Bronzer can be the perfect way to give your skin a pick me up - but with such a huge range on the market it's hard to know which to choose.
Finding the right bronzer for your skin type and tone can be difficult and overwhelming, let alone deciding what's worth the money. Stores including Boots and Superdrug have a large selection available ranging from bargain buys to luxury brands.
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Of course you can buy directly from beauty websites and Amazon, too. With prices ranging from as little as £5 to designer brands that seriously blow the budget, do the cheaper alternatives really work, or is it worth splashing the cash to get the results you're after?
We tried a range of bronzers to see how the bargain buys compared to the big guns. Take a look at the results below and let us know your favourite bronzer in the comments below.
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
As someone with a complexion reminiscent of Casper the Friendly Ghost, bronzer is an absolute must have in my makeup bag. I've tried a few different brands over the years but Too Faced's Chocolate Soleil Bronzer is my favourite.
The fun, cruelty-free brand offers a range of high performing products with quirky, pretty packaging. Its bronzer is no exception, housed in a sleek compact and scented with the aroma of chocolate - heavenly.
I definitely bought a shade a little too dark for my pale skin but as long as I'm not too heavy handed with my makeup brush, it goes on beautifully and adds some definition to my cheekbones. It also stays put all day and never needs touching up.
The bronzer is perfectly mattifying and contains 100% real cocoa powder, which helps contribute to its incredible fragrance. It's also buildable in colour so if you do want a darker makeup look, it's easily achievable.
It's a little pricey, at £27, but it lasts an incredibly long time. I've used it every day for months and there's barely any signs of use, so it's worth it in my opinion. When it eventually runs out, I'll definitely be repurchasing.
Price: £27
Where to buy: Too Faced stores, Boots, Look Fantastic, Cult Beauty and more
Rating: 5/5
Sleek Makeup Face Form Bronzer - Literally
Is there anything worse than your makeup sitting wrong on your face? I recently had to make a change to my makeup routine when my bronzer, which I typically just use to contour, started feeling dry and not blending as well into my skin.
Since I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money on a new product - payday is still very far away - I opted for a cheaper alternative I spotted on ASOS. The Sleek bronzer comes in a couple of different shades including 'Literally', which is the shade I went for.
The packaging is exactly like the brand says - sleek. It also comes with a built in mirror which is perfect for touching up your makeup on the go.
I found the powdered bronzer velvety to the touch and very easily to blend, buildable and with a small shimmer to it that adds a glow to your skin, which is perfect for this time of year when the weather is changing and your skin needs that extra bit of help.
Price: £4.99
Where to buy: ASOS
Rating: 5/5
Benefit Hoola
I've been a Benefit fan for a couple of decades now and tried many of their products, including concealers, mascaras and blushers, all with happy results. I don't tend to use bronzer, so hadn't tried Hoola before this test, but was keen to see if it would become part of my makeup staples.
It's currently available for £25.65 at Boots, so is quite pricey and comes in four different shades. I tried original Hoola, which is a matte powder that's said to give a year round 'tan'.
It comes in a small but chunky square box typical of Benefit's blusher range, and I have to say the maroon packaging didn't really blow me away. It was fairly trendy I suppose but didn't look particularly special. I think I just prefer something that looks a bit more glamorous.
Inside, it had a handy little mirror and its own brush with fine feathery bristles. As a novice, I applied cautiously and was glad I did as a little goes a long way. A swift swirl of the soft powder across my cheeks, forehead and nose gave me a hint of bronze, without looking like I'd been Tangoed - thank goodness. You could easily overdo it with this one I think, so it's worth building up the shade gradually.
I'd say the colour lasted a couple of hours before it needed reapplying, but that was without any primer or setting spray. Overall I'd recommend this as it's a versatile shade that would suit many skin tones.
Price: Around £25-28 depending on where you buy it
Where to buy: Boots, John Lewis and more
Rating: 4/5
MAC Bronzing Powder, Matte Bronze
As you can tell by the photo, MAC’s Bronzing Powder in the shade Matte Bronze is my all-time favourite which I use almost every day. The bronzer is described as “bare shouldered bronze” and gives skin a natural bronze colour, perfect for using all over the face.
I’ve found bronzers to be hit and miss over the years, with a few I’ve tried in the past looking patchy on my skin or being too shimmering, so that from afar, it just makes me look sweaty. I gave up with cheaper options, and thought I’d see if a higher priced bronzer would be worth the money.
I have to say, MAC’s Bronzing Powder is certainly worth the £24 price tag. It’s perfect for wearing all over the face due to it being matte and it applies evenly across the skin. It’s also very buildable which I love, as I like to apply more of the product to my cheekbones, temples and the sides of my nose.
Even after a 12-hour day, my bronzer still looks the same as it did when I left the house in the morning. This obviously will be helped by the fact I wear a makeup primer and setting spray, but this hasn’t been the case with other bronzers I’ve used in the past that I’ve needed to reapply after a couple of hours.
Despite me using the MAC Bronzing Powder nearly every day, the product lasts a very long time. This is probably the fourth I’ve bought in the last six years, meaning each one lasts me over a year and the quality of the product doesn’t decrease.
Price: £24 (currently on sale at Boots for £21.60)
Rating: 5/5
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