10 MUA-Loved Drugstore Bronzers | Best Drugstore Bronzer
As the season changes, so does our skin - from warm to pale and back again. Good news, that warm, tan glow that you see people so carefully maintain throughout the year in just one product away.
This product is none other than a bronzer that delivers that sun-kissed glow without breaking the bank. Long gone are the days when high-end bronzers indefinitely outranked drugstore bronzers. With even MUAs carrying drugstore brands in their kit, it's definitely a must-have for everyone else too.
To get you started, these 12 best drugstore bronzers, from creamy textures to powder formulas are budget-friendly options that promise a natural, just-stepped-off-the-beach radiance.
Whether you're a contouring pro or just looking to add a touch of warmth, these affordable bronzers have got you covered.
What is bronzer?
Bronzer is a cosmetic product designed to add warmth, dimension, and a healthy glow to the skin. Typically available in powder, cream, or liquid form, it comes in various shades to suit different skin tones. It helps create the illusion of a natural tan or healthy flush, even if the skin hasn't been exposed to the sun. Bronzer is applied to areas of the face where the sun naturally hits, such as the cheekbones, temples, jawline, neck and décolletage.
What bronzer is best for my skin tone?
The general rule of choosing a bronzer that is two shades darker than your skin tone applies to a wide range of skin tones, not just olive or tan complexions. This guideline helps ensure a natural and flattering bronzed effect for various skin shades. Bottom line, try the deeper shades and go with the look you love.
Best Drugstore Bronzer
Best Overall: Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer
Coverage: Sheer to medium | Finish: Dewy | Skin Type: All Including Sensitive
The Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer stands out as a top pick with its silky-smooth formula that effortlessly blends (just like butter) providing a natural-looking finish that transforms from powder to a cream-like texture. It also hydrates the skin, thanks to its enriching blend of essential fatty acids and pro-vitamins.
This buildable bronzer offers long-lasting wear with sheer, yet buildable, finish. This bronzer is dermatologist-approved, vegan-friendly, and comes highly recommended by makeup artists for those who don't mind a touch of fragrance.
Best Contour Stick: Nyx Professional Makeup Wonder Stick
Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural Matte | Skin Types: All
The NYX Wonder Stick is a versatile two-in-one cream contour and highlighter stick that simplifies the contouring process. With its creamy and blend-able formula and precise applicator allows for defined and controlled application making contouring and highlighting a breeze.
The Wonder Stick is a great portable option when it comes to makeup minimalism. The deeper end is perfect for sculpting out the high points of the face, while the lighter end adds a bright, highlighted effect.
Best Lightweight Formula: Rimmel London Natural Bronzer
Coverage: Medium | Finish: Sheer Natural Finish | Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combo
The Rimmel London Natural Bronzer is a go-to choice for those seeking a lightweight and natural-looking glow. Its finely-milled formula blends into the skin providing a subtle radiance that's perfect for daily wear.
The bronzer's fine golden shimmer adds a touch of warmth, giving you that coveted sun-kissed look that also adds a bit of sun protection in with a dash of SPF 15.
Tip: Although this drugstore bronzer imparts an instant glow, be sure to properly set it to keep the product from fading away.
Best Cream Bronzer For Dry Skin: Makeup Revolution Cream Bronzer
Coverage: Light To Medium Buildable | Finish: Soft Matte | Skin Type: Dry, Normal and Combo
The Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Bronzer is ideal for those with dry skin. Its creamy texture not only creates a nice tan but also enhances the natural radiance of your complexion.
Enriched with skin-loving ingredients like Vitamin C, Niacinamide, and Tropical Papaya Extracts, it goes beyond makeup to provide nourishment. The formula smoothly transitions from cream to powder, culminating in a soft matte finish that sets flawlessly.
Best Shimmer Bronzer: Milani Baked Bronzer
Coverage: Light | Finish: Shimmery | Skin Type: All
The Milani Baked Bronzer stands out offering a richly pigmented look with a hint of fine shimmers, resulting in a streak-free, natural-looking glow. It goes beyond the basics allowing you to shape, contour, and highlight your best facial features all with one product.
With three lightweight and long-wearing, versatile shades available, ranging from a soft gold to a tantalizing tan, you're sure to find the perfect match for your skin tone. This Milani bronzer provides a warm glow that may fade into the skin in a soft fade.
Best Satin Finish: Flower Beauty Baked Bronzer
Coverage: Light Buildable | Finish: Satin | Skin Type: All
The Flower Beauty Baked Bronzer is your go-to for achieving a radiant, everyday glow. Its satin finish effortlessly blends for a warm, luminous look that provides a lit-from-within ambient glow. Plus, it contains glycerine to keep your skin moisturized, ensuring comfortable wear.
Suitable for all, it standouts out even more on olive-undertoned skin imparting a soft, pinkish hue without any orange undertones. It's essentially a budget-friendly take on the Laura Geller-like bronzer.
Best For Oily and Acne Prone Skin: Loreal Fresh Wear Bronzer
Coverage: Buildable | Finish: Soft Matte | Skin Type: Oily
Powder on oily skin, can be a matte wonder or become an oily disaster. That's wear the L'Oreal Fresh Wear Bronzer becomes a safety net with its non-comedogenic, pore-friendly composition that allows for easy application and build-up.
