Having an Irish family is fabulous. You have hundreds of cousins, good craic (if I do say so myself) and the best, and most currently relevant benefit, you’re still a member of the EU. But, on the downside, even my veins are visible through my pasty skin.

Thanks to the aid of gradual face self-tan, foundations no longer leave an orange mark across my chin, my ever-growing eye bags are more concealed and people have finally stopped asking me if I’m ill – a definite put down if I ever heard one.

With summer right around the corner and a skin type that goes from white to red at the first glint of sunshine, turning to a liquid tan can really help to take away that Edward Cullen-esque gleam in favour of a healthier-looking hue.

While self-tans remain somewhat of a controversial beauty product (there are strong opinions both against and for its use), when using it within the shade spectrum of your own skin, you should be left with a subtle glow of a few days in the sun, rather than looking like a different person altogether.

In a bid to not look like an extra from the walking dead, I’ve spent the past however-many years testing out everything from instant tans to gradual lotions and have finally settled on a favourite – a non-sticky, easy to apply formula that moisturises your skin at the same time, without any fear of looking obviously fake. And it protects against blue light and infra-red too, a serious bonus.

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Sienna X tanning drops

Buy now £14.95, Feelunique.com

Thanks to these tanning drops, I’ve been able to go fresh-faced to brunches, birthdays and even bars with a subtle glowy base and no sign of a cakey finish. And for big bashes I only ever really need to add a CC cream for some added oomph, a big change from the days of wearing full coverage foundation – for which I am thankful.

Just one drop of this self-tan is enough to make a visible difference, it’s pretty powerful stuff, so don’t worry about its micro size. 20ml is small, I know, but with around 250 drops in each bottle, if using just one every other day, it actually will last an incredibly long time.

Simply drop it into your nightly moisturiser, oil, serum or even your foundation if in a tight squeeze for time, mix together in the palms of your hands and you’ll have a gorgeous glow by the time you wake up – it really is as easy as that.

If you do wish to speed up the tanning process, using two drops at once will fast track you to a deeper hue. But please do stop at two, less is definitely more when it comes to this. And, word of warning, do not use it on its own unless you want a patchy uneven finish.

Thanks to the clever push-button pipette it’s incredibly easy to dispense just the right number of drops you’re after, so don’t worry about accidentally overdoing it.

When used correctly, it’s hard to go wrong with these drops, in fact, the only issue I’ve ever had is that it can cling onto facial hairs (something I worked out after going too long without a lip wax). But, for any bare-faced beauties, or well timed waxers, this shouldn’t be an issue at all.

Organic coconut oil, avocado oil and meadowfoam oil have been added to boost moisture levels, while vitamin E adds a high level of antioxidants to induce antiageing effects and marine bamboo works to protect the skin against the effects of blue light and infra-red type A.

While I do love the smell of a biscuity tan (guilty as charged), this tan smells more like a Bakewell tart, a very interesting scent for a self-tan, but nonetheless has never bought me any complaints, even from those who can’t stand the usual whiff.

Of course, you don’t have to reserve this tan just for your face. Although it is small, it is mighty and can be added to any form of body moisturiser too. Trust me, when on holiday and trying to work within the 100ml liquid travel allowance, it makes for quite the handy trick.

The verdict: Sienna X tanning drops

These tanning drops give me an ultimate confidence boost, and, in my eyes, are a definite gamechanger. Gone are the days of streaky tans, orange hues and patchy faces. Just be sure to wash your hands afterwards, I’ve made that mistake once or twice.

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This gradual face self-tan gives my Irish skin a year-round glow

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