| Review | Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
I, like probably many of you, have seen this product photo floating around social media like crazy. Well, I finally collapsed during the impromptu Sephora sale and bought into the hype. I really had no idea what to expect from this product except for some bronzing and illuminating. Is this product really worth the hype?
The Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops retails for $36.00 USD for 1oz. and is available at Sephora. This bronze serum is packaged in a sleek tube with a pump, which is beautiful and practical packaging, It makes it super easy to travel with and use.
So what is this product? What is its purpose?
Even after almost a month of using this product, I am still unsure. It appears to a skincare-makeup hybrid, which I love and I'm all for but I'm not quite sure if this product actually works. This is because the product is designed to help fight the damaging effects of pollution and blocking out pollution but how do you determine if this product is working? There is no good measure of the skincare benefits because they will be very subtle results versus visible results.
The product is described in this description on the Sephora website as:
If you want to know more…
A chronopeptide that mimics the antioxidant benefits of vitamin D, omega-rich virgin marula and black currant seed oils, along with vitamin F (fatty acids), immediately replenish the delicate balance that supports a healthy barrier function of skin, while a concentrated mix of protective antioxidants boosts skin’s defenses against pollution and environmental stressors…all delivered with a bronzy finish. D-Bronzi’s just-got-back-from somewhere glow flatters every complexion. It’s an easy way to get a bronzy glow without the long-term consequences.
What else you need to know:
Raw, unrefined cocoa powder adds an infusion of good-for-skin polyphenols, platinum peptide acetyl tetrapeptide-17 strengthens and a chronopeptide mimics the antioxidant benefits of vitamin D. This product is 100 percent free of fragrance, essential oil, irritant, and silicone.
"I’m inside most days. I don’t wear foundation, but I really wanted a little something I could mix into my other products to give my skin some color. The problem was I didn’t want to risk a breakout and I couldn’t find one that fit my suspicious six-free criteria. So, after a few attempts, we landed on a silky, natural-looking, bronzing concentrate. My chemist told me later that they were high-fiving each other in the lab because they had never before been able to create a formulation like this that was silicone-free. D-Bronzi™ is made of vitamins, antioxidants, platinum peptides, and barrier-supportive fatty acids that defend skin from environmental free radicals. It’s a gorgeous sheer bronzer that I formulated with skin health top-of-mind...like sunshine in a bottle without the damage. I hope you fall #drunkinlove!"—Tiffany Masterson, Brand Founder
Drunk Elephant is committed to using only clean ingredients that either directly benefit the skin’s health or support the integrity and effectiveness of the formulations. They never take into account an ingredient’s synthetic or natural status, but instead choose based on its safety and bio-compatibility. You won’t find what Drunk Elephant calls "the suspicious six" of any kind in their products (1. silicones, 2. chemical screens, 3. sensitizing colorants/perfumes, 4. sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) 5. essential oils, 6. drying alcohols), making them appropriate for all skin. They believe that these six ubiquitous ingredients are at the root of almost every skin issue. When formulating the products, they focus on pH and toxicity, always making sure that the actives are at efficacious levels. This is the Drunk Elephant difference.
Drunk Elephant is a supporter of IEF (International Elephant Foundation) and is cruelty-free.
It seems to very nutrient packed full of rich antioxidant-like peptides, fatty acids, and vitamins! I love a skincare-makeup hybrid but as with all these reviews, I need to emphasize that this product is not going to perform miracles. The skincare benefits are a great bonus to the beautiful bronze glow it provides and any skincare benefits are a plus but whether or not these skincare benefits will cause significant changes in my skin can't be measured. I do like the way it makes my skin look and feel, so for me that is good enough. For others who are expecting some kind of significant changes to your skin, you may be disappointed. I believe that any skincare benefits are helpful, especially when you're wearing it everyday. The price definitely calls into account the fact that this product is intended to be a skincare-based product and not just a bronze illuminator.
