I Tried the Drops That Promise Great Skin in a Bottle
October 1 | 3 minute read
Words by Arabella Roden
My secret weapon? MECCA COSMETICA’s new In A Good Light Illuminating Drops SPF30.
Humbly referred to as the ‘everything drops’ and available in four shades – ‘Golden’, ‘Dusk’, ‘Sunlight’ and ‘Bronze’ – this liquid formula acts as both an all-over luminiser, natural-looking highlighter (or bronzer on my fair skin), glowing makeup primer and secondary SPF, all with the hydrating and barrier-supporting powers of vitamin E and niacinamide.
The texture? Incredibly lightweight – nay, undetectable – and serum-like, blending seamlessly into skin whether you apply with fingers or brush (no sponge required).
The finish? Neither glittery nor shimmery, this imparts sheen and glow in the classic sense, (miraculously!) without looking sweaty or oily.
I tried it three ways:
1. Layered over my usual daily SPF (MECCA COSMETICA To Save Face SPF50+ Brightening Serum, of course – PSA: someone heard my feedback, because it now comes with a pump!) with just a few dabs of concealer (I reach for Glossier’s Stretch Balm Concealer) over the top to spot-treat blemishes.
2. As a radiant primer under my foundation when I wanted a slightly less matte look.
3. Tapped over makeup as a highlighter and bronzer.
While my skin is mercifully texture-free, it is dry, and I often find that elusive glow disappears all too quickly as my thirsty skin drinks up any and every luminising liquid I lay upon its surface. Luckily, that wasn’t a problem for the Illuminating Drops!
I immediately reached for the fairest shade, ‘Sunlight’, figuring it’d be the most undetectable match for my skin tone (ref: NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in ‘Mont Blanc’). The result: that classic ‘refreshed skin’ look, perfect for minimal makeup days.
Next, ‘Golden’. This added a beautifully subtle, ah, golden glow to my skin – and was the source of the aforementioned compliments. This is the shade I’ll be running back to repurchase again and again.
I strategically layered both ‘Dusk’ and ‘Bronze’ over ‘Golden’ to add a little extra depth and dimension to my face (I found the warmer, red-leaning tones of ‘Dusk’ amplified my blush beautifully). On medium to deeper skin tones, they’d work as luminisers or highlighters.
The verdict? Overall, I loved this as an effortless glow-giving step in my daily makeup routine, with the added benefits of hydrating my dry skin and amping up the protection with secondary SPF.
Turns out these ‘everything drops’ are, well, everything!
