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Concealer? Check. Blush? Check. Highlighter? Double check. Something still missing? The best bronzers may be the missing puzzle piece to your look—a few swipes of which can impart skin with a sun-kissed glow on the face, décolletage, arms, and even legs. At times when sunshine is difficult to come by, bronzers can be a speedy way to make skin look healthy with little effort. Even as we bask in sunny days through the end of summer, it amps up the warmth with ease.
Plus, a good bronzer does more than just deposit a luminous sheen—with proper placement, it can enhance cheekbones, define the jawline, and add dimension to collarbones. Playing with light and shade allows you to create depth for a lit-from-with-radiance that looks deceivingly natural.
Whether you’re searching for a shimmering golden hue that doubles up as a great highlighter, or a matte brown ideal for contouring, find Vogue’s pick of the best bronzers below.
Vogue’s Favorite Bronzers
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In This Story
- How to Choose a Bronzer
- How to Apply Bronzer
- What’s the difference between a contour and a bronzer?
- Meet the Experts
Best Stick: Merit Bronze Balm Sheer Sculpting Bronzer
- Why We Love It: Beloved for its easily blendable texture, Merit’s Bronze Balm is one of the simplest beauty products to apply, enriched with emollient fatty acids to aid in skin’s moisture levels. Given the semi-sheer finish, it’s pretty hard to mess up the blending of this balmy stick—there’s no fear of muddy 2016 era-overdone bronzer here. Swipe it along the cheekbones, forehead, and even nose for a slightly contoured, satin-finish glow without harsh lines. Plus, you can even use this pick as a chubby eyeshadow stick.
- Ingredients: Microfine pigments, fatty acids
- Type: Semi-sheer balm
- Finish: Satin
- Shades: Five
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Semi-sheer finish is easy to blend and beginner friendly | Shade range may not be suitable for deeper skin tones |
| Vegan and cruelty-free |
Best Gel-Cream: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
- Why We Love It: “If I had to choose a single makeup product I couldn’t work without, it would probably be this one,” celebrity makeup artist Carolina Dalí-Trites previously told Vogue. “With a cream bronzer, the skin will have more of a glow than if you use a powder-based bronzer,” for something that reads more sun-kissed than sculpted. For pro makeup artist Tasha Reiko Brown, what sets this apart is the gel-based texture, along with its realistic shades that deliver warmth without orange—though the the limited shade range makes it best suited for fair to medium skin tones. “This product also makes for a softer contour of color before applying blush,” Brown previously told Vogue.
- Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, mineral waxes, light-reflecting pigments
- Type: Gel-cream
- Shades: 3
- Finish: Natural
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Buildable gel-cream formula | Limited shade range |
| Soft finish with natural undertones |
Best Liquid: Saie Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Effortless Liquid Bronzer
- Why We Love It: It’s little secret in the Vogue offices that Saie is one of beauty shopping writer Conçetta Ciarlo’s all-time favorite beauty brands—and Dew Bronze holds a firm place among her most loved and used products. “Much like its liquid blush, the liquid bronzer has the same easily blended, lightweight feel with a completely non-comedogenic formula. Plus, the finish looks more sun kissed post-vacation rather than full makeup beat,” says Ciarlo. “Its creamy liquid is buildable (three drops is the sweet spot, IMO) and sinks quickly into skin once you start blending. What I love most is its long-lasting, natural finish.”
- Ingredients: Glycerin, licorice root extract, silica
- Type: Liquid
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: Six
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Non-comedogenic | Despite six shades, this pick won’t suit richer skin tones |
| Vegan and cruelty-free formula | |
| Natural, just-tanned finish |
Best Bronzing Drops: Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops
- Why We Love It: Both Jennifer Aniston and Helena Christensen have mentioned these bronzing drops as their go-to product for achieving a freshly-tanned look. “They lend a glow to the skin and help me build a believable tan on a variety of skin tones,” says celebrity makeup artist Suzy Gerstein, emphasizing their blendability and versatility.
