The 9 Best Drugstore Bronzers That Are Just as Good as Their Expensive Counterparts

Best Overall

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

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

Finish: Matte | Shades: 7 | Size: 0.31 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

There is no shortage of standout attributes with this winner. We were impressed with how well the colors worked on the skin and how buildable the pigment was, easily adaptable based on the type of look desired. Despite being a powder, this felt lightweight and almost creamy on the skin; no need to worry about caking or creasing here. 

While the finish is matte, it never looked flat, another major win. The only minor thing to note is that it didn’t blend particularly well over other types of makeup; it required a bit more blending to score a more seamless end result. But once we did, it was more than worth it.

Christina, tester with cool undertones: “I would definitely recommend this product to most of my friends. I think it goes along with the matte trend and the no-makeup makeup trend. Because a little goes a long way, and the finish was subtle, the product can easily improve contouring all while appearing natural and having minimal makeup on the face.”

Best Shade Range

e.l.f Cosmetics Luminous Putty Bronzer

$7 at Ulta View on Elfcosmetics.com

Finish: Radiant | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.35 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Bronzers don’t always come in a ton of shades, and that goes double for drugstore bronzers. That’s what makes this pick—which comes in eight colors—that much more noteworthy. In related news, the colors pack a punch, so you may actually need less product than you think. 

Whether we applied this on bare skin or over foundation, it blended equally well. That said, it did feel slightly dry when it went on and required a bit of blending to melt more seamlessly into the skin. The directions say to use fingertips for application, but one tester found that a damp makeup sponge worked better, and helped make the process easier.

Andrea, tester with oily skin and neutral/warm undertones: “The pigmentation of the bronzer was great, a little went a long way, and it blended well with a damp beauty blender.”

Best Cream & Powder Duo

Juvia's Place Bronzed Duo

$20 at Amazon $20 at Ulta View on Juviasplace.com

Finish: Natural matte | Shades: 5 | Size: 0.8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Can’t decide whether you want a cream or a powder bronzer? With this two-in-one, there’s no need to choose. Use one, the other, or layer them—the choice is totally up to you. We were big fans of how beautifully this applied and sat on the skin, never calling attention to things like dry patches or prominent pores.

All of the shades were gorgeous too, with no unwanted undertones, and the texture of both formulas felt smooth and lightweight. We truly couldn’t find anything we didn’t like about this product.

Irianna, tester with a neutral skin tone: “I mainly use high-end products, so for an affordable product to perform as well is awesome.”

Best Blendability

Makeup Revolution Cream Bronzer

$8 at Ulta $8 at Target

Finish: Natural | Shades: 3 | Size: 0.24 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This cream bronzer was our favorite for how well it blended into the skin on its own, but also how well it blended with other products. FYI, it may look a lot darker when you first put it on than you’d expect. But it’s easy to blend into the skin. Despite being creamy, it never made our complexion appear oily or shiny, always a win. And, whether we applied it with a brush or a sponge, it went on equally well. It is worth noting that it does contain a fruity fragrance; while our tester liked it, if you’re sensitive to fragrance, just keep that in mind.

Cara, tester with a neutral skin tone: “It's very smooth and goes on feeling really lightweight. The texture worked well with my semi-dry skin and didn't sink in or look cakey, which sometimes happens when I'm dry.”

Best Buildable

Maybelline New York City Bronzer Powder Makeup

$12 at Ulta $11 at Target $11 at Walmart

Finish: Matte | Shades: 3 | Size: 0.24 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

For those who want to use the same bronzer to create different types of looks, this is the perfect option. The buildable pigment means you can easily tailor the amount of color to your liking. In related news, while it only comes in three shades, our tester felt it matched her skin tone surprisingly well. The texture was great too, smooth and blendable—more so than many other powder bronzers we’ve used in the past. 

Long story short, there wasn't anything we didn’t like about this winner, except maybe the packaging—it seems like it may not hold up terribly well over time.

Ciara, tester with combination skin and a neutral skin tone: “The pigment was mild but buildable and blended easily so I can wear it as my skin darkens or lightens throughout the seasons.” 

Best Cream

Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzer

$10 at Amazon View on Milanicosmetics.com

Finish: Soft matte | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.21 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

As a general rule of thumb, cream formulas are choice for those with dryer skin, and this one is a prime example of why. It’s beautifully creamy and silky, immediately blending seamlessly into the complexion. Per the point of dry skin, it didn’t stick to nor accentuate dry patches and breakouts on our tester’s cheeks. The buildable color and perfectly natural-looking finish that’s neither too flat nor too radiant round out the list of attributes. Just keep in mind that even the lightest shade might be a bit too dark for anyone super, super fair. This may also have a bit of a tacky feel, even after it dries down,

Sarah, tester with sensitive skin and a neutral skin tone: “Usually I find cream bronzers tend to be a little stiff and need to be warmed up on the back of my hand. But this bronzer went on so smoothly at first swipe that I did a double take. This has absolutely earned a spot in my makeup routine and I’ll be reaching for it all summer long.”

Best Natural Finish

Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer

$14 at Amazon $16 at Ulta $14 at Target

Finish: Natural | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.38 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This one looks like a powder but feels (and acts) more like a cream. You can totally feel the namesake ingredient in the formula (murumuru butter), which makes for a silky smooth texture that looks and feels amazing once applied. It never accentuated prominent pores or other texture irregularities. We even liked the tropical scent (though we recognize it may not be for everyone. We just wished that the included sponge applicator worked better; we had far better application success when using one of our own brushes.

Dara, tester with combo/acne-prone skin and a neutral skin tone: “The texture is exactly as described, very buttery! It’s soft, silky, and lightweight and never sat on top of my skin or left a cakey build-up.”

Best Glowy

Pixi On-the-Glow Bronze

View on Pixibeauty.com

Finish: Glowy | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.6 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

As the name suggests, this pick from Pixi delivers some serious glow. Also as the name suggests, our tester loved using it for quick, on-the-go moments—so much so that she immediately added one to her gym bag and one to her purse. The balm-like formula is reminiscent of a lip balm in terms of feel and appearance—easy to swipe on and blend in. Both the color payoff and radiant finish are impressive; we liked using it on the face but also highlighting areas below our chin, like our collarbone. 

Erin, tester with a neutral skin tone: “I love the stick application. I’d swipe and go and felt like I was instantly glowing. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a five-minute makeup routine.”

Best Shimmery

Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer

$5 at Amazon $10 at Walmart View on Wetnwildbeauty.com

Finish: Glowy | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.38 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This bronzer has full-on shimmer status for those who want to take it up a notch from glowy. It looks (and dries down) like a powder, but has a gel-like base, which is part of why it glides on smoothly and blends well. We loved the shimmery finish and how long it lasted, although our tester did lament that the colors really do appear darker in the pan than how they look on the skin.

Alisa, tester with a neutral skin tone: “The texture was smooth and lightweight. It did work well with the texture of my skin and didn't get cakey. It was a natural shimmer and was just barely noticeable.”