The best bronzers in the UK 2023

Bronzers add a beautiful warmth and depth to your complexion, mimicking where the sun would naturally hit your face. If you want a beautiful, glowing complexion that looks like you've spent time in the sun, but without damaging your skin, then bronzer is just what you need. Read our guide to finding the perfect shade for your skin.

Nuxe - Poudre Éclat Prodigieux (face and body) 1
9/10

Editor's Choice

Nuxe - Poudre Éclat Prodigieux (face and body)

The best tanner in 2021

NUXE Poudre Éclat Prodigieux is a multi-purpose compact bronzing powder that will enhance your tan and can be used on any area of the body you wish to highlight.

23,99 £ on Marionnaud

NUXE Poudre Éclat Prodigieux is a multi-purpose compact bronzer, as it can be used on any part of the body such as the face, décolletage, shoulders or even arms. It gives an instant tanning effect to the skin that enhances your favorite areas and improves your tan. This way, whether it's summer or winter, your skin will always look radiant and luxurious, healthy, tanned and glowing.

Its composition includes 88% ingredients of natural origin, mainly jasmine flower, which gives this bronzing powder a luxurious, fresh and delicate fragrance. Jasmine also helps to keep the skin soft and smooth. Finally, its fine texture is soft on the skin, it gives you an immediate healthy glow and a nicely intensified tan leaving a radiant and natural finish.

Avril - Poudre bronzante certifiée bio 2
8/10

The best cheapest

Avril - Poudre bronzante certifiée bio

The best entry-level tanner

The certified organic powder of the brand Avril is intended for matte skin. It will give you a sun-kissed look in just one brushstroke. It has a very pleasant texture and a good behaviour.

6,40 £ on Marionnaud paris
Guerlain - Terracotta Bronzing Powder 3
9/10

The best high-end

Guerlain - Terracotta Bronzing Powder

The best high-end tanner

An absolute legend, concentrated in charm, Guerlain's Terracotta is a perfect replacement for foundation and gives the skin a luminous glow with an instant natural tanned complexion. It is accompanied by a very pleasant subtle fragrance.

30,59 £ on Marionnaud

Here you have the legendary Terracotta bronzing powder made with 96% naturally derived ingredients. It's a powder that naturally replicates the different shades of the sun, providing an instant natural glow, any time of year, in one quick and easy motion. Its formula, enriched with moisturizing active ingredients, does not dry out the skin. It ensures long-lasting comfort.

The clear pink Terracotta can be used anywhere to shape and sculpt your tan. It also has a delicious and very pleasant scent: notes of freesia and orange blossom create a cocooning sensation. They melt into notes of tonka bean and vanilla with sunny facets that embody the essence of terracotta. A note of white musk adds a velvety touch to this addictive scent.

Physicians Formula - Butter Bronzer 4
9/10

A great choice

Physicians Formula - Butter Bronzer

An ultra-rich tanner

Physicians Formula's Butter Bronzer is ultra-rich: infused with Murumuru butter, it delivers a radiant Brazilian goddess glow!

11,98 £ on Amazon

This ultra-luxurious bronzing powder contains ultra-refined pearlescent and fuzzy pigments that smooth skin texture, illuminate the complexion and provide a beautiful bronze finish. The ultra-rich formula melts instantly into the skin. Infused with a potent blend of Murumuru Butter, Cupuaçu Butter and Tucuma Butter, sourced from the lush, nutrient-rich Amazon, the Butter Bronzer has an incredibly creamy, soft texture that combines the best features of a bronzer and a cream to deliver a tropical glow illuminated from within.

Featuring a unique sponge applicator specifically designed for use with a creamy bronzer formula, the Butter Bronzer is also hypoallergenic, passing all clinical and dermatological tests with flying colors. It is also a vegan product.

Buying guide • November 2023

Best sunbathing

Any specific needs?

