With the summer sun slowly starting to creep in, i'm already excited to get dressing for summer and when it comes to summer i'm forever faking a tan as I don't tan naturally, boo hoo! So I always opt for products that give my skin a sun kissed glow without looking orange or just too dark for my natural complexion, so I thought i'd talk you through my favourites for self tanning and hopefully it'll introduce you to some new products!

Now i'm no tanning expert but I just do what works for me and when it comes to self tanning, I used to opt for a gradual tan that you apply like a moisturiser and overnight it develops to give your skin a slight hint of colour. Now although i'm still a huge lover of gradual tanning products as they are great for maintaining a daily tan, i've since been introduced to different tanning products of which work for different situations or occasions and have become a staple within my tanning routine.

Starting off with my gradual tan of choice and over the years i've used many gradual tanning products, all of which work in the same way but the Xen Tan Transform Luxe* (£24.99) is hands down my favourite. Now I know this is quite pricey as apposed to other gradual tans out there, but this I find to be not only the easiest to apply but it also smells incredible and doesn't leave you with that horrid dog biscuit smell and I don't get any streaks with this. I usually apply this with a tanning mit as I find it gives a more even application and the colour pay off is really natural but still sun kissed enough for my personal preference.

Moving onto my favourite mouse based instant tan, and again i've used a fair few mouse instant tanning products and an all time favourite is the St Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mouse (£4) as it is so cheap but recently i've been really enjoying the St Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mouse (£20.50). Again this is slightly more expensive, but I do find that if you invest into products that they do perform a lot better and this lasts a longer on the skin! I also apply this with a tanning mit to give a lovely and streak free tan that develops almost instantly, and this gives a lovely golden glow to the skin like no other tan that i've used. I find it's best to apply this and sleep overnight before washing off the excess, but if you're also wanting an instant tan before a night out it's fine to apply a few hours before heading out.

The final tanning product that i've actually stolen from my Mum is the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan (£6.99), which is an almost gel/liquid tan that you apply directly onto the skin and buff into using a tan mit to give an instant bronzed glow that doesn't need any time to develop. I usually use this if i'm in a rush and i've forgotten to tan, or when I want to top a pre existing tan that needs a little touching up. I find that the colour pay off of this product is absolutely unreal and it also contains a small amount of shimmer that makes your skin just glow and I love it, it such a life saver of a product and i'd totally recommend it!

What are your favourite tanning products?