All I want is to find a safe and easy way of looking a little more tanned. (Applying SPF 30+ every day, even in the depths of winter, has its downsides.) I have neutral-toned Southeast Asian skin that browns quickly, so I’ve found that products that promise a natural glow end up looking unnatural on me — no surprise, given so much of the skin-care market is geared toward Caucasian complexions. My current solution — Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Beauty Balm to tone down any spots and red patches and then a dusting of Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder across my cheeks and forehead for color — gives glow but not enough hydration for my mid-30s skin.
Meanwhile, my TikTok feed is filled with videos of teenagers talking about Drunk Elephant’s D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops, a liquid bronzer that claims to imbue skin with a natural-looking tan. I’ve been burned by a tan in a bottle in the past (Nivea Gradual Tan came out streaky and orange on me), but D-Bronzi, which is made from raw cocoa powder, says it’s been designed to “flatter every complexion” and has moisturizing ingredients like virgin marula and black-currant-seed oils to boot.
But these teens are glowing and hyperbolic. “Look how tan I am!” they crow. While I don’t exactly trust a 19-year-old to tell me what my 35-year-old skin needs, the hydration D-Bronzi promises is enough for me to test it out. I take it on a trial run across a typical week — parties, work calls, and a night hosting the premiere for Netflix’s Three Body Problem.
Day 1
I start testing D-Bronzi right before I head out for a friend’s birthday, following the instructions to mix one to two drops of the gloopy liquid into a pump’s worth of light moisturizer, before applying it all over my face and neck. Even though D-Bronzi is described as “fragrance-free,” I do register a slight scent, almost like wood chip — not entirely unpleasant, though it does dissipate quickly. It feels weirdly primitive to mix and smear this peachy-brownish potion all over my face with my fingers. When I’m done, my actual skin tone doesn’t look too different, though it does look subtly warmer, like I’ve been lit from within by a warm glow. I apply my usual light makeup on top, grab my handbag, and head out for the night. When I get back — having ended the night in a sweaty basement club — the D-Bronzi effect is still there, but it feels unpleasantly like a layer of heavy foundation is sitting on top of my face. Not exactly the hydration I was looking for. The next morning, I wash my face with my Cerave cleanser and squeeze a few drops into my Dermaviduals moisturizer. It immediately feels much more comfortable on my skin this time around (I think the cleanse helped), and the sheer wash of color is more noticeable in the daytime. It doesn’t, however, cover up any imperfections or redness — I still have to use my Nars radiant creamy concealer for that.
Day 3
It’s time to make a smoothie. According to both Drunk Elephant and TikTok, I should be mixing the drops with other Drunk Elephant products, like the Protini Polypeptide Cream. Unfortunately, I don’t own any other Drunk Elephant products. The closest I have to the Protini moisturizer is my favorite sunscreen, Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Sunscreen SPF 50+. (They both have a gel-cream texture.) On we go. This time round, the gel texture of the sunscreen pairs perfectly with the drops and it sinks in much better. While one drop doesn’t quite give the same tanned effect as two or three, it lifts my skin and makes me look, uh, less tired and sleepy on Zoom calls. The drops give a kind of glowy haze that I’ve never achieved with bronzer — I’m hypnotized by how glossy my skin looks on-camera. I promise I was still paying attention on the call, though.
Day 4
Total disaster. According to Drunk Elephant, you should be able to mix D-Bronzi with other serum, oil, or cream. This time, I mix it with Violette_fr’s Boum-Boum Milk, a creamy spray that you can use as a serum and moisturizer. I immediately get the ick from my improvised potion. The Boum-Boum Milk usually feels light and velvety on my skin, but adding D-Bronzi has turned it into a tacky film that feels as if it’s been plopped on my face like a layer of old cheese. I end up feeling so grossed out that I wash it off before I even leave the house.
Day 6
I am dancing in a sweaty room at yet another birthday party (why is everyone born in March?) when I have a revelation. These drops are not a tan, they’re a bronzer — you have to treat them like makeup, rather than skin care. I am pleased with my insight, but my friends are too busy panicking over not getting enough birthday candles for the joint birthday cake. When I get home at four in the morning, I’m not surprised that my D-Bronzi/Biore sunscreen glow has faded — I haven’t used any kind of setting spray or powder.
Day 7
Tonight I’m hosting a big Netflix premiere, which means it’s time for a full face of makeup, setting powder, the works. I reach for the drops. The glow is irresistible. I stick with my now go-to combo of D-Bronzi and Biore sunscreen for my base and apply my usual Dr. Jart+ BB Cream on top before using my Fenty contour stick, Nars Orgasm quad blush and Laura Mercier setting powder. My base actually matches up pretty well with the BB cream’s tint (I’m surprised!), and the shades for all my other makeup products still suit my skin tone, even with D-Bronzi on — this has never happened with other fake-looking tan products I’ve used. I post a nervous pre-show selfie from the bathroom of the fancy venue and get a ton of flame emojis from friends. When I get home at midnight, I have to triple cleanse to get everything off and I remember why I hate wearing a full face of makeup.
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