The 16 Best Bronzers for a Perfectly Sun-kissed Complexion, Awarded After 400 Hours of Testing

Best Overall

Nars Laguna Talc-Free Bronzer Powder

$19 at Sephora $40 at Ulta $40 at Ulta

Finish: Natural | Shades: 9 | Size: 0.38 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

There was truly nothing—and we mean nothing—we didn’t love about this formula. It’s a cult classic for good reason, offering the ideal amount of pigment (which can easily be built up for a more dramatic effect), a blendable texture, a lightweight feel, and the perfect, natural finish that isn’t shimmery but also not flat. 

We loved how nicely it layered over other makeup and how the different shades worked brilliantly on a variety of skin tones. The icing on the cake? Luxe, quality packaging.

Cate, tester with a neutral skin tone: “This bronzer helps give me a sculpted look and an extra, sun-kissed glow, but still looks so natural. I could wear this every day and feel like it would elevate my daily makeup routine.”

Best Overall, Runner-Up

Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder

$47 at Sephora $47 at Ulta View on Bobbibrowncosmetics.com

Finish: Natural | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.32 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Another standout that checked all our bronzer boxes, and then some is this powder from Bobbi Brown. The formula boasts a natural, velvety finish and texture. It never caked or creased, impressing even our cream bronzer-loving testers. The natural shades are gorgeous for everyday wear—none had any unwanted orange undertones. 

It does bear mentioning that the color is pretty pigmented; a little went a very long way, though if you accidentally apply too much, it’s easy to blend out and diffuse.

Alexandra, tester with a warm skin tone: “Often bronzers can get gray or muddy, but this one was a nice rich brown with golden warmth that was very believable for medium-deep skin tones.”

Best Luxury

Chanel Glow Bronzing Cream

View On Chanel $60 at Ulta $60 at Saks Fifth Avenue

Finish: Velvet-matte | Shades: 3 | Size: 1 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

With a cushiony, whipped texture, this gel-cream hybrid is a great choice for those who want something other than a powder. it blends beautifully into the skin (although a tester did find that using an oversized brush made for the best application), without ever sinking into fine lines or drying and looking patchy. To that point, it can also be layered if you want a more intense punch of pigment.  

That said, our tester with cooler undertones to their skin felt that the range of three shades was better suited for warmer complexions. They also noted that the color does tend to wear off a bit during the day.

Stephanie, tester with a neutral skin tone: “The product has a lush and warm pigment, like soft, bronzy sand and it’s easy to build the cream-gel in layers to achieve the desired amount of color I want.”

Best for Oily Skin

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Matte Bronzer

$41 at Sephora $41 at Nordstrom $38 at Selfridges.com

Finish: Matte | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.56 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This aptly named pick earned rave reviews for its supremely silky texture, which applied and melted beautifully into the skin. It also helped enhance skin smoothness and worked beautifully over foundation as well. 

We did find that it may be a bit too dry for dry-skinned testers (hence why we think it’s better for oilier or more combination skin). Keep in mind: a little goes a long way; it can be easy to apply too much since it is very richly pigmented. To that point, it may be better suited for occasions where you want a more dramatic look than everyday wear.

Tiffany, tester with a warm skin tone: “Airbrush is definitely the perfect name for this product. Seamless! Amazing! Wow!”

Best for Dry Skin

Saie Sun Melt Bronzer

View on Saiehello.com

Finish: Radiant | Shades: 6 | Size: 1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

On the flip side, this creamy contender works beautifully for those with dry skin. It’s soft, smooth, and never settled into fine lines or pores. It also doesn’t dry down immediately, allowing some play time to apply and blend it in. (In related news, we also loved how nicely it melted into the skin.) 

It’s best reserved for those who like a more natural result; we liked it best when worn just on bare skin or with a light skin tint and found it to be more noticeable that way. If you want your bronzer to make more of a statement, just keep in mind that it will take several layers of this guy to achieve that type of finished look.

Sarah, tester with a cool skin tone: “Since I like a natural finish, highly pigmented products can feel overwhelming. This product didn't feel that way at all. I had control of the product and the amount of pigment at all times. It blended in very nicely with my skin and the lightweight foundation I already had on, to create a natural, lightly dewy look.