- Ingredients: Glycerin, mica, corn starch, carrot sativa seed oil, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E
- Type: Serum
- Finish: Radiant
- Shades: Four
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Hydrating and buildable formula | Formula isn’t entirely non-comedogenic, so may not suit acne-prone skin |
| Provides a believable just-tanned look, with long-wearing results |
Best Powder: NARS Laguna Talc-Free Bronzer Powder
- Why We Love It: NARS has no shortage of powerhouse pigments that complement even deeper skin types and its Laguna bronzer is a favorite from its lineup. Whenever I use it, I have to remember to tap off excess powder from the brush—a little goes a long way to quickly warm up the cheekbones. Plus, this pick is Mindy Kaling’s go-to for a camera-ready glow.
- Ingredients: Mica, silica
- Type: Powder
- Finish: Radiant
- Shades: Nine
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Suitable for most skin tones | Some find this pick skews more orange on fair skin tones |
| Talc-free formula makes this a good pick for sensitive skin |
Best Matte: Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick
- Why We Love It: Let’s be clear: Bronzing is not synonymous with excess shimmer—as proven by Victoria Beckham’s Bronzing Brick which features two matte, soft-focus powders. Best used to define and sculpt where you want it, this would be our pick for a night out or photo-ready glam. And though there are no pearlescent pigments, trust you’ll still have an enviable glow worth talking about.
- Ingredients: Moringa oil, cocoa butter
- Type: Powder
- Finish: Soft matte
- Shades: Five (two shades per palette)
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Clean formula | A pricier pick |
| Entirely matte finish |
Best Illuminating: Guerlain Terracotta Light Healthy Glow Bronzer
- Why We Love It: As for senior beauty and wellness editor Margaux Anbouba’s longtime-favorite bronzer, Guerlain’s Terracotta Light Healthy Glow has earned a permanent spot in her makeup bag. Bolstering her penchant for multipurpose beauty products, this features hints of peachy-pinks and shimmery hues similar to those of a highlighter or blush. Did we mention its formulated with 96% naturally-derived ingredients?
- Ingredients: Kaolin, Moroccan flower honey, glycerin, shea extract, naturally-derived pigments
- Type: Powder
- Finish: Radiant
- Shades: Four
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| 96% naturally derived formula | Only suitable for light to light-medium skin tones |
| Multipurpose—can act as a blush, or sun-kissed highlighter |
Best Viral: Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzing Powder
- Why We Love It: Is there a Millennial or Zillennial alive that’s not familiar with Benefit’s Hoola Matte Bronzing Powder? We’d argue no. Benefit’s Hoola is cult-favorite and one of the brand’s bestsellers for a reason. Containing the finest of pearlescent pigments, it creates a believable glow anyone would delight in. Plus it’s super easy to apply as a simple sweep delivers a soft-focus wash of color. The mini sizes (available in two of its four shades) are particularly convenient to store in any carry-on.
- Ingredients: Sunflower seed oil
- Type: Powder
- Finish: Matte
- Shades: Four
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Water-resistant, long-wearing formula | Only suitable for light to medium skin tones |
Best Blurring: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream Bronzer
- Why We Love It: Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin bronzer is impossible not to love. Just open its (massive!) compact to find a CT-stamped cream enriched with hyaluronic acid and vitamin D3 for a pigment that’s as hydrating as it is glow-inducing. Plus, it’s sweat-proof and manages to blur the look of pores upon application.
- Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin D3
- Type: Cream
- Finish: Radiant
- Shades: Four
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Sweat-proof, non-comedogenic formula | Shade range won’t suit deeper skin tones |
| Radiant glowy finish |
Best Shade-Inclusive: LYS Beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer Stick
- Why We Love It: There’s much to love about Black-owned beauty brand LYS, from its shade inclusivity to its high-performing formulas. Its contour stick—a viral TikTok phenom—boasts seven shades, covering fair to deep skin tones. The formula packs green tea extract for soothing and antioxidant-rich rosehip oil for skin brightening.
