By Angela Trakoshis and Jennifer Hussein
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If you're on a quest to be your glowiest self, the best bronzing drops are your metaphorical beeline to the beach. Of course, you can book a vacation or slather yourself in self-tanner, but we understand those options are not for everyone. Hence this quick and instant solution in a bottle. Whether you want a subtle glow or an all-over bronzed look that'll put the actual metal to shame, we found the best face drops for endless gleam.
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann after applying the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops.
Why It's Worth It: For a natural, all-over glow in any season, try the antioxidant-rich Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops. Our testers loved these drops during its initial launch in 2018, and six years later its lightweight formula is still considered the gold standard for glow enhancers. The lightweight formula is infused with soothing cocoa extract, fine-line-minimizing peptides, rejuvenating vitamin D, and vitamin F (fatty acids), the latter of which promotes a healthy skin barrier. Just mix a drop into your favorite moisturizer, serum, or oil for a bronzy boost.
Tester Feedback: "As the resident palest-shade-of-foundation tester at the office, it's rare that I reach for bronzer because, like, who am I fooling?" says Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. "But I was shocked at how much I liked the slight bronzy tint of Drunk Elephant's Sunshine Drops. It's so easy to mix into a moisturizer to add a bit of glow to a base-free makeup day, and I like adding a bit to the high points of my cheeks and nose to add dimension and color."
Available Shades: 1 | Key Ingredients: Cocoa extract, peptides | Who It's For: Everyone
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops
Allure associate special projects manager Talia Gutierrez after applying the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops.
Why It's Worth It: Glow Recipe's Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops took over TikTok's most notable faces before it even officially launched. This shimmery rose gold bottle contains the same skin-brightening hero ingredient, niacinamide, as its best-selling predecessor, the Watermelon Dew Drops—but with a pearly, gold-bronze pigment thrown in to instantly boost luminosity. Wear the drops alone, mixed in with your foundation, or as a highlighter.
Tester Feedback: In her review of the drops, associate special projects manager Talia Gutierrez said this sheer tint stayed put all day without fading. "This formula is an extra layer I can get behind—I wore it all day and it never felt sticky or thick," she said.
Available Shades: 1 | Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, cica, hyaluronic acid, watermelon extract | Who It's For: Anyone who wants a lightweight, iridescent, and more warm-toned finish
E.L.F. Bronzing Drops
Allure shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis after applying the E.L.F. Bronzing Drops.
Why It's Worth It: The E.L.F. Bronzing Drops are the latest temporary self-tanning drops to hit virtual shelves, and our team is already in love with its affordable formula. Available in three glowy shades, each bottle is infused with vitamin E to preserve and enhance your skin's natural radiance as you wear it, and a conditioning blend of sunflower, marula, and raspberry seed for a softer, smoother texture over time. The results: luminous, bouncy skin even when you aren't wearing glow drops.
Tester Feedback: Allure shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis says she "feels like a million bucks" when she wears any of these shades. "These are not only some of the more affordable ones in the market, but one of the most inclusive options, as most bronzing drops only come in one 'universal' shade."
Available Shades: 3 | Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, sunflower oil, marula oil, raspberry seed oil | Who It's For: Anyone who wants to boost their natural glow on a budget
First Aid Beauty Bronze + Glow Drops
Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein after applying the First Aid Beauty Bronze + Glow Drops
Why It's Worth It: Like all of First Aid Beauty's products, the Bronze + Glow Drops are skin-care focused, but that doesn't mean you won't receive a striking glow from every drop. Its complexion-loving concoction of brightening niacinamide and hydrating glycerin will leave your skin looking and feeling its best even when you aren't wearing it, but its warm, deep copper tint makes it just as essential in your makeup routine as it is in your skin-care regimen. You can wear it on its own for a more dramatic finish, but if you're into a subtle glow, mix it with your go-to moisturizer, foundation, serum, or sunscreen.
Tester Feedback: To enhance the glow of her naturally vampiric complexion, Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein says she adds a few drops of this bronzy fluid to her go-to skin tint (in case you're wondering, it's Lisa Eldridge's Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint). "Its deep-bronze tint is slightly sheerer than other options on the market, so there's more room for experimentation without reaching Oompa Loompa-level warmth," she says. "If you want a more intensive glow, mix these drops with your cream or liquid blush, too."
Available Shades: 1 | Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, glycerin, mica | Who It's For: Anyone who wants a temporary and long-term glow
Tarte Key Largo Glow Bronzing Drops
Why It's Worth It: Featuring four glow-inducing tints, Tarte's Key Largo Glow Bronzing Drops are the closest you can get to bottling sunshine. This buildable formula stars skin-plumping squalane and brightening antioxidants to give your complexion a subtly toasty appearance, while also treating your pores with oil-reducing Amazonian clay. If you're worried about the product smearing and streaking throughout the day, don't sweat it—this pick is 100% transfer-proof.