Best Shade Range

Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer

$35 at Sephora $35 at Ulta View on Harveynichols.com

Finish: Soft matte | Shades: 9 | Size: 0.22 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

With a nice lineup of nine options, including plenty of choices for darker complexions, this is worth checking out if you have yet to find your perfect bronzer match. We were very impressed with the offerings for deeper complexions, and how beautifully they showed up on our tester’s skin. The texture is also lightweight and smooth. Our only (minor) criticism: the more you use it, the more challenging it can be to pick up enough product off of the pan.

Jolisa, tester with a warm skin tone: “As someone with a deep skin tone, it can be hard to find quality products that pack enough pigment and have a shade that shows up on my skin. This product soars above any bronzer I have used before.”

Best Matte

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer

$19 at Sephora $36 at Ulta $28 at Walmart

Finish: Matte | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.28 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

This matte bronzer takes the cake if you prefer to avoid any kind of shimmer situation. It blends beautifully—particularly when applied with a big fluffy brush—and doesn’t ever feel heavy or cakey. It can be built up if you want to crank up the color, although we found that, generally, one layer did the trick. We did notice, however, that some of the shades skewed a bit muddy, particularly when applied over foundation.

Katy, tester with a neutral skin tone: “This is a staple product in my makeup routine. It adds the perfect amount of glow and is buildable when needed. I also love to use this as an eyeshadow!”

Best Satin

Guerlain Terracotta Original Bronzing Powder

$60 at Sephora View on Guerlain.com

Finish: Radiant | Shades: 6 | Size: 0.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

This longtime cult classic earned our pick for best middle-of-the-road finish, neither too matte nor too shimmery. It comes in a good lineup of six shades, which stayed totally true to their original tone, never oxidizing or changing. The color is also buildable and the texture felt smooth and silky no matter how much we used it (and never looked cakey, either).

Worth noting: This is a scented product. We liked how it smelled—warm, but still fresh—although it is something to consider, particularly if you’re sensitive to fragrance or avoid it for skin sensitivities. 

Anya, tester with a neutral skin tone: “Despite looking shimmery in the pan, the actual wear on the skin is natural with a soft glow. I think that’s the ideal finish for a bronzer since matte can be overly frying and shimmery feels too unnatural.”

Best Luminous

Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Lighting Bronzer

$30 at Sephora $30 at Sephora $58 at Ulta

Finish: Radiant | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.39 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you prefer a bronzer that leaves your complexion glowy, this is our go-to. Our testers were big fans of the application and blend-ability, noting that it worked equally well on dry and combination skin types. While it may look a bit more shimmery in the pan, it diffuses beautifully once on, creating a noticeable yet very natural radiance (no easy feat in the bronzer world). 

Still, it’s that glowy finish where this has more of an impact; all the shades are very similar, and none of them add a ton of color to the skin, per se.

Kristin, tester with neutral skin: “This has a natural, satin finish. It’s not glittery, but still gives a glow and natural, lit-from-within look to the skin.”

Best Buildable

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Power Sculpt Velvet Bronzer

View on Hauslabs.com

Finish: Velvet | Shades: 12 | Size: 0.42 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Versatility is the name of the game with this supremely buildable bronzer. It’s basically a cream-meets-powder hybrid; the texture differs slightly based on how you apply it. Either way, all of our testers loved that it didn’t feel drying or oily on the skin, and also said that it’s extremely easy to build up the pigment to your desired level of color as needed. (FWIW, one layer delivers a fairly light wash of color.) The pigment stays consistent throughout the day though. It also comes in an impressive lineup of a dozen shades, meaning there will likely be something for every skin tone.

Nikki, tester with a deep neutral skin tone: “This is the most natural-looking bronzer I have ever used. It makes it look like I have a soft kiss of skin on the higher points of my face.”

Best Drugstore

L'Oreal Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Bronzer

$9 at Amazon $16 at Ulta $13 at Target

Finish: Matte | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.31 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

There are a number of great drugstore bronzers, but this one tops them all. We were thoroughly impressed with how nondrying it was; in fact, we initially mistook it for a cream formula. The shades matched our testers’ skin tones fairly well and were easily buildable and adjustable based on the finished effect they were going for. It was also super easy to apply and blend. We just dinged it a bit for not layering quite as well when applied over other products—it requires a good amount of blending for a seamless effect.

Christina, tester with a cool skin tone: “The texture is lightweight and creamy and glides over the skin; it’s lightly pigmented so you can layer until you reach your desired effect.”

