6 Of The Best Bronzers For All Skin Tones & Budgets

Best Bronzers | Space NK
For many of us, bronzer is a way of life. Whether you’re sculpting, defining, ‘brontouring’ or simply adding a layer of warmth to your face (and eyelids), bronzer is that one product you can always rely on to give your complexion that instant sun-kissed finish. But, just like foundation, the shade and application can make or break a look (admit it, you’ve been there done that). Luckily, bronzers have come a long way – and with a wave of new and easy to use formulas (hello, stick bronzers and creamy textures), getting that holiday glow come rain or shine has never been easier.

To make life easy, we’ve listed our picks of the best bronzers that offer a range of shades for every skin tone and outlined who they're good for…
01

Hourglass

Ambient Lighting Bronzer, £56.00

Best Bronzer With A Hint Of Shimmer
Looking for an effortlessly lit-from-within glow? Hourglass is the brand to reach for, and this much-loved powder bronzer with shimmer, inspired by the Ambient® Lighting Powder range. Available in four flexible shades to suit fair, medium, tan and deeper complexions, it’s been created with Hourglass’s innovative Photoluminescent Technology – which essentially means you can expect a radiant, light-reflecting finish. The feel is weightless, the finish is natural yet perfectly defined.

SHOP NOW
02

Charlotte Tilbury

Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer, £45.00

Best Cream Bronzer For Dry Skin
One of the latest additions to the Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin family is this gloriously pigmented formula, the brand’s first ever cream bronzer which has unsurprisingly caused a stir on TikTok. Made with hyaluronic acid for extra hydration and provitamin D3, it cleverly follows the skincare benefits of its foundation predecessor and comes in four shades especially suited to medium, tan and deep skin tones. It glides on like a dream on both the face and body – and if you’re after a super smooth application, team it with its fellow Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Bronzer Brush, £36.00.

SHOP NOW
03

Nars

Laguna Bronzing Cream, £36.00

Best Bronzer For Fair Skin
As a sellout sensation and usual suspect in many a makeup bag – our Chief Merchandising Officer Margaret Mitchell swears by it – it’s no wonder Laguna is the inspiration behind NARS’ latest bronzing sensation, Laguna Bronzing Cream. While there are a total of five shades made for all skin tones, if you have fair skin and are looking for a natural glow to complete your tan, we recommend investing in Laguna. It gives your skin a natural looking warm rather than orange.

SHOP NOW
04

Rose Inc

Solar Infusion Soft-Focus Cream Bronzer, £30.00

Best Cream Bronzer With A Dewy Finish
Beautifully smooth and skincare-inspired, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s cream bronzer is all about adding that subtle glow and dimension to your complexion while simultaneously nourishing your skin. Its genius blend of skin-loving ingredients including squalane, vitamins C and E and rose oil helps blur texture and banish any possible dullness – which means it’ll make you look good both in the short and long term. There are four shades available made to suit fair, medium and deep skin tones (Kauai is Rosie’s favourite).

SHOP NOW
05

Laura Mercier

Matte Radiance Baked Powder, £41.00

Best Bronzer For The ‘No Makeup’ Makeup Look
A bronzer that emulates a highlighter might sound too good to be true, but this double act does just that. It’s lightweight, velvety texture offers buildable coverage and delivers a radiant warmth that looks just as good on bare skin as it does on a made-up complexion. The first shade from this line does essentially classify as a highlighter; however, there are four more shades on offer that look beautiful on fair and medium skin tones.

SHOP NOW
06

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Powder Bronzer, £30.00

Best Matte Bronzer
And because the queen of brows knows aplenty about bronzing and contouring too, we couldn’t not include this bronzing hero that comes in a total of six ultra-flattering shades for fair, medium, olive and dark skin tones. Whether you choose to use this finely milled powder formula for a just-back-from holiday look or for a contoured effect, you’ll love how seamlessly it glides on the skin and how easy it is to work with. Forget flat-matte bronzers, this one has a subtle radiance to it for extra definition.

SHOP NOW


How To Find The Best Bronzer For You

The key to choosing the right bronzer – and leaving the days of ashy, orangey and glittery finishes behind – is knowing your undertone (look at your wrist veins under natural light). If you have cool undertones, bronzers with a blush, pink or red finish will work best for you. If you believe you sit somewhere in the middle, you’re likely to be able to pull off both warm and cool bronzers – but pinky tones will look especially good.

Warm undertones? Bronzers with golden, peachy or yellow tendencies were made for you. And remember – bronzing is about enhancing your natural skin and focusing on where the sun naturally hits your face (the tops of your cheeks, top of your forehead, bridge of your nose and a little on your neck and decolletage). Also, use a light hand when applying – because less really is more.

Read More

Best Sweat Proof Makeup Products
Is Cream Bronzer Better Than Powder?
Laura Mercier vs Nars Tinted Moisturiser
The Best Makeup Brushes
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2023

More From Inside Space

8 Feel-Good Sustainable Beauty Products To Gift GIFT GUIDE

8 Feel-Good Sustainable Beauty Products To Gift

Read Now
Top 5 Beauty Buys For February MOST WANTED

Top 5 Beauty Buys For February

Read Now