So almost four months ago I found my terrified and bewildered self back on to the singles scene.

After crying every blinking day for at least a month (curse you uncontrollable tear ducts), trying to take my own book advice and self-prescribing Sex And The City DVD therapy every night to counter the night terrors I began to pick myself up and dust myself down.

Then an email popped into my inbox inviting me to a Benefit ‘Flirt Alert’ evening where myself and a friend could brush up on both our make-up and flirting skills in one evening. Nice.

Naturally I invited my pal and dating-girl-about-town Sarah Finley and we headed to the shiny Benefit boutique near Liverpool Street.

After being handed booze and chocolate cupcakes both Sarah and I were given makeovers by Benefit’s Lisa Potter-Dixon, a kind of Ninja make-up artist who wields her brushes with lightning speed.

Even before Lisa worked her magic - and seduced by the girly packaging alone - I would have happily conducted a crazed supermarket sweep around Benefit, but there were two products that were top of my shopping list that night.

The first was this fan tail brush (£15.50) which actually applies blusher lightly and precisely. Previously I could never quite gage whether my blusher application smacked of ‘rosy glow’ or ‘unsightly red rash’ until I’d stepped out the house. The latter happened more than I cared for. I’m pleased to report those days are over.

The next little beauty was Stay don’t stray (£19.50) a product Benefit describe as a ‘dual-action-power-primer’ (blimey). Basically it’s a concealer and base you circle around your eye like a panda which once blended in covers up dark spots under your peepers and keeps your eye make-up in place for longer. I’m already addicted.

With our war paint applied both Sarah and I then had the nerve-wracking prospect of one-on-one sessions with flirt coach Sue Ostler who turned out to be totally fabulous.

Her top tip: flirt with everyone, every day - even if you don’t fancy them. According to Sue by landing the man who makes your morning mocha with a killer smile not only are you making his day but you are likely to get something free. Sue gets extras everywhere she goes - ooh err.

On a more serious note by practising eye contact, smiling and relaxed body language - you will eventually find it all the more easier to stand out to the guy you really like. Hurrah to that. You can check out Sue’s flirting tips by clicking here

I’ve always found spray tan booths fairly traumatic - remember a tangoed Ross on Friends after his fake tan hell? It’s just all too easy to come a cropper.

Standing, panicked, in a strange cubicle being blasted in the face with chemicals by a machine and feeling like you’re about to suffocate on the fumes is not my idea of fun. The disgusting yellowy-brown stained feet I always end up with hardly scream ‘boho babe’ in strappy sandals either.

So when I was invited to Urban Retreat at Harrods to try out a new Sienna X spray tan applied by an ACTUAL HUMAN it appealed.

Of course the downside of the ‘human with a spray gun’ school of tanning is the pure embarrassment of standing there wearing nothing but paper pants and a flattering hair net while a glam lady, in a pretty frock, squints and sprays at your boobs.

Perhaps I could have stared into the distance pretending it wasn’t happening, but alas I found myself in a room covered with wall-to-ceiling mirrors kindly reflecting the full horror back to me. Yep, thanks for that, my own personal Trinny and Suzannah mirrored booth hell.

Still, ten minutes of embarrassment aside, the finished results were very satisfying. While other fake tans stink to high heaven Sienna X’s spray tan (£45 for one session) actually has a mild, pleasant scent and the colour was sun-kissed rather than ‘Katie Price’ tango.

My tan lasted around five days, enough time to ease you into your bikini on the beach, or in my case to reassure my concerned parents (who I went to visit that weekend) that I’m not anaemic and drinking and partying myself into an early grave in London.

Since the spray tan I’ve also been using Sienna X’s eXtend and perfect gradual tan 200ml (£14.95) which gives you a subtle glow over several days of application. Again it smells of coconut/vanilla so does the job without making you feel you’ve just coated yourself in paint stripper.

Just don’t forget to moisturise your elbows