Chances are, you've heard of Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, or at least seen the bright yellow tub on social media.
It has over 9,000 positive reviews on Sephora's website and is constantly being recommended on TikTok. And it's not just because of the name.
It promises to “visibly tighten and smooth skin with caffeine-rich guaranà while also delivering non-greasy hydration,” and claims to firm the skin, smoothing the appearance of cellulite and softening stretch marks.
A few more fun facts: It's pronounced “boom boom” in Brazil and the Sol de Janeiro brand is inspired by the Latin American's love of and celebration of the body. The idea was to bottle that body confidence and sunshine vibes. The key ingredients are all frequently used in Brazilian skincare, including cupuaçu butter, açaí oil and coconut oil to hydrate and nourish, and that guaranà extract, which contains caffeine to encourage blood flow and firm. Sounds divine but does it live up to the hype?
My honest thoughts
Pros
- Gorgeous scent that lasts
- Lightweight, non-sticky texture
- Glossy finish
- Spreads easily and a little goes a long way
- Refills available
Cons
- Fairly pricey for an everyday body moisturiser
- Not everyone experienced firming results
As someone who never drinks enough water and who rarely remembers to moisturise her poor, dry body after a shower, I am in desperate need of some head-to-toe hydration. But, despite being aware of the Bum Bum cream's existence (and people's obsession with the scent), I had always resisted, perhaps because of the name; probably out of laziness.
However, I was finally persuaded to give the viral body cream a try by my beauty-loving colleague and it has definitely won me over.
It makes a great first impression, from the ergonomically-pleasing, bold yellow packaging to the delicious scent that wafts out of the tub and the gorgeous soufflé-like texture. It glides onto skin, absorbing quickly, without any greasiness or stickiness, so you can get dressed straight away. It's airy and silky smooth.
But it's the fragrance that leaves a lasting impression. It will immediately transport you to a beach somewhere. The key notes are pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla (how on trend), but it's more nutty and summery than that sounds.
It also spreads incredibly easily (thanks to that airy texture) and a tiny pea-sized amount goes a long way. Despite this, I liberally coated myself in the stuff because I couldn't resist the smell. If I could eat it (you can't), I would. The scent also lasted well into the day, and I received several unprompted comments about how nice I smelled.
I can't speak to the firming claims as I've only been using it for a couple of weeks, but I haven't noticed any real difference. That said, it does create a lovely sheen on the skin, which can help to blur the appearance of scars and stretch marks, so it does do a job short-term.
The expert verdict
I'm not beauty expert – did I mention I never drink water? – so I spoke to the Good Housekeeping Institute beauty team and our editors to get their thoughts.
“The cream is packed full of ingredients that help to hydrate the skin,” says beauty innovation tester and cosmetic scientist, Juliet Heaton. “First, you have the emollients, cupuaçu seed butter, coconut oil, açaí oil and Brazil nut seed oil, which are great at creating a protective barrier to trap moisture in.
“Then there are the humectants – glycerin, sodium hyaluronate and squalane – which also have moisturisation benefits but work in a different way. They draw moisture into the deeper layers of the skin.
“And then you have the stimulants like guaraná seed extract, which contains high levels of caffeine that help encourage blood flow and move on excess fluid from puffy areas, and antioxidants to protect against pollutants.”
“The scent just transports you,” adds senior beauty writer Florence Reeves-White. “Even if you're sat your desk, you can imagine for a second that you're on a beach under a parasol, listening to the lapping waves. The texture is creamy and comforting – it demands a proper moment to spread it on and let it sink in.”
“Not only is the cream deeply moisturising and makes my dry skin silky smooth, but the long-lasting scent instantly boosts my confidence,” agrees senior beauty sales exec, Monai Adams-Sackey.
Is Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream worth the money?
This is one product that definitely lives up to the hype and I'm now fully on board the Bum Bum train. It feels indulgent and smells amazing and although it's expensive, the 240ml tub I used is generous and because a little goes a long way (if you can resist slathering yourself in the stuff), it should last a long time. For the compliments and the long-lasting holiday scent, I definitely think it's worth it.
Want to try more from the range? Here are my colleagues' thoughts on the newer creams and a GHI Approved scrub.
More favourites from the Sol de Janeiro range
Score: 86/100
This was crowned the best body exfoliator in our Good Housekeeping Institute tests (read our best body scrubs roundup for more info). Our panel were wowed by the “luxurious” scent, which is different to the original cream – this one is more floral and made up of Brazilian orchid and vanilla wood notes.
It still reminded them of summer though. It uses small physical beads and three exfoliating acids (glycolic, lactic and salicylic) to help smooth, clarify and brighten the skin.
Sol De Janeiro Delicia Drench Body Butter
“This one is a much denser cream than the original – like expensive ice cream,” says GH MD, Liz Moseley. "You have to really push into it to scoop out. So I was surprised that it absorbs super quickly – it’s really not like those body creams where you have to wait vie minutes before you can dressed.
“The effect is very good – I have very dry skin on my legs and arms and this is the first cream ever, including E45 and Aveeno, that I haven’t had to use morning and evening because my legs are still soft by evening. A little goes a long way, I can’t imagine how I will ever finish the giant pot. The velvet plum, vanilla orchid and sugared violet scent is a bit sweet shop for me but my partner loves it, so it's very subjective.”
Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream 240ml
“I've been using the pink cream that targets the skin's elasticity and bounce,” says GH Special Features Director, Emma Justice. “I don't love the jasmine and pink dragonfruit scent as much as the original – it's very sweet – but it's definitely long-lasting.
“It makes your skin feel velvety to the touch (the packaging claims fruit AHAs help exfoliate and I’d agree they do). I also love the creamy thickness of it – it certainly feels like you’re getting a lot for your money. I can’t say it has really tightened my flabby bits but that would take a small miracle to achieve!”
Alison is head of content for the Good Housekeeping Institute, responsible for product reviews across homes, beauty, wellness, family and food & drink. She lives by the William Morris quote that you should “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Alison has over 15 years' experience as a lifestyle editor and has written features on everything from misophonia to how to dress like Claudia on The Traitors. She has also interviewed everyone from Dame Joanna Lumley to the Kardashians.
In her spare time, you'll find her hanging out with Monty the cocker spaniel and refreshing the Sezane website every five seconds.
