12 of the Best Bronzers for the Ultimate Sun-Kissed Glow
Concealer? Check. Blush? Check. Highlighter? Check. But something’s off? The best bronzer may be the missing puzzle piece to your look—a few swipes of which can elevate a sallow complexion while imparting a sun-kissed glow to the face, décolletage, arms, and even legs—and on all skin tones. At times when sunshine is difficult to come by, they are a lifesaver, and a speedy way to make skin look healthy with hardly any effort. And even as we bask in sunny days through the end of summer, it amps up the warmth with ease.
What a good bronzer can also do is add definition. It can create cheekbones where perhaps there were none before, as well as enhance collarbones and the jawline in an instant. It’s all about adding light and shade, creating shapes, and acquiring a lit-from-within radiance that looks natural. Like you, but better.
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.
Our Top Picks
- Best Liquid: Saie Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Effortless Liquid Bronzer, $25
- Best 3-in-1: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sun-Kissed Powder, $95
- Best Stick: Merit Bronze Balm Sheer Sculpting Bronzer, $30
- Best Bronzing Drops: Westman Atelier Super Loaded All-Over Illuminator Drops, $58
- Best Viral: Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzing Powder, $36
In This Story
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. Swipe it along the cheekbones, forehead, and even nose to get a slightly contoured, naturally satin-finish glow without harsh lines. And in expected Merit fashion, this is enriched with fatty acids to aid skin’s moisture levels, too.
- Ingredients: Microfine pigments, fatty acids
- Type: Cream
- Finish: Satin
- Shades: Five
Best 3-in-1: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sun-Kissed Powder
- Why We Love It: When I asked Vogue’s senior beauty editor Margaux Anbouba to choose her favorite bronzer of 2024 she named this new Chanel powder in a mater of seconds—a choice I instantly seconded. What we both love is that it features a bronzer, blush, and highlighter trio that sweeps onto skin with a healthy-looking glow (thanks to fine, silky powders!). Best for a one-and-done beat, apply it with the featured brush or something super fluffy—like Chanel's Blush Brush N°110.
- Ingredients: Jasmine flower extract,
- Type: Powder
- Finish: Sheer, glowing
- Shades: Five
Best Liquid: Saie Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Effortless Liquid Bronzer
- Why We Love It: If you want an undetectable bronze, one that reads just-back-from-vacation rather than “I did my makeup this morning,” Saie’s Dew Bronze is undoubtedly the one for you. Its creamy liquid is buildable (three drops is the sweet spot, IMO) and sinks quickly into skin once you start blending. What I most love is its natural finish that is skin-like and lasts for hours.
- Ingredients: Glycerin, licorice root extract, silica
- Type: Liquid
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: Six
Best Bronzing Drops: Westman Atelier Super Loaded All-Over Illuminator Drops
- Why We Love It: Bronzing drops are the simplest way to achieving a sun-kissed, just-tanned look. “They lend a glow to the skin and help me build a believable tan on a variety of skin tones,” celebrity makeup artist Suzy Gerstein previously tells Vogue—emphasizing their blendability and versatility. Of the best, Westman Atelier’s are an editor-favorite—delivering not only a golden gleam, but much-needed moisture via hydrators like tsubaki oil and vitamin C.
- Ingredients: Avocado seed oil, tsubaki oil, vitamin C
- Type: Liquid
- Finish: Radiant
- Shades: Three
Best Cream: Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Sticks
- Why We Love It: You never have to worry about over-bronzing with this Rare Beauty formula. Gently buff the bronzer in one of the eight vibrant hues, for a Selena Gomez-worthy glow and sculpt. Plus, the finish here is skin-like—meaning the result looks more like a natural tan than chiseled contour.
- Ingredients: Rare Beauty’s Botanical Blend (lotus, gardenia, and white water lily oils)
- Type: Cream
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: Eight
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.
- Ingredients: Mica, silica
- Type: Powder
- Finish: Radiant
- Shades: Eight
Best Matte: Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick
- Why We Love It: Let’s be clear: bronzing is not synonymous with shimmering—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: Matte
- Shades: 10
Best Illuminating: Guerlain Terracotta Light Healthy Glow Bronzer
- Why We Love It: As for 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 shimmering 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
Best Serum: Makeup By Mario Softsculpt Multi-Use Bronzing & Shaping Serum
- Why We Love It: A recent debut from celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic’s lineup, Softsclupt Bronzing & Shaping Serum caught my attention for two reasons: The first is its serum formula—something unlike the powder bronzers that typically hit my desk—which feels and looks great on bare skin (akin to a face serum). It can also be applied ahead of a tinted moisturizer—as a form of underpainting, or simply to avoid harsh bronzer lines. Secondly, I love that this product features two applicator types—a pump and a wand for added customization.
- Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin E
- Type: Serum-like liquid
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: Seven
Best Viral: Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzing Powder
- Why We Love It: Benefit’s Hoola is cult for a reason. Containing the finest of pearlescent pigments, it creates a believable glow anyone would delight in making it an unsurprising addition to any It-girl's makeup bag. 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
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-enducing. 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
Best Cream & Powder Duo: Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo
- Why We Love It: You really get the best of both worlds with Patrick Ta’s Major Sculpt. With a cream and powder bronzing pigment, you can truly customize your look to your liking. While many of us may create long-wear glow by setting a cream contour with powder, take a page from Ta’s playbook by applying powder then cream. The result? A red-carpet glam worthy of a superstar. Not to mention, this makes makeup packing that much simpler.
- Ingredients: Sunflower seed oil, jojoba seed oil
- Type: Crème and powder
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: Five
What to Look For in 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 towards 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 Bronzer
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.”
Meet the Experts
- Suzy Gerstein is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Leighton Meester, Tory Burch, and Karlie Kloss.
- Dominic Skinner is a pro makeup artist, global senior artist for MAC, and judge on BBC’s hit show Glow Up.
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