The best tanner in 2021

The best entry-level tanner

The best high-end tanner

An ultra-rich tanner

Your guide : Samuel

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Comparison table of the best bronzers

THE BEST CHEAP TOP OF THE LINE ALTERNATIVE
Nuxe - Poudre Éclat Prodigieux (face and body) 5
9/10
Avril - Poudre bronzante certifiée bio 6
8/10
Guerlain - Terracotta Bronzing Powder 7
9/10
Physicians Formula - Butter Bronzer 8
9/10
OUR SELECTION
Nuxe - Poudre Éclat Prodigieux (face and body)
Avril - Poudre bronzante certifiée bio
Guerlain - Terracotta Bronzing Powder
Physicians Formula - Butter Bronzer
NUXE Poudre Éclat Prodigieux is a multi-purpose compact bronzing powder that will enhance your tan and can be used on any area of the body you wish to highlight.
The certified organic powder of the brand Avril is intended for matte skin. It will give you a sun-kissed look in just one brushstroke. It has a very pleasant texture and a good behaviour.
An absolute legend, concentrated in charm, Guerlain's Terracotta is a perfect replacement for foundation and gives the skin a luminous glow with an instant natural tanned complexion. It is accompanied by a very pleasant subtle fragrance.
Physicians Formula's Butter Bronzer is ultra-rich: infused with Murumuru butter, it delivers a radiant Brazilian goddess glow!
Skin type
All skin types
Matte skin
All skin types
All skin types
Item shape
Tanning powder
Tanning powder
Powder
Powder
Effect
Skin illuminated with a natural and uniform tan
Natural tan
Natural
Sunkissed Bronzer
Product benefits
Easy to apply, sublime fragrance, a very pretty result
Moisturized and nourished skin, perfect tan
Instant natural tanned complexion
Hypoallergenic, gluten-free and non-comedogenic
Main ingredients
Jasmine flower extract, fragrance, citronellol
Vegetable silane, organically grown ingredients
96% naturally derived ingredients, notes of Ylang-ylang and orange blossom, tonka bean and vanilla
Murumuru butter, cupuaçu butter and tucuma butter

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Buying guide - sunbathing

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How to choose your sunbathing

#1 - The type of skin

To choose the perfect bronzer, you need to consider your skin type. To be safe in your choice, you should always ask around to avoid getting a tan that turns orange or yellow once applied to your face. The general rule of thumb is to choose a bronzer one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone. Knowing whether your skin tone is cool, neutral or warm is also relevant, as this will allow you to find a bronzer that will match your natural skin tone as much as possible.

Universally, you can determine your shade by looking at your veins. If they appear distinctly blue, then your skin will have cooler tones. If your veins are greenish, you have a warmer skin tone, and if you can't distinguish between the two, it's likely that your skin has a more neutral tone.

#2 - The desired finish

Tanning agents produce very different finishes depending on their texture. Liquid bronzers usually give your skin a dewy finish, and even if they don't contain much shimmer, they still give your skin a glow because of their wet texture. The radiant finish of a creamy color can make your skin look young and fresh.

A powder bronzer on the other hand gives you a more natural finish. Even very shimmery bronzers have a velvety feel and a mattifying effect on the skin. Often, people prefer to use bright liquid bronzers in the summer and more discreet powder bronzers in the winter.

#3 - The ingredients

Generally listed in the product descriptions, the ingredients of a cosmetic product will allow you to know all the components, and therefore identify which ones could be dangerous for your health. You will be able to avoid elements that could give you allergic reactions. Or avoid certain ingredients that you don't want to apply to your skin.

#4 - The practicality

It's always better to opt for an easy-to-apply, multi-purpose product that allows you to avoid multiplying products and cluttering up your toiletry bag or bathroom. A compact product is also a great choice, as it will fit easily in your purse and go with you everywhere.

How to properly apply your tanner?

