Jennifer Aniston's Glowy Skin Inspired Westman Atelier's New Bronzing Drops—I Had to Try Them

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.

Shop the Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops

Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops Review

After testing this product every day for a week—wearing it under different makeup products, applying it using several techniques and mixing it into my skincare—I've put Westman Atelier's Sun Tone Bronzing Drops through it all (well, almost) to deliver you the most comprehensive review possible. Read my honest thoughts after many days of wear below.

What Is the Formula of the Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops?

The formula of Westman Atelier’s Sun Tone Bronzing Drops is like liquid silk—super supple and soft to the touch with a creamy liquid texture that makes it easy to blend out. Funnily enough, despite the product being designed to bring the warmth your skin boasts after hot days spent outside, the formula is quite cooling.

It dries down into a matte and slightly muted version of what’s dispensed from the bottle but is never sticky or dry. It also isn’t very illuminating, either. This lack of glowing agents makes the payoff more radiant. Sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but the outcome is less artificial and more authentic to how your complexion would actually brown when sun-kissed.

How to Apply the Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops

It was a foolish assumption to make, but at first glance, I believed the Sun Tone Bronzing Drops would be like any other product in that category—a slightly thick and gummy product that would need diluting with a moisturiser or face oil before being applied. How wrong was I.

The Sun Tone Bronzing Drops actually work best when applied to bare skin with fingers–warming up the product first to help evenly distribute it across the high points of your face, like your forehead and cheekbone, while also improving the lived-in appearance of the product—or over makeup with a tapered brush.

I tried mixing this into a cream lotion first for a reduced intensity but found the product was far too precious to waste thinning it out! I’m also someone who has quite a lot of redness around the centre of my face and dark circles under my eyes, meaning that I like to ever so slightly cover my complexion, be it with a tinted sunscreen, skin tint or lightweight foundation.

For the ideal Westman Atelier "flushed from within" result, you'll want to pick up a minuscule amount with a stippling brush and begin working it into the area just below your cheekbone. Once dispersed across the outer third of your face, you'll be able to blend it closer into the centre, even taking it as high to your under-eye and across the apples of your cheek. This method will give you a golden-hour effect in seconds that emulates what would really happen if you basked out in the sun.

What Is the Difference Between The Sun Drops and Face Trace?

Anyone who knows Westman Atelier knows that the brand's beloved contour, the Face Trace, is the crème de la crème. It's what celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips uses when underpainting her clients and what Hailey Bieber keeps on standby in her makeup routine. As the Sun Tone Bronzing Drops has entered the brand's lineup, how do the pair differentiate?

This is a question Westman herself has answered, including in the below TikTok:

Basically, Face Trace should be used to bring dimension to the face while the Sun Tone drops simply flush the skin with a dose of warmth.

I weighed them up against one another myself, applying the Sun Drops to the right-hand side of my face and the Face Trace to the left. See the results, below:

Westman was right, of course. The Face Trace is a more potent product and, with a deeper shade, is ideal for creating shadows that push the high points of your face forward. This interplay of light and dark isn't as big of a priority for the Sun Tone drops as it's designed to awaken the skin with a splash of bronze rather than to carve out your complexion.

Shop Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick

Are The Westman Atelier Sun Tone Drops Bronzing Worth It?

Like an Aperol Spritz on a hot summer day, the Westman Atelier Sun Tone Drops go down a treat, making them a worthwhile investment in my book, albeit if it’s one that still requires extra consideration given its price. What I loved most about it is that I really only needed to use a few other products— a skin tint, eyebrow gel, eyelash curler and glossy lip balm—to make me look put together.

Who What Wear UK SEO Writer, Ava Gilchrist, after applying the Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops.

The product really does quite a lot of heavy lifting in terms of breathing life into my paler skin and brightening up the tone of my face. It's incredibly easy to use, meaning even the most novice of makeup aficionados can reap the benefits. The product is also thin, meaning it would look gorgeous on mature skin types because of how lightweight it is, but also for those who are more oily or acne prone given it's non-comedogenic and won't block pores.

In saying that, it's on the delicate side, meaning that it won't give you a very vibrant or harsh result, should that be what you're looking for. It won't necessarily fade away, but it will decrease in visibility throughout the day. (As any makeup product would.) When it does lose colour, however, it serves more like a stain with the residue providing just a hint of tan. Enough for it to do its job, but not a sufficient amount to make people think you've just returned from a trip by the sea. I do wonder how the formula would hold up in scorching temperatures, however. As it was created to emulate a vacation abroad, I'm curious to know how it performs in those sorts of climates. I'll report back after my next island getaway!

My final concern is the limited shade range. Thanks to Rihanna and the Fenty Beauty effect, a standard for expansive colour ranges upon launch has been set. While the darkest shade, Soleil Parfait 4, is certainly a start, I'd love to see the brand cater to deeper skin tones in future. Watch this space.

Shop More Westman Atelier Products

Shop More Bronzing Drops

• Best Overall Bronzing Drops: Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops, £53
• Best Luxury Bronzing Drops: Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Drops, £35
• Best Affordable Bronzing Drops: Isle of Paradise Sunny Serum, $15.95
• Best Skincare-Infused Bronzing Drops: Pai Skincare The Impossible Glow™ Bronze Highlighting Drop, £34
• Best Long-Lasting Bronzing Drops: GLOW RECIPE Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops Tinted Serum Sun Glow, £32
• Best Sunscreen-Infused Bronzing Drops: Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF 50 Super Glow Drops Bronzing, £28