The best bronzers are the ones that give you a natural sun-kissed glow without any patchiness or orangey hues. Bronzer is for every skin tone and, whether you have a dark or fair complexion, there are brands to cater to you and your appearance – and I’ve been on a mission to find them.
Along with shade diversity, we’ve been studying the products that promote long-lasting wear, the ones that are cruelty-free and those that have a natural healthy finish. All across a range of price points to suit every income.
On paper, Made by Mitchell and Milk Makeup are leading the way with their inclusive shade ranges, while Estee Lauder and Nars set out to give shoppers an all-day unbudging glow. The question is: do they live up to their reputations?
It’s a hard job but someone has to do it, so I knuckled down with a range of the most popular, viral and long-standing bronzers in the biz to bring you a final shortlist of the very best. Here’s how I got on.
How I tested
Applying each of the bronzers at the start of the day, I tested every formula for a full eight-hour (minimum) period, before documenting their appearance again at the end of the review frame. I paid attention to texture, feel, the bronzers’ reactions to our skin (did they oxidise or go patchy?) and their general appearances in terms of colour and glowiness.
Unlike some of our competitors, I tested more than the bronzers listed below, eliminating a small handful of poorer-performing formulas in a bid to present you with only the cream of the crop products.
The best bronzers for 2024 are:
Nars laguna bronzing powder
It’s been a cult buy since its creation in 2001. Nars laguna bronzer is the OG powder bronzer and it wowed us through and through when testing. From its creamy, easy-to-blend texture to its versatility of application (you can just as effortlessly sport a natural glow or build up to a bolder bronze), this bronzer looked flattering on our skin come day and night. I loved how it recreated a tanned look and I was impressed with how well it melded with blushes and highlighters without drying or caking.
Buy now £28.80, Lookfantastic.com
Makeup Revolution ultra cream bronzer
I loved the Revolution cream bronzer so much that I wrote a whole separate love letter to it. Seriously, for just £6 I was astonished at the quality, from its blendability to how it sat on my skin throughout the day. One of the biggest selling points is that it really highlights cheekbones for a more sculpting effect while still offering a natural, sun-kissed and complexion-smoothing finish.
On my skin – which has a tendency to appear greasy as the day goes on – it neither promoted shine nor resulted in patchiness, and I’d even use it as a light face base on low to no make-up days. Impressed is an understatement.
Buy now £4.50, Lookfantastic.com
benefit hoola matte bronzer
An oldie but a goodie, it was universally agreed among the team that benefit’s hoola bronzer was each one of our firsts and remains in our make-up bags to this day. Its size may have shrunk since its heyday but the brand has persisted with its memorable cardboard packaging. Eco-friendly? Yes. Make-up bag spillage-proof? Absolutely not.
Regardless, the product itself wowed us as much in this test as it did the first time I used it more than 10 years ago. It blends like a dream, whether applied over foundation or layered with a cream bronze, and it’s the sort of shade (hoola original) that is equally effective as a subtle contour shadow as it is for a dusting of faux summer colour.
Buy now £26.00, Lookfantastic.com
Charlotte Tilbury beautiful skin sun-kissed glow bronzer
This is my current day-to-day bronzer outside of testing. It’s not perfect, but I do find it one of the easiest to apply as part of a quick morning routine. For application, I swipe it on in stripes before buffing it into place with minimal fuss. It’s very forgiving in terms of blending and is versatile enough to use without foundation as a light sweep of colour.
With my oily skin, I have to be careful to apply a matte SPF as a primer and set my face with loose powder and setting spray, the latter at each stage of the application process (after foundation, bronzer and blush). Without these precautions, the formula is prone to going patchy, but if you stick to the rules, it really does leave a long-lasting glow. Will I buy it again? Absolutely, and I’d imagine it’d afford failsafe application for normal to dry skin, too.
Buy now £45.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Estée Lauder bronze goddess healthy glow bronzer
Estée Lauder’s bronzer features hints of blush and highlight for that same sun-warmed skin look. When testing – on a balmy summer day, I might add – I took myself for an impromptu ocean dip and the product did not budge. It was a test I hadn’t planned, but it speaks wonders to the formula’s staying power. It gives an illusion of a summer glow out of season and is heat, sweat and waterside activity-appropriate in season, too. Impressive.
Buy now £45.00, Lookfantastic.com
Guerlain terracotta 2024 bronzing powder
This bronzer is the stuff of legend, year by year, is hailed as a must-have product in the beauty industry. For context, if you’re not in the know, Guerlain releases an annual limited edition design of its iconic terracotta bronzer powder and this compact is a real beauty. With pink blush honey bee wings and a warm, shimmer highlight body, the combination of these three blush, bronze and highlight elements works to create the ultimate all-over face radiance.
What’s more, I was obsessed with the premium-scented aroma of the powder – as is a renowned feature of Guerlain’s products – and I felt my skin was left with a gentle flush from top to toe. It was perhaps more pinky than I’m used to. That said, it worked beautifully as a quick dusting of colour and feels in the most Guerlain of ways, a very Parisian, Sylvie-from-Emily in Paris approach to bronzer.