The idea is to create sun-kissed skin by applying bronzer to areas of the face that the sun would naturally hit. While many of us "grew up" applying it in the shape of a "3" on each side of our face to get pretty, contoured cheeks, today's professional makeup artists advise against using this technique. "You end up with hamster cheeks!" according to makeup artist and global senior artist for MAC, Dominic Skinner.

The proper way to apply your bronzer is as follows: use your brush and buff from the top of the ear to the corner of the mouth for your first line. Then, from the same angle, apply from the corner of your eye to your temple. This method will give you pretty cheekbones, while the "3" shape blocks the entire cheek with one color.

Next, to enhance your bronzer, pair it with a blush that is neither a bronze nor a traditional blush: try a rosy brown shade. This will allow you to bridge the gap between your contour and your skin. "This becomes a transitional color - apply blush to the cheeks to help it blend perfectly."

The different types of bronzers

Bronzers come in cream, liquid and powder forms and in matte or shimmer finishes. The matte products look more realistic and are more versatile, while the shimmer products work great as a highlighter, applied sparingly to the highlights of the face or just on the cheekbones.

Powder Bronzer

It is also called bronzing powder or terracotta. It is mainly used to wake up a dull skin during winter or to create the illusion of well defined cheeks. Generally, terracotta replaces foundation, allowing the powder to protect the complexion from the sun's UV rays.

Powder bronzers are the easiest to apply and are great for oily skin.

Liquid Bronzer

Liquid bronzers will work best for normal and dry skin, they tend to have a pearly, shimmery undertone, so it's best to use them if you're looking to create a look with a shimmery, dewy finish. The main advantage of the liquid-textured bronzer is that it's extra-fluid and lightweight and blends into your skin, for a 100% natural look. However, it is more difficult to apply.

Cream Bronzer

Cream bronzers often come in stick form, so you may not want to apply it directly to your face. Warm it up on your fingers first or use a foundation brush to apply it. If you have oily skin, avoid this type of bronzer, as a bronzer tends to crease and will make your complexion look oilier.

Bronzer or contour?

Bronzer

Bronzer is mainly used to add warmth to the face, it adds color to areas where the sun would naturally hit. This product can sometimes have warmer shades like orange, red and yellow and often has an iridescent finish.

Contour

Contouring is primarily used to add dimension and shadow, it is strategically applied in certain areas of the face to sculpt and create the illusion of a more defined face shape. For example, contouring can create a sharper jawline, narrower nose, or more prominent cheekbones.

Verdict

Bronzer and contour have a few things in common with distinct differences: both can come in liquid, cream or powder form, and both can also add depth to the face, but in different ways. But if you're looking to make your skin look like you've just returned from a tropical getaway, then go for the bronzer. But if you want to slim down your profile or accentuate a part of your face, contouring will suit you better.

Why use a bronzer?

Bronzer is the makeup product every woman should have in her vanity, and here's why:

  1. Bronzer offers a matte finish that's a subtle, casual finish that makes it look like you got more sun over the weekend, not that you're just wearing makeup.
  2. If you feel like giving your makeup a little dewy touch, the bronzer pairs perfectly with a highlighter.
  3. With a bronzer, you'll rarely go wrong-it's formulated in such a way that it's virtually impossible to get too heavy-handed. Apply it with the Soft Focus Brush to your cheekbones, bridge of the nose, forehead and chin. The difference is noticeable, but natural. You can even apply your bronzer in sheer layers to get a fuller fake tan with the Powder Brush.
  4. It has a good consistency, which makes it easy to apply: it's right in the middle of the sheer/opaque scale. For a thicker finish, you just need to use a rather technical buffing brush, but for a lighter finish, it works great with most duo-fiber or less dense powder brushes.
  5. The bronzer is usually available in three shades to accommodate a wide range of skin tones. Even clients with very light skin tones can find happiness with bronzers.
  6. The bronzer offers warm, shimmery shades, a far cry from the ugly orange tones you can get from a poorly dosed self-tanner. A side of brown with enough warmth to enhance most skin tones.
  7. And finally, no matter what your skin tone, you can find a bronzer that will give you a natural tan with a second skin melting effect. Or you can use a sculpting effect that can be applied all over your face for a silky finish or to sculpt the curves of your face.

