Naturally gravitating towards bronzing, tinted and ‘healthy glow’ promoting formulas, I have gone through dozens (if not hundreds) of powders, liquids and glotions. There are a handful of brilliant bronzers that work on my Eastern European complexion (that wishes it were Mediterranean) but if I had a dollar for every dangerously shimmery, suspiciously streaky, inconspicuously orange or sadly underwhelming performance, I’d be typing this up from the Four Seasons in the Maldives.
Serving custom realness, the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Serum launches today and having scored a pre-release tube, I am here to enable one of your best Sephora purchases of this summer. Taking the guesswork and fear out of the ‘sunshine in a bottle’ slogan that usually has me run for the hills, this clever newcomer delivers skincare benefits with superb and natural color payoff. You’re also in charge of dialing up or toning down the amount of glow you’re willing to share with the world. It’s all about you. Always.
What’s in it?
First things first. The pigment aka what drives me to any tinted newness like a moth to a flame is actually just a perk. While the absolutely approachable shade has a subtle iridescence and no shimmer (making it work for every skin type), D-Bronzi is first and foremost, an anti-pollution shield against free radicals. Read: choc full of antioxidants. Cacao Extract included. No joke.
And then…?
Helping the skin lock-in all the D-Bronzi goodness is the very precious sounding Platinum Peptide. Consisting of two ingredients, Colloidal Platinum and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-17, the compound acts as an anti-inflammatory and firming agent. Smooth skin goals, right? Loaded with Marula Oil, White Tea, and Cacao Extracts as well as Black Currant Seed Oil, this omega rich bronzing masterpiece also delivers superb protection against damage caused by the environment. Pretty. Impressive.
How & When?
The beauty of D-Bronzi is that it can be mixed with your serum, moisturizer, facial oil or sunscreen. Whenever you need a boost of color, simply add a pump to your treatment step. Personally, I blend it with my daily SPF (which happens to be a physical/chemical formula) because it has no effect on its protective properties. It does, however, up the hate game against pollution such as smog, dirt, cigarette smoke, etc.
Should you?
Honestly, yes. Before you come for me, I am all for embracing your pale. Truth be told, I look much better tan. This song is definitely about me, a guy who appreciates a hint of color. A single pump of D-Bronzi mixed with my daily sunscreen has me looking like I do after an afternoon at the pool…with a side glow rivaled only by what a generous rose pour achieves.
It plays well with my moisturizer and blends seamlessly into the skin. Distinct from other bronzers, it significantly more sweat resistant and transfer proof (there’s nothing worse than a brown rim on your shirt collar). Since the texture of this new Drunk Elephant launch is richer than that in most of my go-to liquid or gel serums, I choose it on days and evenings when I’m in the mood to look a little bit extra.
$36 (Yes. American Dollars!) at Sephora.com
*press sample
