Get Sunkissed Without the Risk: Best Bronzers for Over $30

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Powder ($65.00) contains four shades that go from light to dark. They can be used together, swirled, or alone for personalization, which is definitely nice. The compact is large enough where you can feasibly use one or two shades alone, rather than all four. What I love about this bronzer is it feels silky and smooth, very finely milled. It feels weightless, and it looks very, very natural. It has a subtle shimmer sheen when applied, but the shimmer isn’t overly so. It falls into the category of “sophisticated” shimmer–the kind that doesn’t accentuate facial flaws.

Guerlain Terracotta Mineral Loose Powder ($65.00) is a sheer-to-medium buildable, loose bronzer. It’s new for the spring/summer season, and included with the bronzer pot is a miniature kabuki brush. It is available in three shades: Light, Medium, and Dark. Light is probably going to be too light for most; this shade is most suitable for those who want just the faintest (and I mean faintest!) hint of color on them–perhaps as an allover powder vs. where the sun hits. Medium is a more universal shade that doesn’t go on glowing orange. It didn’t feel like there was any shimmer in it to me, and I did find it fairly blendable. The biggest downside is that it can get messy. Being a loose powder means that you may find a cloud of bronzer poof when you open the container, and you may get more powder than you’d like on your brush.

Dior Bronze Collagen Activ Bronzer ($48.00) is a new bronzer from Dior that is designed to help smooth and fill fine lines. It’s not just makeup, it’s makeup with skincare ingredients in it. The bronzer also has SPF25, which is nice, though not necessary (I’m already going to wear SPF all over my face, so my bronzer doesn’t have to have it). The new bronzer comes in four shades: Healthy Tan, Honey Tan, Amber Tan, and Spicy Tan. It’s near matte in finish, and it gives you a glowy, sunkissed look that looks very natural–no orange glow here. I found this particular bronzer very blendable upon application, and it felt softer and less powdery, too.

What’s your favorite bronzer?