The best brands of bronzers

In our opinion, the best brands of bronzers in 2022 are :

Lancôme
Guerlain
Garnier
L'Oréal Paris
Dior

This French brand has been striving to give the best cosmetic products for women for 85 years. It is one of the best and has been delighting English people since its existence thanks to the quality and performance of its products.

This French brand has been operating in the perfume market for years. This French brand has been operating in the perfume market for years, offering luxury products that have conquered more than one throughout France and Europe. Currently, it is moving into cosmetics and holds a better place in the comparisons in terms of quality and performance.

Garnier is currently part of the L'Oreal group but has always kept its name. To preserve its image and the image of the parent company, this brand stands behind L'Oréal Paris for its product quality in order to keep its consumers satisfied year after year.

The French brand is a reference in the world and across Europe in the field of cosmetics. The brand holds its notoriety by the quality of its products until now always in the best places.

This brand is more known for its ranges of perfumes classified as luxury perfume and very good quality. Currently, the brand is launching into cosmetic products that have the same notoriety as its perfumes. The products of this brand are very satisfactory.

What is the price for a sunbathing

The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).

However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.

We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.

Entry-level
10 £ to 20 £
Mid-range
20 £ to 25 £
High-end
more than 25 £
Price range diagram

Tips

Use a fluffy, beveled brush

The best brush to use with bronzer is a beveled brush. They are great for bronzer because they can hug the curve of your cheekbone for beautiful definition. For the liquid bronzer, you need to apply it first with a brush and blend it with a damp sponge to give it a seamless look. You don't want to show an obvious defined line, so using a damp sponge is a great way to blend it.

Layering is the rule

More bronzer isn't necessarily better, so go easy. The most common trap with bronzer is using too much from the start. It's best to opt for layering, whether you're working with bronzing powders or liquids, to avoid a muddy-looking makeup look. Light layering is a great way to start applying bronzer. Gradually blend in a bit of bronzer, then go in and check your work in daylight before adding more.

The more you blend, the better

The key to a natural bronze is to blend it in, then blend it out a bit more. Blend in small, gentle circles to diffuse hard lines and blend it out for an even finish.

Don't waste your bronzer

If you've put on more powder, cream, or liquid bronzer than you wanted, apply the excess to your brush to add warmth to your nose, chin, and neck. This will keep you from overdoing it and wasting your product, and it will also help even out your tan.

Don't use a shade that's too dark

A color that's too dark for your skin tone can make it look muddy and unnatural, not tanned. Instead, follow the rule of two: choose a shade of bronzer that's no more than two shades darker than your skin tone. Hold the compact directly against your skin to gauge the color.

FAQ

Do I need to prep my skin before applying my bronzer?

It may seem obvious, but it needs to be said: bronzer should be one of the last products you use on your face. Apply foundation, concealer and blush before your brush touches your bronzer. You may also find it best to apply a light brush of face powder before applying bronzer. This can help keep the bronzer or powder from sticking to your foundation, which can make it look blotchy.

Where to apply the bronzer?

A bronzer looks best when applied lightly to all the places where the sun naturally shines, including the temples, cheeks, nose and chin. Some makeup artists also like to brush a little on the eyelids if eye makeup is to be light. Applying bronzer to the neck is also a good idea, even if it's not a natural place for the sun. This step avoids the somewhat silly look of a white neck against a tanned face.

Is the bronzer easy to apply?

Yes,to apply your bronzer, use a large brush dipped generously in the powder. You can blow off the excess before the brush touches your water. And most importantly blend, blend, blend, this will prevent unsightly color stains. If you've put too much on, use a clean cotton ball to remove some from your face.

