Drunk Elephant’s Bronzing Drops Are a TikTok Sensation — Here’s Our Honest Testing Review.
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If TikTok is your go-to source for beauty tricks and tips, you’ve probably seen Drunk Elephant’s D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops on the fingertips of the app’s most popular GRWM girls. The product is a TikTok celebrity in and of itself, so we grabbed a tube and put it to the test to pen this honest review.
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These bronzing drops are all the rage right now, but they’re not exactly new; Drunk Elephant released the product back in 2018. Unlike traditional powder bronzers for different skin tones, Drunk Elephant’s drops are a liquid formula and available in one universally flattering color. Rather than applying them with your best makeup brush, they’re designed to be mixed into skin care products to warm up your complexion. Add a drop to your favorite face serum or moisturizer before smoothing it onto your complexion, and you’ll get post-vacation radiance. The liquid texture plays well with all skin care products so you don’t have to worry about the product looking splotchy or pilling.
The drops have a rich, neutral bronze color to them that works across different skin tones: On fair skin, you’ll see an effect similar to what you get from applying face self-tanner. On deep skin tones, you’ll get a luminous, light reflective radiance. It’s a great base product to apply before you dab on your best foundation or concealer; the subtle shimmer and warmth makes you look fresh off a tropical getaway (sans sun damage).
Read on for our full testing review to get more details on these elusive bronzing drops.
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How We Tested Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops
Product tested: Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops
Key ingredients: Cocoa extract, platinum peptides, white tea extract, marula oil, black currant seed oil, vitamin E, and vitamin F
Number of testers: One
Testing time period: Months at a time over the course of five years
Pros:
Compatible with fair to deep skin tones
Contains skin-nourishing ingredients
A little goes a long way
Wears well under makeup
Cons:
Pricey
Small amount of product
Best for: Instant radiance and adding warmth to your complexion with or without makeup on top.
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops
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How to Use Drunk Elephant’s Bronzing Drops
Because Drunk Elephant’s bronzing drops are intensely pigmented, you’re best off diluting the drops with other skin care products rather than applying the drops straight onto your skin. Squeeze a pea-sized amount of the bronzing drops onto the back of your hand and mix it with a dime-sized amount of moisturizer or face sunscreen; once the bronzing drops are evenly mixed into the moisturizer you can smooth the mixture onto your skin. If you have fair skin, take care to blend well near your ears and around your jawline to avoid any lines of demarcation.
On TikTok, users are all about a skin care smoothie — the term has nearly 90 million views. The technique involves mixing your face serums, moisturizer, and bronzing drops together and smoothing them on all at once, versus layering products one after the other. If you’re opting for this method, just remember to apply your sunscreen after your skin care smoothie for effective sun protection.
Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops Editor Testing Review
I’ve used the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi drops on and off for five years and counting — so take it from me, these bronzing drops live up to their newfound hype. My fair skin tone can quickly look washed out if I’m low on sleep or vitamin D, so I’m always trying new bronzers and face tanners that give my complexion a little warmth. Drunk Elephant’s bronzing drops are a lifesaver when I need to get out of the door in the morning: Rather than taking time to buff and blend bronzer carefully, I just mix these bronzing drops into my moisturizer, and I’ve got a radiant complexion as soon as I’m done smoothing my face cream on.
Those with pale skin know that choosing a bronzing makeup product can be hit or miss: The wrong undertone or color can make your glow look painted on rather than believable. These drops have a neutral undertone that plays to warm and cool skin tones, and you can calibrate the color payoff of these drops to your skin tone by controlling the amount you apply.
Although winter is when I need a radiance boost the most, I find myself using Drunk Elephant’s bronzing drops year round. During the summer, the drops give my skin a boost of radiance that allows me to ditch other makeup products — and we all know that lightweight, breathable beauty looks are essential on sunny days.
Are Drunk Elephant’s Bronzing Drops Worth It?
Drunk Elephant’s bronzing drops are pricey per ounce, but unlike similar products, they also deliver long-term skin benefits. The formula contains free radical-foraging antioxidants from cocoa and white tea extract and skin-smoothing peptides. Drunk Elephant’s signature ingredient, virgin marula oil, is also in the formula — this oil delivers skin-softening omega 6 and 9 fatty acids. On top of the skin care benefits, a little goes a long way with Drunk Elephant’s bronzing drops. When used once a day, the bottle lasted our tester two full months.
With over 107 million views on TikTok, this product is a true sensation. The drops are newly back in stock at Sephora and Ulta — and we expect them to sell out fast — so get shopping now.
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops
Meet the Author
Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for WWD and Footwear News. She’s spent over five years researching, reporting on, and writing about the beauty industry for publications like Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She’s tested hundreds of products during her time as a beauty editor, so she’s well-versed in selecting the products that make a meaningful difference in your skin and hair. She’s loved the Drunk Elephant bronzing drops since they debuted in 2018. Learn more about us here.
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