Bronzers | 2018 Editor's Favorites
2018 was not the year of bronzer, I can tell you that much! I reviewed maybe two or three dozen throughout the year with many of them being part of larger cheek/face palettes. Compared to 2017, where I shared 12 of my personal favorites from the bronzers I reviewed during the year, 2018’s list is shorter with a mere eight entries. When it comes to bronzers, I tend to pick lighter, golden browns or redder, rustier browns that are more copper-brown. I tend to opt for blush and highlighter over bronzer, but sometimes I’ll use bronzer with highlighter when I want a more “neutral” cheek color–usually when I have more vibrant, multi-colored eye looks going on!
What bronzers did you reach for this year?
P.S. — You can view swatches of my favorites here.
Best of 2018
Bronzers
P.P.S. — If you enjoy reading/viewing my favorites, make sure you check out my all-time favorites here, products I’m thankful for (2018 series), and all of my editor’s recommended products here.
Top Bronzers of 2018
Too Faced Chocolate Gold Soleil Bronzer ($30.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a medium brown with warm, yellow undertones and a fine, golden sheen. It was richly...
Too Faced Chocolate Gold Soleil Bronzer ($30.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a medium brown with warm, yellow undertones and a fine, golden sheen. It was richly...
Becca Sunset Waves Gradient Sunlit Bronzer ($38.00 for 0.25 oz.) is is a medium-dark brown with warm, rosy undertones and a coppery sheen. It was...
Becca Sunset Waves Gradient Sunlit Bronzer ($38.00 for 0.25 oz.) is is a medium-dark brown with warm, rosy undertones and a coppery sheen. It was...
Sephora Los Cabos Bronzer Powder ($17.00 for 0.30 oz.) is a soft brown with warm, yellow undertones and a matte finish. The pigmentation was opaque...
Sephora Los Cabos Bronzer Powder ($17.00 for 0.30 oz.) is a soft brown with warm, yellow undertones and a matte finish. The pigmentation was opaque...
Sephora Fiji Bronzer Powder ($17.00 for 0.30 oz.) is a light-medium brown with subtle, warm yellow undertones and a mostly matte finish. The color...
Sephora Fiji Bronzer Powder ($17.00 for 0.30 oz.) is a light-medium brown with subtle, warm yellow undertones and a mostly matte finish. The color...
Sephora Costa Rica Bronzer Powder ($17.00 for 0.30 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with warm, rosy undertones and a golden sheen. It had fantastic color...
Sephora Costa Rica Bronzer Powder ($17.00 for 0.30 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with warm, rosy undertones and a golden sheen. It had fantastic color...
Physicians Formula Sunkissed Bronzer Butter Bronzer ($14.99 for 0.38 oz.) is a medium brown with warm, orange undertones and a golden sheen. It had...
Physicians Formula Sunkissed Bronzer Butter Bronzer ($14.99 for 0.38 oz.) is a medium brown with warm, orange undertones and a golden sheen. It had...
Dior Warm Sunrise (004) DiorSkin Mineral Nude Bronze Bronzing Powder ($48.00 for 0.35 oz.) is a medium brown with warm, yellow undertones and a satin...
Dior Warm Sunrise (004) DiorSkin Mineral Nude Bronze Bronzing Powder ($48.00 for 0.35 oz.) is a medium brown with warm, yellow undertones and a satin...
Physicians Formula Deep Bronzer Butter Bronzer ($14.99 for 0.38 oz.) is a medium brown with warm, slightly red undertones and a satin sheen. I had...
Physicians Formula Deep Bronzer Butter Bronzer ($14.99 for 0.38 oz.) is a medium brown with warm, slightly red undertones and a satin sheen. I had...
Agree about Becca’s bronzer! I use Sunrise Waves (the lighter of the 2 shades), but I love the formula. It’s soft, easy to blend, doesn’t oxidize, slightly shimmery, wears a long time.
I don’t wear bronzer very often, but this year I reached for theBalm Balm Desert and Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer in Light Bronze the most. TheBalm Take Home the Bronze Anti-Orange Bronzer in Oliver was a new one for me this year, and it is really good, as well. .
