Deeley, Eva Herzigova and Denise van Outen.

The expensive compressor that powers the spray means that the product is only available in selected salons Jeni's business Skin Deep is the only salon in Swindon to offer St Tropez's new product.

"Many women are already familiar with the St Tropez creams and mousses, which have been some of the most successful products on the market," said Jeni, who runs Skin Deep from her home in Highworth.

"The airbrush system is the next step up from that, and it is a vast improvement on the earlier products."

Determined to convince me that not all fake tans meant looking (and smelling) as though I'd been smeared with Marmite, Jeni persuaded me to visit Skin Deep for an all-over tan treatment.

Twenty minutes later, I emerged visibly bronzed, and impressed the tanning session was fast, clean, and I could see the results straight away.

"It's good for people who feel uncomfortable with the hands-on application, and because there is no mess, it won't come off on your clothes and sheets like the cream does, said Jeni. "The tan is perfect for men as well, because the spray doesn't get caught up in their body hair."

The tint of green in the spray ensured that there was no orange glow, and according to Jeni the tan is effective on all skins, whatever the colour.

"St Tropez Air works with the skin to give the look of a week in the sun," she said.

"The airbrush system can also be used to give the body extra contours with clever shading, it can create the illusion of a thinner waist, bigger cleavage, or even a six-pack".

The new spray-on tan lasts for five to seven days slightly less time than its cream counterpart.

It doesn't come cheap. The treatment at Skin Deep is £35 for a full body preparation and tan, and Jeni recommends a second treatment for £25 the following day, to ensure a deeper and longer lasting tan.