If your holiday plans are on hold for the foreseeable *sigh*, we’ve got the perfect {bronzers} for your faux week-spent-lounging-in-the-sun glow covered. With an array of shades to suit every skin tone, this round-up of the best bronzers showcases a range of finishes – from matte to shimmer via luminously dewy – and an array of formulas – from liquid and creams to powders and drops. Who says you need a real tan anyway?
{Charlotte Tilbury}’s Airbrush Bronzer (in shade fair) is our favourite bronzer for fair-skinned beauties. It’s incredibly smooth and blends effortlessly for a natural-looking matte finish that can be built from a wash of warm colour to contour-sharpening definition. Plus, it works with every {foundation} that we’ve tried it with! Apply it with a powder brush for a deliciously diffused and subtly sun-kissed finish.
Matte but not flat, this buttery formula grants the perfect amount of warmth and depth (no orange in sight!) and looks just-stepped-off-the-beach natural. Its finely milled powders melt into the skin and blend like a dream to blur fine lines and pores for a smoother, more even-looking {complexion}! Take your pick from medium, warm or deep bronze shades depending on your skin tone and undertone.
Add extra life and dimension to dark skin with {Milk Makeup}’s Matte Bronzer in that gorgeous Deep Bronze shade. Like summer in a stick, it offers as much beach-ready colour as a sun-drenched getaway. It’s super easy to apply, with a velvety smooth formula that blends into the skin with a natural finish. Simply swipe over your face and body for an all-over, effortlessly sun-kissed glow.
Back again so soon? We simply couldn’t not feature this dreamy bronzer twice in our lowdown of the best bronzers! It’s so smooth that it’s almost creamy, and it gives a simply stunning matte warmth to the skin. It applies really well, blends and builds beautifully, and has worked with every single foundation we’ve tried it with! Available in four hues, pick between Fair, Medium, Tan and Deep.
Inspired by the shimmering ripples that dance over the ocean as the sun sets – {Tower 28 Beauty} does hail from sunny California, after all — this bronzer features hydrating mango butter and calming green tea extract to condition your skin, plus a reflective shimmer to leave your skin sun-kissed and glowing. Take your pick from five sunset-inspired shades: ‘Sun Coast’ (a light bronze), ‘West Coast’ (a medium warm bronze), ‘Gold Coast’ (a medium neutral bronze), ‘Best Coast’ (a dark warm bronze) and ‘Pacific Coast’ (a deep bronze).
Blurring the lines between a serum, bronzer and sunscreen, these multitasking drops plump and soften your skin while shielding it with SPF 30 AND bestowing a luminous, bronzed glow. Apply to bare skin for natural sun-kissed radiance, drop them into your moisturiser for a custom glow-boost or highlight your cheekbones for a glossy finish.
Blended with the brand’s trademarked Ambient Lighting Powder, this magnificently marbled bronzer works to diffuse harsh light and conceal skin imperfections, pores and wrinkles. While giving your skin a kiss of seamlessly sun-kissed bronze too, of course! There are four shades to choose from: Luminous Bronze Light , Radiant Bronze Light, Diffused Bronze Light and Nude Bronze Light. This powder is super easy to blend, and it’s not overly pigmented to you can wear it as a subtle glow-giver or build it up until you’ve reached your desired level of bronze.
Another double-up in our list, Tower 28 Beauty’s bronzer is our favourite bronzer for sensitive skin too! All of this brand’s products are formulated with sensitive and eczema-prone skin in mind, with non-irritating and fully vegan ingredients that your skin will adore. Treat that sensitive skin of yours to a Cali glow!
Tired of bronzer going cakey on your dry skin? Step into the realms of skin care and say hello to {Versed}’s glow drops! This skin care/make up hybrid is super hydrating, plumping skin and helping it to retain moisture while dousing you with a healthy, luminous glow. Try it in {Sheer Bronzed} or {Sheer Golden}!
Utterly buttery, {NARS}’ Bronzing Powder diffuses with ease, simulating vitamin D with a sweep of the fluffiest brush. This widely beloved powder grants a sun-kissed glow with a subtle shimmer for gorgeous golden hour gleam all day long. It comes in a spectrum of flattering shades and builds easily for a more intense bronze look!
Liquid bronzer is perfect if you want a dewy finish, and this liquid bronzer from Milk Makeup is perfect if you want a dewy finish sans shimmer or glitter! It’s easy to apply and blend, giving you a natural warmth and a skin-like finish. P.s. it’s great for your skin too, with hyaluronic acid and vegan collagen to hydrate and plump for an all-round healthy glow. Choose ‘Time Travel’ for a light bronze look; ‘Shapeshift’ for a medium tan; and ‘Invincible’ for a deeper bronze.
Achieve instantly sun-kissed skin without spending time in the sun with this glow-giving cream bronzer from Charlotte Tilbury. Finely milled pearls grant a healthy, illuminated glow to any complexion and silky polymers ensure completely flawless coverage. With four beautiful sun-drenched shades to give you that ‘just back from the beach colour’, you can bask in the most mesmerising glow of your life.
With a true golden brown tone, this gel bronzer from {Chantecaille} brings the dewy glow that comes from a sun-drenched week to any complexion. Weightless and seamlessly blended, the ultra-moisturising formula lends a believable, illuminating tan for a beautiful ‘kiss’ of sheer, holiday colour. The smooth liquid-gel hybrid melts into your skin for a diffused and flawless finish that lasts up to 12 hours and it can be worn alone or over foundation to alter the intensity.
These blush and bronzer sticks by {Nudestix} are the perfect year-round pick-me-up. They’re creamy and super-easy to apply, with a block of colour at one end and a soft, densely bristled brush at the other to help you blend to perfection. There are 12 versatile shades to pick from, but we love Bondi Bae and Terracotta Tan best for bronzing!
Hip hip {JOUER}! For a seamlessly bronzed finish, this sumptuous duo unites two complementary tones for you to play with and add dimension. The powders are super-fine and blendable, and there are three versatile shade options to choose from to flatter your natural skin tone and undertone. And in a chic and sleek case, it’s the perfect travel companion!
Hello, cheekbones! Easily building from a subtle glow to a chiselled-by-the-gods contour, this deeply pigmented formula banishes dullness in an instant for a long-lasting, sweat- and water-resistant finish. With five shades to choose between, there’s a cream-to-powder pan to suit a plethora of skin tones: from ultra-fair to beautifully deep.
Vegan and cruelty-free, this sweet-smelling formula from {Too Faced} is smooth, easily blendable and long wearing. It offers a soft matte finish that looks very natural and never cakes. Try it in {Milk Chocolate} if you’re fairer skinned or {Chocolate} if you have a darker skin tone.
No {make up} bag is complete without a set of make up brushes, and this bronzer brush from NARS is up there at the top. Super fluffy and soft, it’s ideal for creating a flawless, diffused, and sculpted effect – for beginners and pros alike!