After a sun-kissed glow? Try these bronzing drops that fully deserve the TikTok hype – tried and tested

Bronzing drops may not be the most obvious product to add to your skincare routine, but trust us when we tell you that you won’t regret doing so. After all, a sun-kissed glow is a never a bad idea, especially during the summer. And considering that more often than not, the skin on our face doesn’t get tanned as much as the rest of our body, it’s fair to say that anyone can benefit from a bronzy boost. So whether you’re prepping for a White-Lotus-inspired girls’ getaway or you’re simply looking to diversify your everyday look with a J-Lo-inspired glow, consider a bottle of bronzing drops your new best friend.

Unlike fake tans, liquid bronzers work similar to a complexion makeup product, meaning they don’t stain your skin. All they do is add saturated bronzing pigments such as iron oxide and mica (that can also include shimmer for that highlighter-looking finish) that are buildable, easy to blend and safe for your skin.

Some formulations are also infused with beneficial skincare ingredients, such as vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, glycerin and peptides, which gives your skin that extra nourishment and hydration boost throughout the day. The best part? Bronzing drops are extremely customisable. On the days when you don’t feel like wearing foundation, simply add a few drops to your skincare (be it a hyaluronic acid serum or your go-to moisturiser) and watch the magic happen.

Best bronzing drops at a glance – our top picks:

You can also experiment and mix them into your foundation or even use them on their own, that is, you’re after a more pigmented result. There’s also no reason to be intimidated by pigment, simply start with 1-2 drops and work your way up to find out the amount that works best for your complexion. And if you’re not a fan of using them all over, you can always use them solely on the areas of your face that you would normally put your bronzer on. Just keep in mind that due to their liquid-y and milky texture, you’re probably better off blending the product with your fingers.

To be perfectly honest, I haven’t been using bronzing drops for a long time, but I won’t lie to you, ever since I did get my hands on a certain viral product (spoiler alert: I’m talking about the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Drops), I never looked back. Personally, I’ve always stirred clear of self-tanners for face, mainly because I’m not the biggest fan of putting something on my face that I can’t wash off afterwards. Luckily, bronzing drops seemed like the perfect compromise. I looove having them on an everyday basis, especially when I’m after a no-makeup makeup look and don’t want to have a ton of product on my face. It does the job of evening out my skin tone and almost brings my face to life with that added glow and pigment. All I do is simply prep a moisturiser/bronzing drop cocktail and slather it all over.