I tested 13 bronzing drops — and a drugstore product gave the best glow
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Bronzing drops are one of the buzziest beauty categories of the summer. Essentially a foolproof way to fake a tan, they add a sheer layer of bronze color that you can amp up or tone down as you wish — without any of the commitment of a self-tanner. Skin care and makeup brands have jumped on the trend, which means there’s a plethora of options ranging from formulas that focus on skin benefits to others that prioritize pigment and performance.
With all these options, I sought out and tested 13 of the best bronzing drops, including new launches and viral favorites. Noting everything from consistency, sheerness, shine-factor, skin benefits and value for the price, I ultimately found one favorite. The other 12 all have their merits, though, and they all deliver that sun-kissed effect.
Ahead, you’ll learn about each one and see them swatched — the swatch on the left is the product straight out of the bottle, and the one on the right is mixed with a touch of moisturizer (with a couple exceptions) but not completely blended, since many of the formulas are intended to be mixed with moisturizer or foundation. This way, you can get a more accurate gauge of their sheerness. Now onto the reviews:
e.l.f. Cosmetics Bronzing Drops
E.l.f.'s bronzing drops are not only my favorite alternative to the pricey and viral bronzing drops from Drunk Elephant, but my favorite formula in the category overall. The serum drops are easy to mix into moisturizer or foundation, and you can amp up the bronze tint as much or as little as you like. They even have some skin benefits thanks to vitamin E and sunflower seed oil. They come in three flexible shades that you can use alone or together for a more dimensional effect.
Caliray Sundrip Luminous Liquid Bronzer
Coming in one flexible shade, this serum bronzer is all about options. Mix it with moisturizer for the sheerest effect, with primer for a toned-down tint or with foundation for a radiant finish. Used alone, you could even get away with using it as a contour. The brand says you apply it on the face or body, so I also tried blending out one pump on each of my arms and it actually looked like a super natural tan. If you don't like self tanners, this is a good alternative. Plus, it's boosted with skin care ingredients like hydrating hyaluronic acid, antioxidant coenzyme Q10 and nourishing vitamin E.
The only drawback is that it is quite sparkly, so it might not be the best option for everyday.
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops
Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi drops made the category popular with its gel/serum formula. And I can see why this is the formula that went viral — it's difficult to overdo it with the user-friendly formula. Whether mixed with moisturizer or a skin tint, the drops deliver an instant tan. Plus, along with the bronze, glowy finish, it's packed with skin care ingredients such as peptides, antioxidant chronocylin and cocoa extract. This means they help defend the skin from environmental factors while adding an effortless glow. However, at nearly $40, it's a premium price and there are now so many other products that can give you a similar look.
Makeup by Mario Softsculpt Multi-Use Bronzing & Shaping Serum
Makeup by Mario's serum bronzer features an innovative applicator that allows you to either pump the product out or use the doe foot applicator to strategically place it on your face. The formula itself is lightweight and blends out sheer yet buildable. You don't need to mix this one with a base product, but you will want to be thorough about blending it out since it is more pigmented. It has a natural finish and doesn't add any extra shine, so it's great if you prefer a matte look.
Naked Sundays Cabana Glow Mineral Glow Serum Drops SPF 50 Bronze
Naked Sundays' bronzing drops have the added benefit of SPF 50. The mineral sunscreen formula adds zinc oxide and titanium oxide to bronze pigments for a healthy, bronzed glow. Given that it's a sunscreen formula, I found that these drops required a bit more effort to blend in. And instead of mixing them with moisturizer or foundation, it's recommended to apply them separately. For me, the most natural effect was achieved by applying my moisturizer first, and then blending out two or three drops with my fingers on top of that, followed by my tinted moisturizer.
My biggest complaint about the product, however, is that the dropper gets a bit messy on the top and I worry about spillage.
