Trust Me: I'm Committed to Year-Round Glow, and No Makeup Bag Is Complete Without This Product

My ride or die bronzer. If I lost my makeup bag and had to quickly replace everything, I’d add Nars Laguna to my basket ASAP. Available in 8 shades, there’s an option to suit most skin tones, and the powder formula blends smoothly. I like to use this for contouring and wearing on the eyes, as well as for giving my skin an all over glow—it’s for this reason that this takes top spot as the overall best bronzer.

My current go-to bronzer, I’ve been using Charlotte Tilbury’s cream formula for months now, and I'm a huge fan. It’s creamy without being too soft, meaning it blends easily and melts into the skin beautifully. It’s also enriched with hyaluronic acid, so it doesn’t feel drying or go cakey throughout the day.

My only wish is that it also came in a smaller size for travelling, as, while the huge pan makes it excellent value for money, I love this bronzer so much I want to take it everywhere.

Best for: Deep sculpting

Benefit’s Hoola bronzer is an icon for a reason. Since launching in 2001 it’s racked up an impressive list of fans, including Ariana Grande and Lindsey Lohan, however I’d like to think my seal of approval is just as important. As my favourite matte bronzer, it’s buildable and blendable, with a natural-looking bronze pigment. Plus, Benefit extended the shade range in 2019, meaning there are now four options to choose from to suit a multitude of skin tones.

On days when I want a more subtle glow, I love a liquid bronzer. Saie’s Dew Bronze is one of my favourites, offering a lightweight wash of colour that can easily be built up for a more sculpted look. I like to apply it directly from the applicator before using a small fluffy brush, like Real Techniques Setting Brush, to buff it into the skin.

I’ll be honest, the first time I tried Chanel’s Les Beiges Bronzing Cream I didn’t love it. While it felt buttery soft and blended beautifully into the skin, the colour didn’t translate for my skin tone, especially during the summer months. Then in 2020, Chanel added two additional shades to the offering, medium bronze and deep bronze, and so I revisited it. Now I’m a convert, it’s creamy, buildable and so easy to use. Plus, it gives the skin the perfect warm, bronze tint.

If you want a bronzer that can easily double up as a targeted contour stick, I’d recommend Milk’s Bronzing sticks. Not only does the applicator make it easy to apply to specific areas of the face, but the matte finish lends itself to a natural-looking contour. I like to sweep it under my cheekbones and under my jawline before blending with my fingers for subtle definition and lift.

Hourglass Ambient Light powders are a makeup-artist favourite for giving the complexion a subtle radiant glow. What you may not know, however, is that they also have a bronzer version, which gives skin the same illuminating finish, yet with added pigment. What surprised me most about these bronzers was how pigmented they actually are, as you only need a light touch for the prettiest bronzy glow. I love to use this bronzer during the summer or while I’m away on holiday as it catches the light beautifully without a heavy glitter or shimmer finish.

Merit’s whole ethos is to create beauty products that work hard yet are easy to use in equal measure. The Bronze Balm delivers on this—you can simply swipe it on and blend with a brush or fingers. I love that, rather than a matte or shimmer finish, it’s actually more on the dewy side, which makes my skin look healthy and hydrated, alongside giving it a warm glow. For me, this and a lightweight skin tint are all I need to wear on warm sunny days.

While many of the bronzers on this list sit on the golden spectrum, darker skin tones need a deeper shade, which will translate to their complexions. Ever the inclusive beauty brand, Fenty delivers on this front with eight shades of Sun Stalk’r Bronzer, of which Thick Mint is the deepest. Not just focusing on the shade however, Fenty’s deeper shades also have warm red undertones which make them ultra-flattering on dark skin.

Similarly, on pale skin tones, many golden bronzers can lean yellow, giving an unnatural colour payoff on the skin. For those who need something lighter, I recommend a bronzer with pink undertones, like Gucci’s Soleil Powder in Fair, as these mimic the skin's natural colouring for a more wearable finish.

At under £10, NYX Professional’s Buttermelt Bronzers offer seriously great value for money. Alongside giving a pigmented wash of matte colour, the powder formula is also packed with mango, shea and almond butter, so it glides on smoothly and doesn’t look dry on the skin. After a full days wear, I notice minimal fading when I wear this—a big plus for my oily skin.

I was introduced to this bronzer by a makeup artist who swore by it for its foolproof formula and blendable texture. After trying it, I have to say I agree—it feels creamy, hydrating and the colour payoff is buildable. Pixi describes this as a tinted moisture stick rather than a traditional bronzer, so with that in mind I like to sweep it all over for a sheer, radiant glow.