Can one drop of liquid replace your favourite FAKE TAN?
WITH summer holidays now feeling like a distant memory, you might be tempted to reach for a bronzing lotion this autumn. But those in the know have long abandoned the messy rigmarole of traditional fake tan application in favour of self-tan drops.
Tanning drops, which are essentially concentrated fake tan, are mixed in with your everyday moisturiser, so they slip seamlessly into your skincare regime.
And they’re seeing a surge in popularity this year, with the hype for these hero products going skyhigh on social media. For instance, videos featuring Drunk Elephant’s D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops have had more than 133 million views on TikTok alone.
But before you join the crowd to swap, can a few drops of product really compete with your favoured fake tan? CLAIRE COLEMAN put them to the test . . .
Golden glow
St Tropez Luxe Tan Tonic Drops €34.95 for 30ml, lookfantastic. com (pictured below left) THESE drops claim to be packed with skin-enhancers including Vitamin C, but you’re better off looking for these ingredients in dedicated serums. The liquid has a heavy fruit scent, which is more pleasant than the usual biscuit fake-tan smell. Two drops gave a natural, subtle brown shade that was more sunny day in Brighton than week in Barbados. It’s pricey, but delivers. 4/5
Skin protector
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops, €38 for 30ml, boots.ie ANTIOXIDANTS — which could be considered ‘antipollution’ — are included in this formulation, along with peptides and fatty acids, but I’m not convinced that a single drop is enough for them to work. In the bottle, the formula looks like liquid bronzer, but the end result on my olive skin was almost non-existent — I’d use two drops or more next time. This is only worth buying as an everyday gradual tanner. 2/5
Budget bronzer
Bondi Sands Self Tan Drops, €20.99 for 30ml, bondisands.eu (pictured below right) THERE’S a no-nonsense approach to these drops — no promises of added skincare, just basic drops that helpfully come in two shades: light/medium and dark.
This is the cheapest cost per ml, working out at 52c/ml compared to the Drunk Elephant drops, the most expensive at €1.13/ml. The minimum four drops gave a noticeably dark result — you’d have to make sure you blend it well into your hairline and neck, or you’ll see a line. Despite being the budget option, it gives excellent cover. 4/5
Just a drop
Rose & Caramel Unity Tanning Drops, €30.95 for 30ml, roseandcaramel.co.uk IF YOU’RE after serious colour this gives real bang for your buck. Two drops was enough to give me a deep bronze. If you wanted to use it as a gradual tan, a single drop would suffice. The only downside was its synthetic fake-tan scent and thin consistency. 3/5
Natural choice St Moriz Advanced Tan Boosting Face Drops, €11.95 for 15ml, lookfantastic.com
WHILE these drops are only €11.95, the bottle is half the size of every other brand we tried, so not quite as pursefriendly as the Bondi Sands. It feels a little budget — the product itself smells quite strongly of alcohol. But it did come up trumps on the colour front, with three drops giving a natural but noticeable wash of colour. 3/5