Buy now £47.00, Lookfantastic.com
Rare Beauty warm wishes effortless bronzer
The brand created by singer-songwriter Selena Gomez, Rare Beauty’s cream face formulas have been cult buys in the make-up sphere since launching in 2022. The warm wishes bronzer, specifically, is a creamy domed stick bronzer and features vitamin E-rich tocopheryl acetate.
When testing, I found the formula glided onto my skin easily and was weightless in feel. It left a warm, flattering finish and I enjoyed how it revived my depleted summer tan. It did go a tad patchy as the day went on but was easy to revive with a touch of powder.
Buy now £29.00, Amazon.co.uk
VIEVE modern radiance cream bronzer
From Scottish make-up artist Jamie Genevieve, Vieve offers both powder and cream bronzers, with the latter being a generous 33g (26g more than Rare Beauty’s, for instance).
The formula gives a natural “I’ve seen the sun” look but isn’t quite as intense as some of the cream formulas I tested. I’d argue you could use it as a light complexion base around the shadowy areas of the face and then use a concealer on the high points for contrast. The product’s consistency didn’t lead to any patchiness or clarting on my shine-prone skin, and it was a good everyday bronzer for work and daytime wear.
Buy now £32.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Makeup By Mario soft sculpt transforming skin enhancer
Makeup By Mario is the brand from Kim Kardashian’s renowned make-up artist Mario Dedivanovic and getting hold of his gold-dust products back when it first launched in 2020 was somewhat of a sporting event. Now, stocked at Sephora, it’s not so much a hassle, though the soft sculpt transforming skin enhancer remains a cult buy.
Designed to be a dual-performance skin tint and bronzer, I found the overall finish was like a smooth dusting of warmth and application was relatively easy to blend too. I wasn’t so much of a fan of the long-term finish as it did break down slightly on my oily skin, but it was hard to notice provided I kept on top of my powder application. For normal to dry complexions, however, it’s sure to become a mainstay in your make-up bag.
Buy now £35.00, Sephora.co.uk
Sculpted by Aimee cream luxe bronze
Ever since Sculpted by Aimee launched in Boots (and subsequently sold out half the collection’s stock) back in 2022, the make-up artist’s range has been popular with everyone from twenty-somethings to menopausal women, thanks to its universally flattering appeal. With the cream luxe bronze, this said appeal strikes true and I found my skin looked healthy with a gentle radiance that was neither too noticeable nor invisible.
Regarding its staying power, it didn’t fare well in 35C Parisian heat, but it didn’t slide off completely, which some formulas unfortunately do. For the most part, indoors, the product remained intact and left a subtle flush of colour. For less than £20, it’s certainly a good budget to mid-range pick.
Buy now £17.00, Amazon.co.uk
Made By Mitchell curve case cream blusher palette
If you don’t follow Mitchell Halliday or @mmmmitchell on social media, then today’s the day that needs to change. Halliday’s brand – Made by Mitchell – is a refreshing antidote to the current fascination of no make-up-make-up with all things bright colours, strong, value-for-money pigments and an inclusive shade range.
With this, the MUA’s curve case, you have the choice of a light, medium, deep or deeper palette with the latter being a huge success on TikTok. Testing the medium case myself, I can attest to the formula’s powerful pigment – a.k.a. it’s not one for nervous application – and blending is certainly key with these creams.
Upon successful melding with my other products, the results were beautiful and my skin appeared full of life. The product lasted well and covered a number of bases with blush and a red lip shade included here, too. For the price, it’s an A* in affordability.
Read the full Made by Mitchell review now
Buy now £25.50, Beautybay.com
Fenty Beauty cheeks out freestyle cream bronzer
I love Rihanna and, with equal fervour, I love her make-up brand Fenty too. It’s renowned for its inclusive shade ranges and this – the cheeks out freestyle cream bronzer – is no exception. When launched, the ‘toffee tease’ shade was one of the darkest shades across the entire bronzer market, and its consistency is noteworthy, too.
While it wasn’t my favourite cream bronzer, it was certainly a pleasure to use and its staying power was impressive. After a full day in-office (including after-work drinks and a sweaty commuter train), the condition of my make-up wasn’t so different from when first applied. My main gripe was that it required layering and multiple swipes of product to achieve that gentle tan, glowing-from-within finish. Though, once in place and built up to our desired bronzing deepness, it was a strong contender as one of the best bronzers for oily skin.
Buy now £30.00, Selfridges.com
Saie dew bronze soft-focus effortless liquid bronzer
This bronzer very nearly earned a five-star rating, and it’s no surprise with the brand’s liquid dew blush range (£20, Cultbeauty.co.uk) having more than 60 million posts surrounding it on TikTok. This, the Saie liquid dew bronzer, is packaged in the same travel-friendly tube with its doe foot applicator, but its consistency wasn’t quite what I expected.
