Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Drops: Why TikTok Won't Stop Talking About These
Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi Drops became a TikTok phenomenon thanks to one Alix Earle video in 2022. Three years later, the trend has not died. As an esthetician, I have thoughts.
Lauren Davis
Skincare Editor · July 18, 2025
D-Bronzi is a "skincare-meets-makeup" bronzing drop in a 1-oz dropper bottle. It launched in 2020 and has been steadily selling, but it didn't become a cultural moment until influencer Alix Earle posted a "get ready with me" video featuring the drops in late 2022.
What It Is
D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops are a tinted serum in a deep, warm amber color. The formula combines bronzing pigments with a peptide blend, signal peptide complex, omega fatty acids, and chronocyclin (a Drunk Elephant proprietary antioxidant blend).
You can use it three ways: mixed into your moisturizer for an all-over warm tint, mixed into foundation to deepen and warm the shade, or applied directly to high points of the face for a bronzed contour.
How It Performs
Used method #1 (mixed into moisturizer): you get a beautifully natural sun-kissed warmth that looks like you spent a long weekend somewhere coastal. Two drops mixed into a quarter-sized amount of moisturizer is perfect for fair to medium skin.
The skincare claims (peptides, fatty acids, antioxidants) are real and the ingredient deck is solid, but at the dilution levels needed for tinting, the actual skincare benefit is minor. Treat this as "tinted moisturizer in a bottle," not as a serum.
Final Verdict
D-Bronzi earned its viral moment. It is the best bronzing drop on the market for shade quality and skin finish. But for everyday use, the e.l.f. dupe is 80% as good for 25% of the price.
Where to buy
About the reviewer
Lauren Davis
Skincare Editor
Lauren Davis spent a decade as a licensed esthetician before moving from facials to feature writing. She's mapped every retinoid, acid, and peptide on the market and can tell you within ten seconds wh...