That makes it the best choice for those with oily and acne-prone skin while giving you the perfect level of bronzed radiance.
With an impressive shade range, it caters to various skin tones. This waterproof, sweat-proof, and transfer-proof formula means your bronzed look stays put even in challenging conditions, similar to the Maybelline city bronzer.
Pro-Tip: Apply a generous amount of moisturizer before using it on dry skin to avoid a cakey look.
Best Matte: Colourpop Pressed Powder Mega Bronzer
Coverage: Medium Buildable | Finish: Matte | Skin Type: All
For those seeking a matte, natural glow in their everyday makeup routine with a powder large enough to last a lifetime, give ColourPop's Pressed Mega Powder Bronzer a go.
Its light-as-air formula effortlessly blurs imperfections, while the inclusion of amino acids ensures your skin stays moisturized and smooth.
With high pigmentation and a blendable texture, this travel-friendly compact lasts all day without drying out your skin, making it perfect for light to medium skin tones.
Best Viral Formula: Elf Cosmetics Putty Bronzer
Coverage: Medium | Finish: Semi-Matte | Skin Type: Dry, Combo, Normal and Oily
The Elf Putty Bronzer earns its spot as the go-to choice for those in search of a highly pigmented and buildable bronzer. This viral putty-to-powder formula leaves a semi-matte finish that sculpts the cheeks and imparts a warm glow. Thanks to the inclusion of Argan Oil and Vitamin E, it provides hydration and nourishment without feeling greasy.
The lightweight texture and soft finish make it beginner-friendly and effective at applying a light yet even layer. With a range of flexible shades, it adapts to various skin tones, making it a versatile option.
Best Vegan Formula: Pacifica Sun Dreams Bronzer
Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural | Skin Type: All
The Pacifica Sun Dreams Bronzer is a vegan-friendly bronzer that offers a creamy formula that allows for seamless contouring, bronzing, and blending.
A little product goes a long way, and its buildable nature allows for a customized finish. The inclusion of floral extracts adds a touch of hydration, ensuring your skin stays nourished. With shades that steer clear of an overly orange hue, it provides a youthful radiance.
Pro-Tip: While it's easy to apply, some users may find it prone to slight creasing and bringing out texture. Use a primer to avoid this.
How to Apply Bronzer (Powder vs Cream)
Whether you're using a powder or cream formula, the application process is relatively the same.
- For powder bronzers, opt for a soft-bristled, rounded brush, while cream bronzer works best with a makeup sponge, foundation brush, or your fingertips.
- Next, identify the placement on your face - focus on the high points where the sun naturally hits, including the forehead, temples, cheekbones, and jawline. Apply the bronzer lightly, whether it's powder or cream, and gradually build up the intensity as needed. Ensuring a seamless finish is essential, so blend thoroughly using circular motions.
If you're using bronzer for contouring, concentrate on the hollows of the cheeks, jawline, and sides of the nose with a slightly deeper shade. Remember to build up the product gradually, as it's easier to add than to remove.
Conclusion
Whether you're a makeup maven or just starting out on your beauty journey, these bronzers offer a golden ticket to a sun-kissed glow.
For a tried-and-true formula that withstood the test of time, Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter is the best overall choice, offering a dewy finish that imparts a natural sun-kissed glow.
If you're seeking a bronzer that stays put throughout the day, Elf Primer-Infused Bronzer is one to be trusted.
For individuals with oily or acne-prone skin, L'oreal Fresh Wear Bronzer proves to be the go-to pick.
FAQS
What is the difference between bronzer and contour?
Bronzer is applied to add warmth to the skin. It mimics the effect of natural sunlight on the face. Contour, on the other hand, is used to create shadows and define specific facial features, giving the appearance of more sculpted cheekbones and a refined jawline.
Can you use your bronzer if you have tan/darker skin?
Bronzer is a wonderful addition to anyone's makeup bag including individuals with tan or darker skin tones. Find your perfect shade and apply it to areas where the sun naturally hits for a radiant finish.
Do I need Bronzer For Blush?
Applying bronzer and blush together can indeed create a beautifully natural and dimensional look. The bronzer adds warmth and definition, while the blush provides a healthy flush of color.
Should I use cream or powder bronzer?
In today's market, there are cream and powder bronzers for all skin types. Cream bronzers on their own are great for a dewy look and powder bronzers are perfect for its matte finish. For a stunning look, you can use both. Apply cream bronzer first for a natural contour and then set it with powder bronzer. This combination creates a long-lasting and sculpted effect.
How We Curated This List?
Curating this list involved a meticulous process of evaluating various bronzer options based on several key criteria. The process began by researching and identifying popular and highly-rated drugstore bronzers in the market. Next, customer reviews were examined based on factors like pigmentation, bend-ability, ingredients (like whipped cocoa butter), longevity, and bronzer shade range. Specific features such as formulation (liquid bronzer, cream, powder, etc.), finish (matte bronzer, matte shades, shimmer, etc.), and suitability for different skin types were taken into account to find the best product in each category above.
Source:
Like these stories? You will (probably) love our monthly newsletter.