As far as the ingredients go, this product seems to be packed full of very high quality ingredients and nutrients. I love the Drunk Elephant skincare philosophy and their commitment to high quality products without chemicals and filler ingredients. I think the price of this product is extremely fair for the clean and potent ingredients put into this product. Here is the full ingredients list:
-Platinum Peptides: Help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while promoting elasticity and resilience and acting as an antioxidant for skin-Cocoa Extract: Provides powerful antioxidant and soothing benefits.-Chronocyclin: A chronopeptide that mimics the anitoxidant benefits of vitamin D for more youthful-looking skin.-Vitamin F (Linoleic And Linolenic Acid): Works to improve skin’s texture and suppleness, while helping calm signs of sensitivity.
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Mica, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Lecithin, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-17, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Colloidal Platinum [nano], Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Boron Nitride, Hexylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate. This product is vegan and gluten-free.
As far as the bronzing and illuminating effect goes, it is extremely effective! The product has a deep and rich bronze shade with fine bronze and golden flecks throughout it. It is quite pigmented and concentrated. It will really give you a bronze glow and alter your base products. I love the pigmentation in this serum because as a person who can change skin tones quite easily, when exposed to sunlight, I often find my foundation shade changing throughout the year. I seriously brown like a banana when you leave me outside! I love using this serum to mix into my lighter foundations and bases to help match my skin in the summer. It also offers a beautiful healthy looking glow without heavy shimmer, glitter, or frost. You can also mix this into your sunscreens or moisturizers for a light bronze glow, if you choose not to wear makeup. Additionally, if you like wearing physical sunscreens that often leave a white cast, this helps counter that and add a little bronze glow to your skin instead. It really helps perfect your skin, when worn alone, and adds a nice glow. I don't feel the need to wear any foundation when I apply this to my bare skin.
The texture is extremely light and thin like a serum. It really blends beautifully into the skin and mixes well with other product without altering the consistency of other products. What's really nice about this product is that it is so light, it is invisible on the skin and doesn't feel like an additional layer of product on your face. You can also use on the body as an illuminating and bronzing product for the body.
I think the most miraculous thing about this product and the reason why I am so obsessed with it, is because when mixed with my bases, it always makes my bases look really good! It seems to blur and perfect the skin. The healthy glow is also so radiant and beautiful! I find myself looking in the mirror mid-day wondering what I did differently or which base I'm wearing. Only to remember that I was using this product in conjunction with one of my base products! It just gives my skin a very surreal and expensive look that I have only seen with very expensive luxury foundations!
I think the most miraculous thing about this product and the reason why I am so obsessed with it, is because when mixed with my bases, it always makes my bases look really good! It seems to blur and perfect the skin. The healthy glow is also so radiant and beautiful! I find myself looking in the mirror mid-day wondering what I did differently or which base I'm wearing. Only to remember that I was using this product in conjunction with one of my base products! It just gives my skin a very surreal and expensive look that I have only seen with very expensive luxury foundations!
Despite being unsure if the skincare benefits are effective, I actually really love this product! It has a really beautiful texture and I love mixing it into my foundations to add more bronze and glow to my foundations. Especially since I have been out at the beach and pool a lot this summer, my skin tone has deepened significantly and this product has helped me transition my bases to my summer skin tone. The fresh and healthy glow really makes my complexion look even more perfected and it really seems to have its own filtering effects on my skin. If you're someone who often fluctuates between foundation shades or someone who just wants to ass a pinch of glow to their complexion, this is a beautiful and versatile product. Because the formula is so concentrated, you can really customize your bronze and your glow. I highly recommend this product! While it's not an essential for everyone's beauty routine, it has become an essential in mine and I think it is a really nice product for everyone to have. The price is definitely reasonable when you factor in the high quality ingredients and lack of bad ingredients, along with the beautiful effect it gives the skin, and how concentrated the actual product is. If you were on the fence about this product like I was, I say give it a go! It's a beautiful product!
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