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When it comes to viral makeup products that deserve all the hype, bronzing drops are at the top of our list. They provide a back-from-the-beach glow when mixed with serums, moisturizers and liquid foundations, or they can be used on their own to illuminate and highlight. The biggest name in bronzing drops is Drunk Elephant, or more specifically, their cult-favorite product, the D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops.
While the beauty obsessed aim to get the best of the best, Drunk Elephant’s relatively high price tag may not be affordable for everyone. That’s why we scoured brands such as Sephora, Ulta, Target, CVS and more to find affordable alternatives, and turns out, there are plenty of other quality options on the market for a fraction of the price.
What Are Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops?
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
Image: SephoraOriginally launched in 2018, Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops give you a sunshine-y glow — sans the damaging effects of the sun — along with cocoa and peptides to boost your skin’s defenses against pollution and environmental stressors.
Sunshine Drops come in a one-ounce bottle and cost $39, so they’re a splurge. However, thanks to their uber-concentrated blend, you really only need to use a drop or two. So if you love what the Sunshine Drops do for your skin, they’re worth it.
Shades: 1
Price: $39 at Sephora
How to Use Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops
For a gorgeously instant glow, simply shake up the bottle and add a drop of D-Bronzi to your moisturizer. Add more as desired if you’d like to build up the color. For daytime, you can either apply under or over your sunscreen — just don’t skip on sun protection!
Though D-Bronzi Sunshine Drops only come in one shade, the brand also offers Goldi Illuminating Drops and O-Bloos Rosi Drops, both of which work in similar ways.
The 14 Best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops Dupes
Drunk Elephant’s drops got so popular (thanks in no small part to TikTok) that they often sold out. Fortunately, they’re typically in stock these days, and there are plenty of other competitors out there with their own excellent bronzing drops. Here are 14 cheaper bronzing drop alternatives that offer similar glowing effects for your face — for less!
Note: Products reflect the price and availability at the time of publication.
e.l.f. Bronzing Drops
Image: CVSWe knew our friends at e.l.f. were going to jump in feet first on this trend. The brand has never met a makeup or skincare trend they’re not excited about.
e.l.f. Bronzing Drops are made with vitamin E and sunflower seed oil, and can either be mixed with your favorite moisturizer, foundation or other skincare product. You can also use the product alone to highlight where you want a little extra. The e.l.f. Bronzing Drops are available in three shimmery shades: Rose gold, pure gold, and copper gold. Plus, they’re so affordable that you can pick up all three for less than the cost of one bottle of the Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops.
Shades: 3
Price: $12 at CVS
Pacifica Sunny Glow Bronzing Drops
Image: AmazonAnother affordable dupe, the hydrating Pacifica Sunny Glow Bronzing Drops are made with vitamin C, glycerin and kakadu plum. Use this to add a hint of shimmery warmth to your skin, whether mixed with your serum or moisturizer, or apply the product alone to highlight and contour. These citrus-scent drops are only available in one shade. To get the best price on the Pacifica Sunny Glow Bronzing Drops, don’t forget to add the available 10% off coupon before checkout.
Shades: 1
Price: $14.39 at Amazon
MCoBeauty Super Glow Bronzing Drops
Image: McCoBeautyAustralian beauty brand MCoBeauty has their own Super Glow Bronzing Drops, which contains Jojoba seed oil, squalane and meadowfoam seed oil.
The bottle is similar to Drunk Elephant’s, and what’s inside is a really nice dupe as well. Although these Bronzing Drops are only available in one shade on Amazon (currently), do know that the brand sells more on their site. These include the gorgeous Golden Drops for lit-from-within luminosity, as well as the Blush Drops, which come in three shades (rose pink, peach pink and blush pink), allowing for a perfect, pretty flush.
Shades: 2
Price: $10.99 at Amazon
Essence Drop of Sunshine Bronzing Drops
Image: UltaThe newest kid on the bronzing drops block are these Drop of Sunshine Bronzing drops from Essence. Carrying an extremely wallet-friendly price tag, this product contains no added oils, which makes these perfecto if you prefer oil-free skincare and makeup. Currently, these bronzing drops are available in just one shade.
Shades: 1
Price: $5.99 at Ulta
L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer
Image: TargetThis incredibly popular highlighting formula from L’Oreal delivers an illuminating tint to bring out your skin’s natural glow. There’s a lot to like about Lumi Glotion beyond the price point, including the five shade choices, which work for a range of skin tones. Plus, with the addition of jojoba, shea butter and glycerin in the formula, it also works to nourish and care for your skin. To top it all off, there is a light, fresh scent to this product.
Wear it alone, under your foundation, or over your makeup for a back-from-the-beach look. The brand suggests matching your skin tone if you want an all-over glow up. For highlighting, use a lighter shade, and for contouring, use a darker shade. However, unlike Drunk Elephant’s bronzing drops, this L’Oreal product is typically used on its own rather than mixed into lotion.
