As a 45-year-old first-time dad with a 10-month-old daughter, Emmanuelle, I’m very familiar with sleepless nights, so I’m the perfect guinea pig for the latest anti-fatigue eye gels for men. Apparently, you lose the equivalent of 50 nights’ sleep in the first year of parenting: my eyes look less clear and my bags are bigger.

I had no idea such products existed. I was sceptical and didn’t expect to like any of them. But in lieu of a decent night’s sleep, I applied the first one, L’Oréal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Eye Roll-On (£11.49), a mini pen. I’m not sure if it was psychosomatic, but it felt really refreshing and is easy to apply. I’d definitely use it again.

The big surprise was how good Dermot O’Leary’s Eye Roller for M&S was (£10). It made me chuckle when I saw his name: does he really know about skincare? I wanted to dislike it, but it felt cooling, an immediate pep-up. Also, you can’t argue with the price.

All the brands I tested gave similar results: that sense of an instant, refreshing pick-me-up. I liked Molton Brown’s Anti-Fatigue Bai Ji Eye Gel a lot (£22); it would have been my favourite if it wasn’t twice the price of the cheaper products. The Shiseido Total Revitalizer (£44) was great, but just too expensive.

Dermot edged it as my overall winner because of the cost. I like the minimal packaging, plus it was the only one where my wife said I looked good after using it. I think the cheap ones work just as well as the more expensive products. But maybe that’s because I’m from Yorkshire.

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