Available Shades: 4 | Key Ingredients: Amazonian clay, squalane, antioxidants | Who It's For: Anyone who wants a no-budge formula that's kind to their skin
Isle of Paradise Sunny Serum Instant Face Bronzer
Why It's Worth It: Is the Isle of Paradise Sunny Serum Instant Face Bronzer skin care or makeup? Well, it's kind of both. This radiance-boosting find features a true-bronze tint that can be used as a luminous base primer for makeup, face, and body highlighter, or mixed in with your favorite skin-care and complexion makeup products for a muted finish. Since it's a serum, expect your skin to be treated with a cocktail of brightening niacinamide, moisturizing squalane, and moisture-sealing jojoba oil.
Available Shades: 1 | Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, squalane, jojoba oil | Who It's For: Normal to oily skin types
Westman Atelier Liquid Super Loaded All-Over Illuminator Drops
Why It's Worth It: When it comes to shimmer, sometimes less is more. When we want an ultra-light, buildable tint, we slather on a few drops of Westman Atelier Liquid Super Loaded All-Over Illuminator Drops. Each drop leaves behind a glimmering, sheer veil of warmth-boosting color as its formula reduces dullness over time with the help of brightening antioxidant vitamin C and a conditioning blend of Tsubaki and avocado oils.
Available Shades: 2 | Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, avocado oil, Tsubaki oil | Who It's For: Anyone who wants a subtle "just spent my weekend in the Hamptons" glow
Iconic London Instant Sunshine Bronzing Drops
Why It's Worth It: If you want to shine like 24-karat gold, add a few drops of Iconic London's Instant Sunshine Bronzing Drops—a versatile true-gold shade that compliments a wide range of skin tones—into your routine. This shimmery tint can be used as a striking highlighter on your face and body or all over when mixed with a moisturizer, sunscreen, or even body lotion for a head-to-toe glow.
Available Shades: 1 | Key Ingredients: Chamomile extract, marigold flower extract, lavender water, mica | Who It's For: Anyone who wants full-body radiance
Innbeauty Project Mineral Sun Glow SPF 43
Why It's Worth It: Tanning for a bronze complexion is a bad idea for a laundry list of reasons, so get glowing without searing your skin with harsh UV rays by slathering on Innbeauty Project's Mineral Sun Glow SPF 43. This glowy sunscreen has a 100% mineral-based formula that, unlike other mineral-based finds, has a transparent, illuminating formula that creates a lit-from-within appearance. To keep the glow going, this fragrance-free pick is spiked with vitamin C and antioxidant-rich rice bran extract to brighten skin and peptides for their firming, plumping benefits.
Available Shades: 2 | Key Ingredients: Zinc oxide (14.2%), vitamin C, rice bran extract, peptides | Who It's For: Anyone, including sensitive skin types
In their most basic form, bronzing drops are pigmented drops that temporarily boost the warmth and glow of your natural complexion. "Bronzing drops are a lightweight, liquid bronzer that you can either add to your favorite moisturizer, serum, or foundation," says Florida-based makeup artist Allison Kaye. You can also wear them alone. Some bronzing drops have so much glow, that you'll want to apply them as a highlighter to the high points of your face or even on your body. Regardless of how you want to use it, we promise you'll love how these drops instantly warm up your complexion and give you a radiance like no other.
The main difference between the two is that bronzing drops are temporary and rinse down the drain once it's time to wash your face while tanning drops usually have a semi-permanent pigment. The latter relies on dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar that safely darkens the skin. However, like many bronzing drops on the market, tanning drops especially made for the face usually contain nourishing ingredients like skin-plumping hyaluronic acid and glycerin for a dewier, more radiant finish.
Unlike contouring, which is meant to intensify the look of your face's natural angles, bronzing adds warmth and color to your skin. As a rule of thumb, your bronzer shouldn't be tangerine-level in warmth, but finding the right shade depends on your skin's natural tone. "Be sure to avoid bronzers that appear overly orange or red-toned in the pan, as it will only come across more intense when you apply it to the skin," New York City-based makeup artist Elisa Flowers previously told Allure.
Flowers said those with fair-to-medium skin tones should use a bronzer that's one or two shades darker than their natural skin tone and always use a light hand when applying. People with tan, olive-toned skin can wear most bronzer shades as long as they don't stray too far from their natural skin color, but medium and fair skin tones should stick to neutral shades to avoid an orange finish. New York City-based makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff previously told Allure that those with dark and deep complexions will want to avoid bronzers without warm undertones because they will more than likely create an ashy effect when applied.
New York City-based makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran adds that factors like blendability, pigmentation, and undertone are also important to consider when shopping for new bronzing drops for your skin tone. "Choosing the right shade of bronzing drops will take some trial, error and experimentation, but generally, you want to aim for a bronzer that is one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone and matches your undertone (cool, neutral, or warm) for a harmonious look," she says.
Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about several factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
For our review of the best bronzing drops, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product's performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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