Shades: 5
Price: $14.89 at Target
Physicians Formula Butter Glow Bronzing Serum
Image: TargetThis Physicians Formula product gives you the look of being on vacation (in a bottle). The delightful serum, which boasts a lovely coconut scent, contains murumuru butter, cupuaçu butter and tucuma butter for softening and conditioning. Add a drop or two of this serum to your face cream and voila! You’ll get a gorgeous color and yummy scent.
Shades: 1
Price: $14.99 at Target
Physicians Formula Butter Glow Liquid Bronzer
Image: TargetWe’ve got another pick from Physicians Formula, in case you prefer a cream over a serum. This sheer, buildable formula gives you a warm, sun-kissed flush that will both illuminate and hydrate your skin. You can wear it alone or mix it with your foundation for healthy color, anytime.
It’s made with that same trio of nourishing ingredients as the brand’s Butter Glow Bronzing serum (murumuru butter, cupuaçu butter and tucuma butter), which will keep your skin soft and smelling like coconut. Both of these are only available in one shade.
Shades: 1
Price: $15.99 at Target
Milani Conceal + Perfect Sun Kissed Liquid Bronzing Drops
Image: UltaAnother dupe winner courtesy of Milani. The brand’s Conceal + Perfect bronzing drops are infused with nourishing ingredients, including tripeptides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin and cocoa extract. It also comes in three pretty, pearlized shades. These blend super well, so you won’t get any patchiness that can come with certain self-tanning type products and bronzing makeup.
Shades: 3
Price: $16.99 at Ulta
Versed Mood Lighting Glow Drops
Image: AmazonIf you want a more subtle glow, try one of these barely-there Mood Lighting Glow Drops from Versed. They’re so lightweight and easy to work with, so it’s just about impossible to mess them up. Plus, they really brighten up your skin and bring out all its best properties.
Versed’s drops contain vitamin E, antioxidant-rich blackberry extract and peptides. For those with sensitive-skin concerns, know that these are, like Drunk Elephant, fragrance-free.
Shades: 3
Price: $17.99 at Amazon
First Aid Beauty Bronze + Glow Drops
Image: UltaFirst Aid Beauty Bronze + Glow Drops offers a blurring, skin-illuminating boost. This serum hydrates to strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier with its ultra-thin texture, which, when blended, feels almost invisible on your skin.
These unscented drops are made with vitamin B3 (aka niacinamide), a gentle, effective ingredient that works to even skin tone and calm redness, among its many other benefits.
Shades: 1
Price: $28 at Ulta
Morphe Hot Shot Sun Drops
Image: UltaWith six shades to choose from, Morphe Hot Shot is a great choice for its shade range alone, but it has plenty more going for it. It’s also reasonably priced, fragrance-free and contains nourishing glycerin, niacinamide, vitamin E and vitamin B5. This is on the more heavily pigmented side, so if you want to ensure you’re getting enough color along with your glow, this is a good choice.
Shades: 6
Price: $16 at Ulta
Indeed Labs Nanobronze Bronzing Drops
Image: UltaThe Indeed Labs bronzing drops with hyaluronic acid will instantly bronze, blur and hydrate your skin with a tinted serum that combats dullness and gives you a quick glow.
Just add a drop or two to your moisturizer or foundation for a healthy, radiant, sun-kissed glow that also offers blue light protection. Get this now and you can score 25% off your purchase for a limited time.
Shades: 2
Price: $18.74 at Ulta
Saie Glowy Super Gel
Image: Kohl’sSaie Glowy Super Gel Illuminating Primer is such lovely makeup, and it’s really not a dupe, though it’s often mentioned in the same breath as Drunk Elephant’s bronzing drops. Yes, it has some similarities, particularly in that it brings out the best in your skin with sheer, light coverage. Other similarities include good-for-your-skin ingredients (glycerin, vegan squalane and rosehip seed oil), its lack of a fragrance and the fact that it comes from a brand that emphasizes clean ingredients.
But the Saie Glowy Super Gel Illuminating Primer stands on its own with its four versatile, universally flattering shades and its ability to give your complexion a gorgeous, rested/just-worked-out/back-from-vacation natural color.
Shades: 4
Price: $16 at Kohl’s
Lottie London Hot Glaze Bronzing Serum Drops
Image: CVSLottie London’s affordable, buildable bronzing drops are excellent if you want less shimmer with your glow, as they’re more matte than most of the competition. These drops are made with hyaluronic acid, squalane, niacinamide and coconut (they smell it, too) and you don’t need much to get a natural-looking faux tan.
Because it’s a serum, Hot Glaze is runnier than a cream-based product, so you may want to start by mixing these into your skincare (rather than using it alone) as you get used to wearing it.
Shades: 1
Price: $10.99 at CVS
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