There’s been a lot of chatter about serotonin-boosting routines of late. These are rituals we implement, like having a sleepy girl mocktail before bed to ensure you have a full eight hours of beauty sleep, to enhance our overall moods. To some, it’s applying a slick layer of fake tan to cement the end of our winter hibernation and entrance into spring. For me, it’s tricking my mind into thinking that I’ve just jetted back from a tropical destination by wearing bronzing drops.
This isn’t something I practice all the time, just on days when I need a small pick-me-up and boost of confidence. While I don’t want to ever risk melanoma by exposing myself to the sun for prolonged periods at a time, it’s medically proven that vitamin D can enhance energy levels and arguably make us happier. Since London (and Britain in general) is synonymous with lingering grey clouds, achieving this feeling simply isn’t always possible. That’s where bronzing drops come in.
I’ve always kept my ear to the ground for new innovations and product launches, so when veteran natural beauty brand Westman Atelier announced its latest revolution, its Sun Tone Bronzing Drops, back in February, my interest was piqued.
The Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops in shade Soleil Parfait I, the lightest of the four available shades.
The story behind the creation is quite fascinating. Inspired by trips abroad—pharmacy finds like an Italian sunscreen and the vibrant beach towels speckled across the Côte d’Azur—founder Gucci Westman devoted herself to creating the ultimate shortcut to holiday skin. The result is four distinct shades of the brand’s first-ever true liquid bronzing product. Packaged in candy-like bottles of azure blue, crystalline sky and gemstone green, these pint-sized drops are a one-and-done solution to warming the skin.
Of course, what is a beauty founder without a muse? Westman revealed that the product also drew inspiration from the first time she ever worked with long-term friend and client, Jennifer Aniston, for a 2002 VOGUE cover story shot on Malibu Beach. Talk about West Coast enviable skin in a bottle.
Jennifer Aniston at The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles in 2002.
As someone whose skincare regime is never complete mixing macchiato-tinted serums with my moisturiser and dosing that up with a hit of cream bronzer to the hallows of my cheeks—my current favourite is Merit Beauty’s Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer in Quince because it’s cool-toned and saves me from ever appearing too orange, though I typically switch to Glossier’s Cloud Paint in Dusk once I’m slightly browned in summer—this product skyrocketed to the top of my “I have to try this, or else” list. And test, swatch, trial and wear in I did.
Who What Wear UK SEO Writer, Ava Gilchrist, before applying the Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops.
At £53, it’s a pretty penny to pay for something you apply sparingly to a specific area of your face. Nonetheless, I found the lotion-like formula entirely enchanting and a great addition to any barely-there beauty routine.
Clean girls and those who prefer a more “your skin but better” finish will love this product and, as I prove ahead, is deceivingly more effective than meets the eye.
