An array of products exist on the market with claims to provide that “next-level glow” and “brightening and tightening” effect to your skin. Alas, we ask ourselves, “What actually helps give the apples of our cheeks that subtle, youthful-leaning glow?” Without looking like a disco ball, may we add.
The desire for “glowy skin” isn’t just a desire among shoppers (and TikTok creators who cocktail ingredients to show you how to get there). Assessing skin quality and that glow-factor transcended beyond the consumer and into testing labs, where a 2021 study explains that “skin glow” can be “described by several synonyms, including radiance, luminosity, brightness, vibrancy and complexion.”
Enter Drunk Elephant’s new B-Goldi Bright Drops, which officially launched on August 2 at both drunkelephant.com and Sephora. As soon as I saw the words “fortify” and “glisten” on its packaging (side note: the brand has the cutest packaging, with formulas housed in white-bodied, neon-capped bottles and tubes), I knew I had to dial 9-1-1 to Drunk Elephant’s phone line. After all, it was quite the beauty emergency.
I like to say that the B-Goldi Bright Drops is the sister product to the brand’s top-rated, waitlist-inducing D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops ($38) in that they’re both adorably travel-friendly, simple and versatile to apply and allow your skin to achieve a dewy, fresh-looking result.
B-Goldi is tangible evidence of Drunk Elephant’s grand foray into the skin-illuminating space. Not only have I tried basically every product everyone’s favorite (and very tipsy) trunk-flaunting, ears-flapping elephant dished out (read: Drunk Elephant review) but I spoke with Tiffany Masterson, founder and chief creative officer at Drunk Elephant, for more on the launch.
According to Masterson, Drunk Elephant loves turning serious, results-oriented skin serums into something more. This holds true with D-Bronzi, which includes added color for an immediate pop of bronze, and for the O-Bloos Rosi Drops ($38), adding a a gorgeous flush of rosy pink — the latter so popular it’s currrently out of stock (oh boo, O-Bloos).
“In the case of B-Goldi, our customer really had been asking for something with a golden champagne shade that gives a natural -looking (re: non-glittery) radiance, but as we’ve done in the past, we needed it to primarily address specific skin concerns — without using any of the sensitizing or disruptive Suspicious 6 ingredients we strictly avoid,” Masterson exclusively told the New York Post. “That’s exactly what we’ve done with B -Goldi Bright Drops, which is infused with 5% niacinamide (that’s the vitamin B in its name), along with other skin -tone improving antioxidant extracts, to deliver bright skin immediately, and even brighter skin later.”
Have you met a more dynamic duo? Truthfully no; the beauty about these two products is that their formulations are similar, are buildable to your choosing and cater to a variety of skin types, tones and textures to appeal to anyone who’s all about that glow.
“All three of our serum drops (B-Goldi, D-Bronzi and O-Bloos) use a translucent color pigment system, meaning they lend themselves to a range of skin tones and their intensity is tailored by the amount you use.” Masterson explains. “Beyond that, it’s about their respective colors and skincare benefits.”
B-Goldi has an ethereal, golden-leaning champagne finish, with benefits that focus on improving hyperpigmentation, dark spots, enlarged pores and fine lines and wrinkles. “It’s subtle and every time I wear it, people ask why my skin looks so healthy,” Masterson adds.
D-Bronzi, the product commonly mixed with the brand’s Protini Polypeptide Cream ($68), is a pop of warm bronze, wrapped in a pollution-fighting antioxidant and non-fragrant plant oil and firming peptide serum. Additionally, it serves as a wonderful bronzer touch-up to apply over your full-coverage foundation as the day progresses and you want to feel more like a sun-tanned goddess (because, who doesn’t?!)
Once I gave the Drunk Elephant B-Goldi Bright Drops a good shake to evenly distribute the radiance-boosting liquid, I decided to incorporate it into my skincare routine as a serum (aka, in between my face wash and moisturizer).
It has a lightweight feel when applied to my cheeks and blended into my skin but not so much to give it that unwanted “watery” feel. Even better, you can add a drop or more to any Drunk Elephant serum, oil or cream for that sheer, golden glow — creating that “ingredient smoothie” the brand loves to whip up.
“These are all very versatile products, you can mix them, use them separately, dab them, contour, highlight — but their intended use is as a customizable wash of nourishing, skin-compatible color, done the Drunk Elephant way,” Masterson notes. “There is no wrong way to combine them, so experiment to see what works best for your skin.”
Her advice? Start with mixing one drop each of B-Goldi and D-Bronzi or O-Bloos, or all three. “They’re designed to work with your skin’s undertones, so play with the levels to find what you prefer,” she says.
As seen on both my cheek and top of my hand, the B-Goldi has a luminescence to it, naturally. Though most beauty products with this sort of luster contain pearlized ingredients — those that make the formulation appear richer and more lustrous — this product is a standout because its glow-y properties extend to your skin for hours after it absorbs. In other words, the glow effect isn’t just a one-time pump on your skin that just fades away.
Personally, I enjoy using the B-Goldi Bright Drops because it’s a seamless way to add a touch of glow to your simple skincare routine. So, if you want to cut your skincare routine in half by way of cleansing and moisturizing, the extra step of using this new product helps to add a quick, dewy and radiant-looking glow.
The main difference between B-Goldi and B-Bronzi is its viscosity. B-Goldi has more of an intact feel without being heavy, while B-Bronzi can seem to seep along your skin before it’s then blended out. Both have a wonderful “glow factor” feel, but B-Goldi seems to be a bit more versatile for providing an easily absorbable suppleness.
Impressively, B-Goldi contains a blend of 5% niacinamide — a gifted skincare active to say the least —along with brightening extracts like diglucosyl gallic acid and mulberry root, which gives this formula multiple benefits for skin.
“It’s clinically proven to fade hyperpigmentation, discolorations left behind after breakouts, improve signs of aging and barrier strength, reduce breakouts and reduce the size of enlarged pores,” Masterson lists, tapping into internal Drunk Elephant testing. “You could actually remove the golden champagne color from B-Goldi, and it would still be a powerful brightening and skin-clarifying serum all on its own.”
I’m not one to believe in in-house brand clinical trials (in fact, I always start by believing they’re untrue, and look to outside studies and research before digging into a product), but I can attest these claims have worked for my skin type, at least, which is sensitive and partially dry.
If you have discolorations from past breakouts or a region of your face that’s more pore-heavy than most, it doesn’t hurt to use the B-Goldi Bright Drops as a spot treatment. Because it’s so versatile, it hasn’t left my routine since my first time trying it.
“For best results, shake before use and store upside down,” Masterson advises. “B-Goldi may be applied to face, chest, legs, or anywhere else you want to add an easy golden finish.”
Multi-purpose skincare products are worth your hard-earned coin for a reason. They do the job (and others, at that) and are exceptional for enhancing your natural skin. After using D-Bronzi for days on end, we can attest it deserves the spot in your online shopping cart.
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