21 Best Bronzers for Radiant Skin Year-Round

The E.L.F. Cosmetics Halo Glow Contour Beauty Wand is a newer launch that's already picking up steam across TikTok for its warmth-inducing abilities. Its plush applicator allows for precise application while the velvety, creamy formula blends out like a dream. Speaking of the formula itself, this liquid bronzer is available in five flexible shades that work across a wide range of skin tones.

Sure, the Guerlain Terracotta Light Healthy Glow Bronzer provides all the warmth your desire for your complexion, but what makes this powder bronzer so special is its ability to blush, warm, and highlight your complexion all at once. Each of its six shades was meticulously crafted (with moisturizing Moroccan flower honey, might we add) to boost radiance and definition while adding a subtle, natural-looking flush through its honeycomb-patterned design.

One of the biggest questions to ever plague humankind is, without a doubt, this: Bronzer or contour? Well, you can get both from one goof-proof product, thanks to Milk Makeup's Matte Cream Bronzer Stick. The beauty of this stick bronzer is its matte finish, which defines and enhances the natural contours of your face while its neutral-to-warm hues create a luminant look. No matter which of its five shades you decide to swipe on, we can guarantee you'll be pleased with the results.

When we say the Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer, an Allure Best of Beauty-winning drugstore bronzer, feels as plush as soft butter, we truly mean it. This buttery bronzer comes in eight shades and actually gets its putty-like texture and moisturizing feel from a blend of murumuru, cupuaçu, and tucuma butters.

Yes, this 2018 Best of Beauty-winning matte bronzer smells like chocolate, and yes, it also comes in the perfect shades to achieve a sun-kissed glow all year round. Infused with cocoa powder and bronzing pigments, this matte bronzer comes in three shades: Milk Chocolate Soleil (light matte bronze), Chocolate Soleil (medium matte bronze), and Dark Chocolate Soleil (deep tan shown above) to suit a wide range of skin tones.

If you're shopping for drugstore bronzers, L'Oréal Paris's Infallible 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Bronzer is one of our tried-and-true favorites. Not only does it comes in a wider eight-shade range, but its formula is also one of the best long-wear matte-finish bronzers we've ever had the pleasure of swiping on. Its waterproof formula won't budge or fade for a guaranteed 24 hours.

Powder products will always have a space in our makeup bags, but cream bronzers are so blendable and create such a naturally dewy look that we can't help but reach for them. One of the best cream bronzers currently in our cosmetics collection is the LYS Beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer, a balm-like formula that comes in five varying shades. This matte formula sculpts and defines contours while hydrating sodium hyaluronate, a derivative of hyaluronic acid, plumps skin and creates a glowy (not greasy) finish. 

New York City-based makeup artist Jamie Dorman says this cream bronzer is one of her favorites for its larger range of undertones. "It can be so hard to find bronzer shades for dark skin with options for people who want warmer or cooler tone," she says  "This product comes in multiple undertones and has a silky formula that will make skin look naturally tan."

Yes, Nars may be known for their orgasm-inspired blush, but don't sleep on the brand's Bronzer Powder. This soft, buildable, and Allure Best of Beauty-winning formula comes in four shimmer-spiked shades that blend like a dream on the skin, regardless of whether you're wearing foundation or going bare. "The matte texture looks like a natural tan and it comes in shades that have warm and cool undertones," adds Dorman.

Can't choose between a powder or cream bronzer? With the Allure Best of Beauty Award-winning Patrick Ta Beauty Major Sculpt Crème Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo, you won't have to. With this contour palette, which comes in three shades, you can have the best of both wrolds: a soft powder formula for subtle contour moments and a more pigmented cream for added intensity.

Want an easy multiuse option that's practically impossible to mess up? Allow us to introduce you to W3ll People's Supernatural Stick Bronzer, a creamy stick formula that makes subtle contouring as easy as a few swipes. This stick instantly melts into your skin, leaving behind a sheer wash of shimmer and warmth for an understated glow.

Any of this buildable formula's three shades can be layered for added subtle intensity across your jawline, cheekbones, and lids. In case you're wondering, this bronzer stick is also infused with good-for-skin ingredients, including antioxidant-rich green tea to protect against free radicals and moisture-retaining jojoba oil.

Fenty Beauty always reigns supreme when it comes to providing proper shade ranges, and that still rings true when it comes to the brand's Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer. Out of all of the bronzers on this list, Fenty Beauty's shade range is one of the largest, topping at nine matte hues, so you can easily find a perfect match for your skin tone.

Hourglass's Ambient Lighting Bronzer looks like a marbled masterpiece, but that's not the only reason why we love it. This illuminating bronzer comes in four layerable hues, each one containing a blend of the brand's Ambient Lighting Powder with bronze pigments (hence its swirled finish).

With five shades and a luminous finish, the Gucci Poudre De Beauté Éclat Soleil Bronzing Powder is one of the best luxury bronzers worth your hard-earned dollars. It has a soft, silky, and lightweight feel and blends effortlessly without completely fading away for a faux glow that makes your skin look as sculpted and bronzed as ever. It's also worth noting that this bronzer is spiked with hyaluronic acid, a skin-care ingredient known for its water-retaining properties.

The Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer is one of those beauty products that we turn to time and time again, which is why it's an Allure Best of Beauty winner. Originally, this soft-textured bronzer only came in one shade, but thankfully the brand has extended its range to include a grand total of four different matte hues, including the deep brown shade Toasted seen above.

Flowers recommends trying Bobbi Brown's Bronzer for its soft, matte formula with buildable coverage. This weightless formula comes in six shades to choose from for a variety of skin tones to enjoy, but she says the shade Deep is a rosy, caramel shade that's exquisite for deeper skin tones.

For those with medium-to-tan skin tones, New York City-based makeup artist Ingeborg highly recommends giving Charlotte Tilbury's limited-edition Mini Filmstar Bronze & Glow a go. "Not only is it a beautiful bronzer, but it's a great contour and highlight, too," she says, adding that it's not overly orangey and it blends easily, so you don't have to worry about awkward streaks or patchy areas.

Yes, an intense contour has its time and place, but those of us who prefer subtle, natural-looking finishes need an option that's light yet impactful. That's where Makeup by Mario's SoftSculpt Bronzer comes in. Each of its six shades has a light, muted finish that adds definition without looking overly dramatic.

Pixi's On-the-Glow Bronzer is a solid stick balm formula that's hard to beat, thanks to its moisturizing, aloe vera-infused formulation and light yet buildable tint. This drugstore bronzer comes in four satiny shades, including a rosy pink bronzer-blush known as WarmGlow and the chocolate-brown shade BeachGlow seen above.

Maybelline's City Bronzer in its lightest shade, 100, barely looks like a bronzer — but sometimes that's exactly what fair skin needs to get that subtle hint of warmth and dimension. Made with cocoa butter, it blends in beautifully, so it never reads as "I'm wearing bronzer" but rather "I just naturally glow." This drugstore bronzer comes in three light shades to choose from, so those of you who are deeper than light-to-medium in skin tone may want to opt for another pick on this list.