Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Ask anyone you know: there’s no better feeling than coming home from a sunny, tropical vacation with a toasted tan that reminds you of sandy toes, sunscreen, and pina coladas. Then, reality sets in days later when your warm tan reverses back to your normal skin tone and you have to wait until your next vacation for that warm, bronzed look again. Luckily, you don’t have to wait that long, thanks to a staple in every beauty obsessive’s collection: bronzer.
As the name suggests, bronzer imparts a brownish-reddish glow to whatever part of your body it’s applied to. “Bronzer can be used for so many different things: giving a subtle, sun-kissed glow to the skin, adding dimension to the face, and waking up your makeup routine without looking like you did too much,” Charlie Riddle, Stila’s global beauty director, tells ELLE.com. Bronzers come in various formulas—from liquid to powder to cream—but the one for you ultimately comes down to your skin type. According to celebrity makeup artist Matthew Allen, powder bronzers are better for oily skin. “After setting the makeup with a loose powder or setting spray, use a big, fluffy brush to warm up your neck, and ears with a little bit of powdered bronzer. This will connect the face to the body flawlessly,” he explains. Liquid or cream bronzers provide a luminous glow for dry or normal skin.
Scroll down for the 20 best expert-approved bronzers tailored to every skin type and skin concern.
Pros
- Buttery smooth formula
Cons
- Can look muddy
Gucci’s bronzer is a bit pricey, celebrity makeup artist Eric Jones says it’s “Assolutamente bella because it’s “lightweight and great for a natural and youthful glow.”
Pros
- Creamy, blendable texture
Cons
- Not best for oily skin
Although it comes in powder form, Jones prefers the texture of its creamy sister. Fenty Beauty describes the bronzer as “no fuss” and Jones says they’e right and “feels as though you have a piece of the sun in your pocket,” he adds.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Comes with a highlighter
Cons
- Needs deeper shades
You can bronze without highlighting and vice versa, but everyone knows these two look flawless when paired together. “Powders are generally better if you desire all-day wear,” Sarah Tanno, artistic director at Haus Labs, explains. Naturally, her pick is the Heat Spell duo, which comes with a powder and a highlighter “so you still get that soft sun-kissed glow. They also look great on the eyes,” she adds.
Pros
- Gives a fake vacation glow
Cons
- Can harden over time
Kosas is beloved for its clean formulas and bestselling gems like the Sun Show Bronzer. Geoffrey Rodriguez—who has worked with Gigi Hadid, Padma Lakshmi, Emma Watson, and more—says its baked powder formula “gives a beautiful, ethereal glow.” Suppose you're looking for a dewier alternative. In that case, Rodriguez also recommends Kosas' other bestseller, the Color & Light Cream Palette in Tropic Equinox since it “has a rich sculpting shade and a complementary highlighter for a beautiful, sculpted, sultry glow.”
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Can be used as a blush
Cons
- Needs deeper shades
Charlie Riddle, Stila's global beauty director, recommends the Stila Convertible Color for its double-duty powers. Serving as a blush and a bronzer, Stila created five supple shades that range from soft pink to brown.
Pros
- Comes with contrasting shades
Cons
- Pricey
Riddle says to reach for the Victoria Beckham Bronzing Brick if a blurring effect is what you're after. “I’m obsessed with the Victoria Beckham Beauty Bronzers. They are dual shades one lighter and dark and highly pigmented and they are so smooth and blurring on the skin,” he says.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Great applicator
Cons
- Can be patchy
“An easy tip for adding more warmth to hands, chest, legs, and overall body is mixing a warmer shade of the KVD Beauty ModCon Liquid Gel Contour to body lotion,” KVD Beauty global artistry ambassador Sandra Saenz explains. The brush tip helps to control the product placement and “and the gel formula makes it super easy to blend with other products.”
Pros
- Blendable formula
Cons
- Needs deeper shades
“Nothing screams summer like radiant skin, but sometimes the use of highlighter when bronzing the skin can detract from that bronzed look. Code 8 Beauty cracked the code with this natural-looking powder bronzer, which has the perfect amount of shimmer, so no highlight is needed,” celebrity makeup artist Aaron Barry says.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Multi-use product
Cons
- Needs more shade options
“I love this palette, so much so I think it cured my seasonal depression,” Barry says. The palette is summer packaged in each square—blush, highlighter, and bronzer. “To create a daytime bronzed look with the Cali Contour Palette, I use the bronzer as a stand-alone or cocktail in some blush to give me that true sun-kissed look,” he adds.
