Our panel of more than 450 testers tried 28 brands of tanning drops over a two-week period to find which ones left skin looking sunkissed with minimal effort. Wait a few moments before applying your moisturiser,” advises Bolder. “If you'd prefer a lighter finish, you can also combine tanning drops with your daily moisturiser. Just avoid using any exfoliating products directly before applying tan and don't use fake tan in conjunction with vitamin A or retinol.” Tanning glow drops contain self-tanning ingredients that interact with the top layer of the skin to create a temporary tan appearance,” explains Claghorn. “They offer a safer alternative to traditional tanning methods and allow individuals to achieve a desired tan without sun exposure.” What We Love: This fragrance-free, colorless formula is hydrating and nourishing without being sensitizing.

Prepping your skin using a face and/or body scrub before beginning your tanning process not only removes a build-up of dead skin but will result in a smooth base for your fake tan so be sure to start 24 hours before you plan to tan. Next step, moisturising. Formulas in fake tan tend to cling to dry skin so applying a rich moisturising lotion to your skin beforehand will keep your self-tan from looking patchy whilst keeping your skin soft and hydrated. Find Your Perfect Self-Tanner More make-up than tan, these seamless post-holiday boosters layer over skincare effortlessly, plus you can rinse them off at the end of the day. Wear them alone, mix with foundation or use them in place of your classic bronzer. In short, bronzing drops are more versatile, lower commitment and if you make a mistake, you can easily wash them away. They also come in a ton of different iterations, from gels to primers. As mentioned, the best tanning drops are incredibly versatile and can be applied in a number of ways. While many brands these days are clean, it is a scant few that can claim to be organic like this one from Pai, which uses skin quenchers like hyaluronic acid and sea kelp to attract and seal lasting moisture into dry skin. You get to choose from three unique shades — champagne, rose gold, and bronze — to add radiance to your complexion, whether you mix it into SPF, apply directly to your cheekbones, or even mix it into your body lotion. You can even buy a smaller size of this product to test it out before committing to a full-sized bottle, which we greatly appreciate.The only caveat to this product is its size — it’s less than half an ounce, so the bottle has a petite presence. That said, if you’re someone who only uses a formula like this in the summer months, you’ll have more than enough to get yourself glowing through the season. We recommend dabbing this product directly to where the sun would hit your face (the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin) and blending it in with your fingertips to fake your warm-weather look. If it's shimmer that you're after, Live Tinted's Hueglow is a buildable bronze serum that will leave you positively glistening—even if you layer it under your makeup. It also has the (surprisingly rare) quality of being noncomedogenic, meaning it won't clog your pores. The beauty of bronzing drops is that you can create a wide range of looks by using them in a variety of ways. Thomas likes applying them to where you’d place a bronzer — the high points of the face — to mimic the effect of having been on a sunny vacation. Vitamin F (Linoleic and Linolenic Acid): This mix of soothing fatty acids works to improve skin's texture and suppleness while helping sooth signs of sensitivity.

The brand suggests using anywhere from three to six drops of this product for a subtle glow to up to 15 for a deeper bronze. If you’re familiar with the gradual tan formulas from Jergens, you may be tempted to use this product every day to achieve a similar result. Don’t be fooled, though — these are not gradual tan drops, so if you have fair skin and go for a deeper glow on a daily basis, the result may look a bit orange. For best results, regardless of your skin tone, we recommend spacing your usage out to every few days. You don’t need to use much of this product to get a high-wattage glow — just two drops or so is all it takes to make your skin gleam with a champagne gold or copper glow. You can apply it directly to bare skin, mix it into your foundation or tinted moisturizer, or concentrate it on your cheekbones for a dramatic highlight. We do wish that the product came in just one or two more colors to suit super fair and very rich complexions, but in the meantime, this formula sheers out nicely to flatter a variety of skin tones. You’ll see a lot of overlap in bronzing drop formulas, like mica to add luminosity in cosmetic products and/or DHA in self-tanners to create that faux glow effect. You’ll also find plenty of unique products with skincare actives and one of our favorites to look for is vitamin C. In addition to being a potent antioxidant, it helps brighten up a dull complexion and can fade hyperpigmentation — so essentially, you’ll be combatting sun damage while faking a sun-kissed look. It’s a great product to throw in your bag when you are going on vacation so that you can adapt your foundation as you have more time in the sun,” says Thomas.

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With summer in full swing, it's especially important to protect your skin from the sun — no exceptions. The solution here? Bronzing drops. These clever formulas are little boosters that you can add to your favorite skincare formulas or even apply directly to skin to add radiance and glow, whether you’re looking for something that’ll wash off at the end of the night or last for several days. Before you start playing cosmetic chemist, though, take a look at the ingredient lists of your foundation and bronzing drops. “Most bronzing drops typically have oil in them, so when they’re mixed with a water-based foundation, it is important to note that they will not play well together,” says Thomas. “Any foundation that is oil based will work seamlessly with it and actually sheer out the foundation a bit to give it a more natural skin finish.” Reach for True Match Lumi Glotion to give your skin a lit-from-within glow before you apply your foundation. If you’re prone to dryness or dullness, this is a great way to give your complexion a healthy radiance. While we love the ability to control our dose of self-tanner, note that mastering this formula will take a bit of practice. It’s intuitive to use, but you’ll have to first ensure that you’ve evenly applied the skincare product you’ve blended with your self-tanner to avoid streaks or patchy spots. We suggest starting with the lowest number of drops recommended by the brand (four) then working your way up to more as you become an expert in achieving an even glow.

For those who are looking for a bronze shade that will suit all complexions, you may have to be very careful with your dosage of this formula as the color may not be a good match for those with very fair skin, especially if you have pink undertones (Rose Gold will be best for you). However, if you have a warmer skin tone or don’t mind mixing this formula into self-tanner or moisturizer, you’ll likely love this product.Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Isostearate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Glycine Soja (Soya Bean) Meal/Malt Extract/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Ximenia Americana Seedate, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Ceteareth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin K, now that I’m a ~bronzing drops girl~, I pretty much only want to bronze my face with lightweight, liquid drops. Which, apparently, Armani Beauty understands because they launched this pigmented, liquid bronzer that feels just like bronzing drops but adds the same shading and dimension as my usual bronzer. FYI, these don’t have any shimmer in them, so they’re not going to make you look dewy or shiny at all. But honestly, I love the matte look, especially on my oily skin. Also, I’ve recently been lightly tapping a drop of pigment across my eyelids, á la the “latte makeup” trend, rather than pulling out my eyeshadows, and I’m seriously in love with the finish. We’re huge fans of this California-cool brand, and this glow drop formula delivers a “day spent surfing” radiance while helping your skin to work its best. That comes courtesy of emogreen, an ingredient that works to balance the skin’s microbiome, a key component of skin health — without that balance, your skin could be impossibly dry and susceptible to irritation. It also features a blend of rich oils to help your skin soak up the luminosity without enhancing any flaky texture. Forget cream and powder bronzers, and gradual self-tanners – the The Body Shop’s Honey Bronze Drops of Sun is my latest obsession when it comes to adding a natural glow to my skin all year round. The Body Shop Honey Bronze Drops of Sun Holiday Glow Creator Review