BECCA Sunrise Waves, Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronzer in Tan-Tastic, CoverFX Sunkissed (talc-free). I have the last one in liquid form as well (Custom Enhancer Drops). I know that MJ and CoverFX are older but I discovered and purchased them this year. Also have in a mini format, Bobbi Brown in 2 Medium and Too Faced Chocolate Soleil, but the first one is a bit too dark for me even in summer and TF one is too yellow on my skin.
I find CoverFX in Sunkissed (compact version) to be the perfect shade for those with fair skin. It literally melts into the skin giving such a nice natural look. I can wear it during winter time and not look like I have something on my face. It is matte.
I don’t like fragrance in makeup or skincare (it’s an irritant for everyone, whether your skin visibly reacts to it or not) and MJ’s Tan-Tastic is as much as I can go. When I open it, there is a faint coconut scent, really faint.
BECCA Sunrise Waves is my go-to during summer. It’s also great on the eyes for a one and done in the morning. Don’t need any highlighter when I use this one and I usually skip on the blush as well.
Kicking myself for not picking up that Becca Sunset Waves when it went on sale! Out of these above, that is the only one I truly love for my coloring. Out of all the ones I do have, my longtime favorite is still UD Jawbone, followed by Becca x Chrissy Teigen Malibu Soleil. Or, if I just want to add a soft veil of bronze over my blush or to mute it a bit, MAC x Aaliyah Baby Girl. Yeah, about that last one…that’s one of the only things I can use it for, but it does the job.
Another product I rarely use, but for the few occasions when I did it would be mostly these:
Benefit Hoola
Natasha Denona All Over Glow Face & Body Shimmer in 02 medium
Kiko Bronzer Powder in 100
Or GOSH Giant Sun Powder in 001
Like Rachel R. I also don’t use bronzers much at all (could it be the very pale skin thing?) but I like Sephora’s Los Cabos (which I got years ago in a great face trio) and also TooFaced’s Chocolate Soleil to give a bit of colour to my neck and to contour under my chin (the “over 60 chin line droop”). Neither one looks unnatural on me used in this way.
I only use bronzer on my cheeks, bridge of nose, hairline, and tip of my chin. Wet n Wild Reserve Your Cabana is the only only one I can use all over my face and not look totally ridiculous.
I love Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil. It was my go-to before discovering Balm Desert. I still use it from time to time.
I don’t wear true bronzer very often, I prefer to use blush to add color to my face because it looks more natural for me. But… I did finally find one bronzer that I can wear: Loreal True Match Lumi bronzer. I don’t feel like it gets talked about much! I like that I can use it without worrying about having brown streaks on my face–it’s more tan than bronze and blendable, and it has the glowy properties like the rest of the Lumi line.
I don’t use bronzers myself, but these look like pretty good options for those who do, from a wide variety of price points. I like the Sunset Waves from Becca and hope that one day the brand will do this effect in a peach blush.
As bronzers go I’m loving Glow and Dilce, even Soleil but it is a bit darker but they are so soft and go on without sparkles (surprising since they have this marble gold on top layer!) but on skin nothing! It is fine as a he product. From Milani. Ticket to Brazil WetnWikd is also a great color for pale skin. I got the darker version of Physians Formula murumuru bronzer which I can still wear very thinly and I remove some/blend with a nice kabuki brush from Borghese I love since bristles are a bit rough not a super soft one I live it fir blending & removing when a tone turns out a bit darker than desired. Also the string coconut scent I don’t find pleasant although I love coconut ice cream and grew up eating tons but not on my face. Milani is rocking! Their Dayglow highliters that sequence is lovely also.
Not that it’s new, and i’ve Become virtually a non bronzer person. I have major panned a second tf Snow Bunny. It’s almost d/c’d. I have the same problem with bronzer as foundation: everything pulls too yellow. No Hoola, no Laguna. Terrible on me. SB has a pink and a taupe stripe in it, which is far more friendly to my coloring. (KGD 013.)