Pros
- Can we used a multitude of ways
Cons
- Thin formula
Nicolette Brycki finds several ways to use Dr. Hauszka Translucent Bronzing Tint, thanks to its lightweight formula and skin-loving ingredients. “You can mix it with moisturizer, or sometimes, I even use it under foundation to contour under the cheekbones,” she says.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Contains argan oil
Cons
- Pricey
According to Rodriguez, Guerlain's Terracotta Sunkissed Natural Bronzer Powder's versatility has proved its staying power in his kit. “It's available in a formula derived from 96 percent natural ingredients and is an extremely versatile formula because it wears equally well with full makeup or on its own,” he explains.
Pros
- Shimmer without looking kiddish
Cons
- Can be a bit red
Jami Svay says Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer has the kind of glow that keeps people wondering, Did she go to Bali for a week? What's great about this bronzer is the glow it provides. “It doesn’t have that kid-like glitter; It glides on, subtly warming up the skin. I apply using a big powder brush so it’s not streaky,” she explains.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Best For Pigment
Thrive Causemetics - Sun Chaser Blur + Sculpt Bronzing Powder - Shade: Rhea (Matte)
Pros
- Pigmented
Cons
- Can look muddy
“Enriched with hyaluronic acid, which hydrates and plumps the skin, this formula is also highly pigmented. The bronzer has a velvety texture that blends to a smooth, rich, long-wearing matte finish, with a blur effect that softens pores and fine lines,” states Rodriguez.
Pros
- Super affordable
Cons
- Needs deeper shades
Celebrity makeup artist Sang Jeon—who works with CL from 2NE1, Ryan Destiny, and more—uses this affordable option because it works for all his clients. “It's pigmented and works well as an essential palette,” he says.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Soft, blendable texture
Cons
- Needs deeper shades
For a defined bronzed look, Jeon loves Il Makiage's Baked Bronzer. “This is a baked type bronzer so you can really control the pigment,” he adds.
Pros
- Great pigment
Cons
- Needs lighter shade options
Another must-have of Jeon, rest assured that your Huda Beauty Tantour Bronzer will last you a long time. The insanely pigmented formula glides on smoothly without picking up any of your foundation.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Buttery smooth
Cons
- Needs more shade options
“The Solarise bronzer is a great multi-use product that can be used to warm up the skin while adding depth and dimension to your makeup look. This bronzer not only warms up the skin but adds a subtle contour that looks great on all skin tones,” Kristen Fortier, makeup artist & product innovation lead for Crunchi Cosmetics, says.
Pros
- Contains hyaluronic acid
Cons
- Needs more shade options
“What I love about this bronzer is it applies quickly for an all-over glow, smells like a vacation in a bottle, and has moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid and brightening vitamin c,” Barry says. Barry reaches for this bronzing serum on sets to create the perfect “no-makeup makeup” look.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Pros
- Costs as much as a latte
Cons
- Not long-lasting
Fake a fresh-off-vacation glow with this $6 bronzer from E.L.F Cosmetics. The cult-favorite bronzer comes in an array of shades, is formulated with vitamin e and argan oil, and dries down to a soft matte finish—for $6 might I add again.
Pros
- Super affordable
Cons
- Can appear very warm
If you're missing the sunkissed radiance of your recent baecation, the Morphe x Avani Gregg bronzer can help you replicate it. The shade is warm enough to be used as a bronzer but can work as a contour as well.
Nerisha Penrose
Beauty Commerce Editor
Nerisha Penrose is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Prior to joining the team, she was an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com. In her current role, she helps lead coverage on makeup, skin care, hair, and fragrances. With over six years of experience in the world of beauty editorial, Nerisha enjoys delving deep into the complexities of fragrance notes, hunting for the best fixes for acne-prone skin, and advocating for daily sunscreen use. She regularly researches and tests the latest products, consults beauty professionals (including our Beauty Advisory Board) to determine the best expert-approved formulas to recommend, and conducts interviews with luminaries across the industry. Nerisha received her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Temple University before joining the editorial teams at Nylon and Billboard. In 2020, she co-launched our popular franchise The State of Black Beauty, an ongoing exploration of—and destination for—beauty at the intersection of Black culture.