Typology T34 Bronzing Drops
Typology also takes a skin care approach with its bronzing drops, infusing the formula with free radical-fighting ingredients like vitamin E and apricot extract. These drops have a bit of shimmer, creating an illuminated, sun-kissed look. They're very sheer when mixed with moisturizer, so I would opt for mixing with foundation or tinted moisturizer for a more visible tint.
I didn't love the tiny dropper, however, as it seems easier to make a mess and spill the product. And I didn't want to waste a drop of it since it comes in a half-ounce bottle that felt extra small considering the price tag.
Versed Mood Lighting Glow Drops
These bronzing drops have a more liquid formula compared to others I tried and I preferred mixing them in with my moisturizer rather than my colored base product because they have a decent amount of shimmer. Applying my foundation or tinted moisturizer on top of this helped tone back the shimmer but still allowed for the bronzing effect to shine through. The drops come in three shades — Sheer Bronzed, Sheer Golden and Sheer Rose Gold — which all have that shimmery effect.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops Sun Glow Serum
This multi-tasking formula comes out of the bottle in a shimmery, copper serum. For noticeable bronzing, you can apply one or two pumps of it alone over your skin care. It feels nourishing on the skin, like another light layer of hydration. Plus, the drops have skin benefits from niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and calming centella asiatica. For makeup, it can be mixed with foundation or tinted moisturizer, tapped onto the high points of the face as a highlighter or even swept onto the eyelids for a sheer wash of color (the formula is ophthalmologist tested). Because of its versatile applications, it's one of my favorite formulas from the bunch.
Iconic London Instant Sunshine Bronzing Drops
These bronzing drops come in a syringe-like applicator — but don't worry there aren't any needles involved. Simply click to dispense the bronzing serum, and then mix in with your moisturizer or base product. The formula is thicker and gel-like, with noticeable shimmer and a deeper pigment right off the bat. Because of the borderline sparkly finish, it's best for a full glam look or if you typically prefer a shimmery powder bronzer. You can even use these bronzing drops like a highlighter and tap them onto the high points of your cheeks.
Isle of Paradise Sunny Serum Instant Face Bronzer
This serum doesn't have to be mixed in with a base product, but I would recommend it. While you can simply apply a pump or two on the face after moisturizer and before your color complexion products, I found that this method gave a more intense color. It would look great on the legs or shoulders for an instant tan, but on the face, I preferred to mix it in with my moisturizer and use it as a subtle tint for my no-makeup days. Either way, it was easy to blend in. I also loved that the formula includes some of my favorite skin care ingredients — hydrating squalane and oil-controlling niacinamide.
Indeed Labs Nanobronze Bronzing Drops
Indeed Labs' Nanobronze Bronzing Drops add a warm glow to the complexion without shimmer, making them a close match to Drunk Elephant and E.l.f.'s bronzing drops. They can be applied mixed into a base or on their own, although I'd recommend the former. A little goes a long way with the concentrated drops, and it's easier to get even coverage when they're mixed in with moisturizer or a complexion product. Nanobronze is available in two shades, Original and Deep.
Saie Dew Bronze
Saie's liquid bronzer is actually more creamy than liquid. It feels a bit thicker on the skin when first applied, and looks opaque before blending. Despite it's pigmented formula, you don't have to mix it in with a base. When you start blending, it easily becomes a sheer veil of color. The brand recommends using a brush to buff it out, avoiding dragging the product in circular motions. This can disturb any makeup worn underneath the bronzer and create a muddy look. Instead, tapping with a brush or your fingers will create a natural, seamless finish.
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Island Glow Easy Tanning Drops
Technically tanning drops and not bronzing drops, these will help you build a sun-kissed tan sans the sun. The fast-acting formula claims to develop a golden glow in just a few hours. While I didn't notice a dramatic difference when it came to increasing my tan in only one day, the gold-tinged formula did add a healthy, illuminated look that had me coming back for more. As with other self tanners, using it consistently will result in more pronounced results.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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