Having tried liquid formulas like benetint (£17.20, Lookfantastic.com) and the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood contour wand (£30, Cultbeauty.co.uk), I expected this to be similar in texture – thin and serum-like. Contrary to our preconceived ideas, it was more like a thick cream and required only a smidge of product to create my desired warmth. What’s more, where thicker pigments can often settle before you’ve had time to distribute them, Saie’s gave me ample blending time and, in fact, left a very natural finish. It’s on this subtle-finish front that the formula lost its half-star, though I would caveat that it didn’t budge in the slightest over the course of the day.
Buy now £20.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Chanel les beiges bronzing cream
This Chanel formula is the final boss of cream bronzers and is loved by everyone from Kendall Jenner to Jennifer Garner.
I’ve been using it for several years and reacquainted myself with it for the purpose of this review. Painting it on with a medium-sized make-up brush, I then blended it into the outer regions of my face with a bigger kabuki brush. It leaves a more noticeable finish and needs a good buff (plus a bit of setting spray slip) to be smoothly distributed.
The initial results are warm and continue to oxidise and darken as the day goes on. As such, it’s not my favourite pick in terms of ease of use; however, when you do get the hang of it, I can’t deny the St. Tropez-esque allure it affords. Add a bold liner, a la Brigitte Bardot, and your face of French glamour will be complete.
Buy now £48.00, Boots.com
Merit bronze balm
A newer brand on our radar, Merit’s products hit the ground running and everything from the brow gel (£26, Meritbeauty.com) to the blush ‘flush’ balms (£32, Meritbeauty.com) have seemingly been a success. In this test, the bronze balm followed suit and I loved how effortlessly the smooth, domed stick of product applied onto my cheeks, forehead, nose and neck.
In the height of summer, it worked wonderfully as a light base (when the heat left my foundation feeling too heavy) and, applying it around the edges of my face left me with a gentle warmth while still evening my complexion in the way heavier formulas would. It didn’t stay put all day and did succumb to the byproducts of sweaty weather, but it’s worth noting that it didn’t leave me looking patchy or with all the bronzer caked around our hairline – it simply melded into the skin, fading as the day went on.
Buy now £40.00, Meritbeauty.com
Milk Makeup matte bronzer stick
With a shade range that includes skin tones beyond a medium tan – which is, regrettably, not the case for all brands – Milk’s bronzer stick let me down in terms of packaging, but packed a pigment punch to make up for it. Upon first glance, I was disappointed with both its small size and messy design (ours arrived with half the cream product lodged into the lid), though upon application the ‘little goes a long way’ strength was a welcome surprise.
For travel and small luggage allowances, its strength of pigment is a definite bonus, not to mention leaving a bolder radiant finish for parties, dinners and nighttime occasions. For short-term wear and a glam look? IndyBest-approved. For day-to-day wear and versatility? The jury’s still out.
Buy now £19.80, Boots.com
Jones Road the bronzer
The Jones Road bronzer is a top pick if you’re a make-up layering fanatic. A powder bronzer and one that’s great if you’re a bit timid upon application (a.k.a bold contour scares you), I found that this product wasn’t so potent on its own, but worked to enhance other bronze-based formulas in my routine.
It did seem to dissolve somewhat as the day went on and, in retrospect, I would have liked to have stacked it up with a cream bronzer for more longevity. This one’s for your make-up newbies and barely-there make-up maestros.
Buy now £32.00, Libertylondon.com
Bronzer FAQs
I spoke to Chanel make-up artist Marco Antonio – who’s worked with the likes of Vogue, renowned photographer Rankin and celebrities including Kate Moss and Lily Aldridge – to glean his best advice on all things bronzer shades and application.
What does a bronzer do?
For Antonio, the benefits of bronzer differ between cream and powder formulas.
A powder “can be used to add warmth and definition to the face [and] is a great option for those with oily skin, as it helps control oil and shine”, explains Antonio. Texture-wise, “it provides a natural, matte finish and is long-wearing.”
Cream bronzer, by contrast “provides a natural, dewy finish and blends seamlessly into the skin”. It’s a “great option for those with dry skin, as it doesn’t emphasize dry patches” – a must for the colder months.
How do you apply bronzer?
Breaking the process down step by step, Antonio said to “think about where the sun naturally hits your face, these are the areas you’ll want to bronze”, noting that “common areas include the forehead, temples, cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and jawline”.
For him, successful and precise application begins with a good angled brush. “This type of brush helps with distributing the product evenly.”
Now for Antonio’s five-step process:
Bronzer vs contour: What’s the difference?
Contour, Antonio explains, “sculpt[s] the face for a more defined look,” whereas bronzer “create[s] a natural-looking tan.” It’s as simple as that.
The verdict: Best bronzers
Overall, I found the Nars laguna bronzer the easiest to apply, leaving the most natural yet buildable finish. Thanks to the tiniest hint of shimmer, it lends itself to both young and mature skin types (adding a lifting depth-type effect to the latter) and is available in an inclusive shade range. For budget shoppers, Revolution’s ultra cream bronzer was my favourite, leaving my skin with the same flattering glow as products costing more than £40. Likewise, Saie’s dew bronze was reasonably priced and impressively pigmented, not to mention being thoughtfully packaged in a lip gloss-style tube, perfect for on-the-go use.
Looking for more beauty recommendations? Read our review of the best lip oils for a plumper, hydrated pout