- Ingredients: Rosehip oil, green tea extract, sodium hyaluronate, watermelon seed extract
- Type: Cream
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: Seven
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, talc-free | Not completely non-comedogenic—contains two potentially pore-clogging ingredients |
| Easy to apply—just swipe on, blend, and go | |
| Inclusive shade range offers options from the fairest to deepest complexions |
Best for Deep Skin Tones: Fenty Beauty Sun Stalker Instant Warmth Bronzer
- Why We Love It: “I’ve used the Fenty Sun Stalker for years—Mocha Mami and Thick Mint are must haves in my kit for deep-skin-tone clients. They’re a perfect warm and rich tone,” pro makeup artist Kasey Spickard told Vogue previously. The matte bronzer blends skin-loving ingredients like papaya and mango extract into a moisturizing, pressed-powder formula to ensure an application that’s never patchy.
- Ingredients: Vitamin E, papaya fruit extract, mango fruit extract
- Type: Powder
- Finish: Matte
- Shades: Nine
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Long-wearing powder | Not a talc-free formula |
| Includes shades that suit deep skin tones |
Best Cream: Fara Homidi Essential Bronzer Compact
- Why We Love It: Fara Homidi knows more than a thing or two about high-end skin-care-makeup hybrids. Case in point: This powder bronzer is packed with humectants and botanically- derived oils which do more than just impart a natural-looking, post-beach day glow. The formulation also delivers a dose of hit moisture with added antioxidant protection.
- Key Ingredients: snow mushroom, passionfruit seed oil, squalane, hyaluronic acid
- Type: Powder
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: Four
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Hydrating formula with a natural finish | A pricier pick |
Everything You Need to Know
How to Choose a Bronzer
It’s all about working with your natural skin tone. Most experts advise looking for a bronzer one or two shades darker than your natural tone, but it also pays to understand your undertone, and whether you are cool, warm or neutral. Those with warm undertones can get away with a lot of the golden bronzers on the market, while those who are cool should look to peach hues. If you’re neutral, it can be tricky to find the perfect powder, but pink tones are best overall.
As for what consistency to go for, that’s really up to you. Oily skins typically lean toward powder formulas for their mattifying effect, but for dry or normal skin types, cream and liquid bronzers impart a very natural, glowy finsh.
How to Apply
The idea is to create sun-lit skin by applying bronzer to the areas of the face that the sun would hit naturally. While many of us grew up applying it in a “3” shape on either side of our face in pursuit of contoured cheeks, makeup artist and global senior artist for MAC, Dominic Skinner, has debunked this particular age-old trick.
“You end up with hamster cheeks!” he says. “Instead, get your brush and buff in from the top of the ear to the corner of the mouth for your first line. Then, at the same angle, apply from the corner of the eye to the temple. It creates this idea of cheekbones, whereas the ‘3’ shape blocks out the whole cheek with one color. Placement is everything.”
His other key tip is to find a blusher that is neither a traditional bronze nor blush shade—try a pinky brown hue in order to bridge the gap between your contour and skin. “It becomes a transitional color—apply the blush on the cheeks to help it all seamlessly blend in.”
What’s the difference between a contour and a bronzer?
Pro makeup artist Alexx Mayo explains the difference between a contour stick and a bronzer comes down to two aspects: undertone and product placement. Bronzers are used to add warmth to the skin to create that just-back-from-vacation look, and placed on the high points of the face, mimicking where the sun would hit. Meanwhile, contour, often a cooler and more “shadow”-like tone, is used to chisel out the natural hollows of the face.
Meet the Experts
- Tasha Reiko Brown is a Chanel makeup artist and groomer whose clients include Gabrielle Union, Michael B. Jordan, and Alicia Keys.
- Suzy Gerstein is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Leighton Meester, Tory Burch, and Karlie Kloss.
- Alexx Mayo is a Los Angeles–based celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Lizzo, Yvonne Orji, and more.
- Dominic Skinner is a pro makeup artist, global senior artist for MAC, and judge on BBC’s hit show Glow Up.
- Kasey Spickard is a professional makeup artist based in New York and Los Angeles with more than 10 years of experience in the beauty industry. Spickard has worked with clients such as Jenna Lyons, Kamie Crawford, and Brynn Whitfield.
