Get sun-kissed without the sun.
Whether you’re chasing that sun-kissed look year-round or simply want to add a bit of warmth to your complexion, the right bronzer can make all the difference. Thankfully, you can get the look with minimal effort and yay, with no sun damage. Bronzer is about giving your complexion a warm glow, you know, a more sun-kissed look while contour adds dimension and is typically more cool-toned, acting like a shadow to sculpt the face; so, don’t get the two mixed up.
Bronzing products come in a wide variety of finishes and textures that can make finding ‘the one’ a tricky task. But with countless bronzer options on the market, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect one for your skin type and tone. In this guide, we’ll explore the best bronzers that cater to every need—from creamy formulations to powders that effortlessly blend in. Get ready to elevate your makeup game and achieve that radiant glow with our top picks!
Chanel Glow Bronzing Cream
This unique lightweight cream-gel bronzer with a delicate velvet-matte finish will give skin a sun-kissed glow. This whipped texture — gel-cream hybrid is a great choice for those who want something other than a powder. It blends beautifully into the skin without looking drying and patchy. Comes in 3 shades with 1 oz of product.
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Matte Bronzer
An oversized natural matte bronzer in a refillable compact, infused with hyaluronic acid for a skin-perfecting bronzed filter for the face and body. It has a silky texture, which applied and melted beautifully into the skin. It also helped enhance skin smoothness and worked beautifully over foundation as well. The finish on this is matte and comes in 4 shades with 0.56 oz of product. I love this one but for some, it probably will be a bit too dry if you have very dry skin. A little goes a long way with this bronzer as it is very pigmented.
Saie Sun Melt Cream Bronzer
A lightweight, cream-balm bronzer with a natural finish for an all-over bronze or soft-sculpted look. With skin loving ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, grapeseed oil and elderberry extract, this beautiful bronzer is perfect for those with dry skin. With its balmy texture and velvety finish, this bronzer applies seamlessly every time. It’s soft, smooth, and never settled into fine lines or pores. It has a natural finish, comes in 6 shades and has 1 oz of product.
Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer
For drugstore and affordable beauty lovers, this bronzer is worth swooning over. This natural finish buttery-soft bronzer melts into the skin for a rich, warm effect. Its putty-like texture gets its moisturizing feel from a blend of murumuru, cupuaçu, and tucuma butter. It comes in 8 shades with about 0.38 oz of product.
Nars Laguna Talc-Free Bronzer Powder
An iconic powder bronzer in 9 talc-free shades that creates instant warmth and a long-wearing natural looking glow. This is such a cult classic! It is perfectly pigment, has a blendable texture, and feels so lightweight. It has a natural finish that isn’t shimmery and comes with 0.38 oz of product.
Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Lighting Bronzer
Oooh one of my favorites! This is one bronzer that will leave your complexion glowy. This bronzer works beautifully on all skin types. It’s sheer, airy formula sweeps softly onto skin for a healthy-looking, radiant finish. It’s formulated with Photoluminescent Technology, featuring optically transparent particles that transform the look of skin by manipulating and refracting light to emphasize your best features. The optically transparent particles allow for seamless blending and color transitions. It comes in 4 shades with 0.39 oz of product.
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Powder Bronzer
Benefit Cosmetics’ bestselling powder bronzer quickly warms up your complexion and gives a classic matte finish if you want to avoid shimmer. It is a beautiful blendable formula that made the original Hoola a cult favorite. It doesn’t feel heavy or cakey but be careful which shade you select as it can look a bit muddy. It comes in 4 shades with 0.28 oz of product.
Pixi On-the-Glow Bronzer
One of the best balm bronzers I’ve tried is this Pixi On-the-Glow Bronze in RichGlow. There are 4 shades in total and it has a natural satin finish. Thanks to its moisturizing, aloe vera-infused formula and light, buildable tint, this is one affordable option you’re sure to love. It comes with 0.6 oz of product.
Makeup By Mario SoftSculpt Bronzer
A buildable, lightweight, multipurpose bronzer that is perfect for creating soft definition and naturally bronzed skin with minimal fallout. This bronzer features 6 neutral shades for all undertones that are never orange or muddy. It comes with 0.42 oz of product.
Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick
Stick formulas has become so popular of late. This innovative liquid-like cream bronzer stick melts into skin for a visible sunkissed warmth that won’t fade. Ultra blendable and buildable, it glides on weightlessly, making it easy to softly sculpt the face. The non-greasy, water-resistant formula won’t cake, crease, or clog pores. Heads up, though, many of the colors lean a bit towards the warmer side of the spectrum. It comes in 7 shades with 0.25 oz of product.
Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer
A long-wear, transfer-resistant bronzing powder in 9 groundbreaking shades, each carefully curated to bring all skin tones to life. This powder bronzer comes in a range of versatile shades to bring out the warmth in all skin tones. Smooth, creamy, and easy to blend, this light-as-air bronzer gives you a sun-soaked glow that stays put all day. Whether you’re looking for warmth or contouring, it does it all with the perfect soft-matte finish. It comes with 0.22 oz of product.
Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Creme Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo
A crème contour and powder bronzer duo that defines, shapes and adds dimension to your complexion for a natural, seamless and sculpted look. Two complementary shades in one easy-to-use contour palette formulated to work together to achieve the perfect sun-kissed sculpt. First, apply the crème contour seamlessly onto the skin to create dimension. Finish by layering on the talc-free bronzing powder for a beautiful, natural finish. This is one of the best cream and powder duo out there. The textures of both products look and feel natural on the skin and has a wonderful natural finish. There are 5 shades and 0.23/0.24 oz of products.
What is the difference between cream and powder bronzer?
Cream bronzers tend to provide more of a dewy finish and work really well on drier skin. Layering a powder over cream is a great way to achieve ultimate staying power. Powder bronzers can provide a more matte finish or a slight glow if they contain some shimmer.