Matte or shimmery bronzer?

At the end of the day, this decision is entirely up to you and what you think will look best on your skin. Shimmer is pretty common with bronzers, they help catch the light and give a nice sheen, but this can work against you if you already have oily skin. In that case, it's best to opt for a matte finish that has no shine and will simply warm up your shade.

Sources

Note: Below are some of the sources we have consulted in writing this article. Links to other sites are not continuously updated. It is therefore possible that a link may not be found. Please use a search engine to find the desired information.
  1. How to apply a terracotta or bronzer, slow-cosmetique.com
  2. Why and how to use a bronzer, madmoizelle.com
  3. How to choose and apply a bronzer according to your skin tone?, mes-habits-cheris.com
  4. What is a bronzer for and how to apply it?, rouge-aux-ongles.fr
  5. These 14 Bronzers Leave You Looking Sun-Kissed Not Streaky, byrdie.com
  6. 14 Of The Best Bronzers For The Ultimate Sun-Kissed Glow, vogue.co.uk
  7. The Best Bronzers For A Beautiful Sunkissed Glow, lookfantastic.com
  8. The Best Bronzers for Every Skin Tone, glamour.com
  9. How to Choose the Right Bronzer, masterclass.com
  10. Definitions: tanning, being tanned, getting tanned ..., larousse.fr
  11. BRONZER : Definition of BRONZER, cnrtl.fr
  12. How to tan: 13 steps (with pictures) - wikiHow, fr.wikihow.com
  13. Bronzer : Simple and easy dictionary verb definition, linternaute.fr
  14. bronzer - Wiktionary, fr.m.wiktionary.org
  15. bronzer conjugation of the verb bronzer - conjugate bronzer, la-conjugaison.nouvelobs.com
  16. bronzer - Conjugation of the verb bronzer, leconjugueur.lefigaro.fr
  17. Bronzer, all synonyms, synonymo.fr
  18. Bronzer | Complexion | Makeup ⋅ GUERLAIN, guerlain.com
  19. Amazon.co.uk : bronzer, amazon.co.uk
  20. Conjugation bronzer - Conjugate bronzer - Le Monde.fr, conjugaison.lemonde.fr
  21. Enluminator, illuminator, bronzer | Bio et Naturel ..., moncornerb.com
  22. Buy Physicians Formula - Bronzing Powder Murumuru ..., maquibeauty.fr
  23. Bronzer - Benefit Cosmetics, benefitcosmetics.com
  24. How to Use Bronzer Properly | Makeup Tricks - YouTube, m.youtube.com
  25. bronzer - translation - French-English Dictionary ..., wordreference.com
  26. bronzer - Wiktionary, fr.m.wiktionary.org
  27. bronzer - French-Spanish Dictionary WordReference.com, wordreference.com
  28. Matte Bronzer - Stick Bronzer by MILK MAKEUP ≡ SEPHORA, sephora.fr
  29. Matte Bronzing Powder | NYX Professional Makeup, nyxcosmetics.fr
  30. Translation : bronzer - Larousse French-English Dictionary, larousse.fr
  31. Bronzer - Cheap Makeup # YOUARECOSMETICS, youarecosmetics.com
  32. bronzer - French Translation - English examples ..., context.reverso.net
  33. Translation bronzer in English | French Dictionary ..., mobile-dictionary.reverso.net
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Updates

March 2022 : Translation of this buying guide from our partner meilleurtest.fr

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Our selection
Nuxe - Poudre Éclat Prodigieux (face and body) 9
Nuxe - Poudre Éclat Prodigieux (face and body)
Avril - Poudre bronzante certifiée bio 10
Avril - Poudre bronzante certifiée bio
Guerlain - Terracotta Bronzing Powder 11
Guerlain - Terracotta Bronzing Powder
Physicians Formula - Butter Bronzer 12
Physicians Formula - Butter Bronzer

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