Best for Dark Skin Tones

Make Beauty Skin Mimetic Microsuede Powder Bronzer

View on Makebeauty.com

Finish: Matte | Shades: 6 | Size: 0.26 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

It can be notoriously tricky to find a flattering bronzer for darker skin, but this one is the exception. We were very impressed with the shades; even though some of them look a bit dark in the pan, they all went on beautifully, without turning muddy or orange on the skin. As the name suggests, it also imparts a soft, airbrush-esque finish; it never settled into or called attention to fine lines (always a win).  

At the end of the day, it’s an awesome, all-around pick for those who want a natural, everyday bronzer; just keep in mind you’ll need to pick up a separate bronzer brush to use with it.

Lisa, tester with a neutral skin tone: “This bronzer struck the perfect balance—rich enough to impart a sun-kissed warmth, but sheer enough to look incredibly natural.”

Best Stick

Rare Beauty Bronzer Stick

$26 at Sephora $26 at Kohls.com View on Rarebeauty.com

Finish: Matte | Shades: 7 | Size: 0.25 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Stick formulas win the day for effortless, on-the-go application, and this bronzing stick is no exception. We couldn’t get over how easily and beautifully it both went on and melted into the skin, without ever accentuating pores or dry patches. The pigment does pack a serious punch—it only takes a bit of product to achieve full-color coverage. (Still, it’s easily buildable and blendable.) Heads up, though, many of the colors skew a bit towards the warmer side of the spectrum.

Lee, tester with a neutral skin tone: “The texture of this product is so lovely and even though it’s so creamy, it has an almost powdery finish which is nice because it doesn’t leave your face feeling sticky.”

Best Powder Duo

Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick

$60 at Victoriabeckhambeauty.com $60 at Bergdorfgoodman.com $66 at Violet Grey

Finish: Matte | Shades: 5 | Size: 0.34 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sometimes two shades are better than one. Each of these compacts comes with two colors you can mix, match, and blend to find the perfect hue for you. That was a big winning point for us, as was the silky, creamy, luxurious texture that will totally make you rethink everything you thought you knew about powder products.  

One of our top takeaways: Start with less product than you think you need and gradually build it up because one layer tends to deliver just the right amount of pigment. And keep in mind that some excess powder can build up on top of the pan so it can get a bit messy.

Alyssa, tester with a neutral skin tone: “This compact was so smooth and silky; it felt amazing on my skin during application and after. It's very lightweight in feel but looks a bit heavy at first; blending is extremely important with this bronzer since the tiniest amount goes such a long way. This is up there with the best powder bronzers in my collection.”

Best Cream & Powder Duo

Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Creme Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo

$40 at Sephora View on Patrickta.com $40 at Kohls.com

Finish: Natural | Shades: 5 | Size: 0.23, 0.24 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This dynamic duo features two different formulas in one convenient compact: A cream for contouring alongside a powder bronzer. We used them together as well as the bronzer on its own, and were impressed in both instances. (Not to mention feeling like we were getting two products for the price of one was a nice bonus.) 

The textures of both products look and feel natural on the skin as do the colors and ever-so-slightly radiant finish. And while they’re both easy to apply, our testers found the bronzer was slightly more challenging to blend out when used on its own.

Ashley, tester with a neutral skin tone: “I absolutely love this bronzer. I have used a lot of other bronzers and this is by far my favorite. I love how much it adds subtle improvement to my face—contouring, highlights, and a perfect sun-kissed glow. I forgot I had it on as it didn't change my skin texture at all. The cream plus the bronzing powder really has sold me; I feel like I am getting so much out of this product.”

Best Blush & Bronzer Duo

Dibs Beauty Desert Island Duo

View on Dibsbeauty.com

Finish: Natural | Shades: 9 | Size: 0.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Blush and bronzer are like peanut butter and jelly—sure, you can have just one, but they’re so much better paired together. Enter this dual-ended stick. For starters, we loved how easy it is to use, especially for on-the-go touch-ups. Although, we didn’t really need many of those, since this proved to have excellent staying power. The creamy texture melted beautifully into the skin, making application a breeze; the colors were also buildable. 

Our testers were huge fans of how perfectly coordinated the blush and bronzer were, helping take the guesswork out of finding a great blush. One minor critique: the product is so blendable, that they sometimes accidentally blended it in too much, and had to go back and add some more.

Michelle, tester with a neutral skin tone: “This is one of the better bronzer sticks I’ve used in terms of texture. I also loved that there was a blush on the other end of the stick that matched beautifully with my skin tone.”