Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Review and Swatches

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The Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops is a bronzing serum that contains vitamins and antioxidants to protect the skin from environmental stressors. It is a highly-concentrated shimmering bronze serum that is meant to be mixed into your favourite products to give the skin a sun-kissed glow!

I purchased this serum in August, during the Sephora Beauty Insider Appreciation Sale. I will admit it was not on my wish list, but more of an impulse buy while I was shopping in-store with my Mom. To be honest, this product didn’t really strike my fancy when it was released. I am not one who wears self tanner or a ton of bronzer, and I didn’t fully understand the benefits of this product. Seeing it in store, I was even more confused, because it looked really dark when I swatched it on my hand. All that being said, I’m so happy I gave it a try because it is definitely one of my favourite products of 2018.

My main hesitation about the product was that it would be too dark for my skin tone. Testing it on the back of my hand, unaware that it was meant to be mixed, it looked really dark. Chatting with Kim (@sortofscientific) on Instagram, she convinced me to give it a try! She has a similar skin tone and told me how she uses it. She even posted a really great review on instagram, which I will link here. Since I repeatedly see others saying that they are hesitant to try the product of fear that it will be too dark or unnatural, I decided to post this review and a few before and after shots!

What are the benefits of D Bronzi?

Although this product contains a rich bronze pigment to add a temporary sun-kissed glow to the skin, it is first and foremost a skincare product. Adding it to your routine has many skin-boosting benefits. It contains a powerful blend of antioxidant-rich ingredients like cocoa powder, platinum peptides, and white tea extract. It also contains vitamins D, E, and F which help to preserve the lipid balance of the skin to maintain a healthy barrier function, keeping moisture in and protecting the skin from environmental damage. The Cocoa extract and Vitamin F also have skin soothing properties. D-Bronzi also contains Drunk Elephant’s star ingredient Marula Oil, as well as black currant seed oil, to nourish the skin. D-Bronzi does it all!

Its silicone-free, fragrance-free, essential oil-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.

How do you use D-Bronzi?

D-Bronzi works best when mixed into other products. It works well in serums, moisturizers, sunscreens, or even foundation. What I love most about Drunk Elephant products is that you can mix them all to create custom-tailored skincare smoothies without changing the efficacy or absorption of any of the ingredients. My favourite mix is what I like to call the B-C-D Smoothie. I mix 1 pump of B-Hydra, 1 pump of C-Firma, and 1/2 pump of D-Bronzi in the palm of my hand and apply it to my face. I then top it with Umbra Tinte mixed with a smidge of Protini. It’s the perfect daytime mix, and contains Vitamins B, C, D, E, and F, as well as polypeptides and mineral sun protection. Your face will look smooth and radiant!

Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Sunshine Drops Swatches

Now on to the swatches. Although quite subtle and natural, you will see that D-Bronzi adds a definite glow of warmth to the face. It gives a soft blur effect that seems to minimize pores and lines. The following photos will show before and after shots. In both sets of photos, I am wearing Glossier Lash Slick Mascara, Glossier Boy Brow in Black, and some lip balm. I have nothing on my skin in the before photos and in the after photos, I am wearing the B-C-D Smoothie pictured above. I have not added sunscreen on top to demonstrate the product, but I always add it in my daily wear.

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Why I like using D-Bronzi

What I love about the product is that is it so subtle, natural-looking, and customizable. You can adjust the amount of products you mix in for a more intense or lighter pigment. It just gives a warm, glowing, healthy look to the skin. Since I wear SPF every day, my face is a little lighter than my body. D-Bronzi gives the perfect amount of tint to match my face to the rest of my body. You know how everyone talks about their perfect “my lips but better” lipstick shade? This is “my skin but better”.

In conjunction with Umbra Tinte, it has quickly replaced foundation for me on a day-to-day basis. Since you can just mix it in with your products, it really doesn’t take extra time or precision to apply, but still offers a more polished look to the complexion by camouflaging redness and adding a soft blurring of imperfections. In the “after” photos above, you can see the redness around my nose and chin is less noticeable, as well as the dark spots on my cheek. Spot concealing does the trick to complete the look on natural makeup days!

In terms of the skincare benefits, I do notice that my skin feels hydrated for longer when I use D-Bronzi as opposed to when I don’t. This is the barrier-supportive ingredients at work. I tend to have dehydrated dry skin, and I notice that with D-Bronzi, B Hydra and Protini work better because the skin barrier is functioning to keep oil and water in.

Have you tried D-Bronzi? Let me know what you think of the product down below, or, feel free to ask me any questions!