Bronzers | 2019 Editor's Favorites
As 2019 winds down, it’s time to kick off my best of 2019 posts! (You can check out best of 2018 if you missed it.) Bronzer is a category that doesn’t get a lot of love throughout the year; there are more reliable, holy grail permanent favorites (like Benefit Hoola) but not a lot of new-for-2019 kind of products. Below, you’ll find my favorites that I reviewed this year that were available as a standalone product (not in a palette), which was taken from a group of just over 30 possibilities.
I’m glad that Tantalize returned in its permanent packaging and was just as good as before. It was nice to see a bronzer range that offered more depth for more skin tones, and unsurprisingly, Fenty was the one to do it.
If you’re unfamiliar with how I like to do my year-end favorites, here’s the low down: I pull from the products I reviewed in 2019, regardless of whether they were new, limited edition, or an established range I’ve only just gotten around to reviewing. These are personal favorites, so they may or may not be the highest rated products reviewed during the year (though they will tend to be better rated, naturally!).
Temptalia’s Favorite Bronzers | 2019
Physicians Formula Endless Summer Butter Bronzer ($14.99 for 0.38 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with subtle, warm red undertones and a satin sheen. It...
Physicians Formula Endless Summer Butter Bronzer ($14.99 for 0.38 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with subtle, warm red undertones and a satin sheen. It...
Cover FX Sunkissed Bronze Monochromatic Bronzer Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) is the lighter of the two bronzer duos available. It has more of a golden...
Cover FX Sunkissed Bronze Monochromatic Bronzer Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) is the lighter of the two bronzer duos available. It has more of a golden...
Marc Jacobs Beauty Tantalize (106) O!Mega Bronzer ( for oz.) is a medium-dark, rosy brown with neutral-to-warm undertones and a matte finish. It had...
Marc Jacobs Beauty Tantalize (106) O!Mega Bronzer ( for oz.) is a medium-dark, rosy brown with neutral-to-warm undertones and a matte finish. It had...
Physicians Formula Brazilian Glow Butter Bronzer ($14.99 for 0.38 oz.) is a medium-dark gold with warm, almost olive undertones paired with a luminous...
Physicians Formula Brazilian Glow Butter Bronzer ($14.99 for 0.38 oz.) is a medium-dark gold with warm, almost olive undertones paired with a luminous...
Cover FX Suntan Bronze Monochromatic Bronzer Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a deeper, red-toned brown with a matte finish and a medium,...
Cover FX Suntan Bronze Monochromatic Bronzer Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a deeper, red-toned brown with a matte finish and a medium,...
ColourPop LA Pressed Powder Bronzer ($8.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a medium-dark, rusty brown with subtle, warm red undertones and a matte finish. The...
ColourPop LA Pressed Powder Bronzer ($8.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a medium-dark, rusty brown with subtle, warm red undertones and a matte finish. The...
Dior Soft Terra (001) Diorskin Mineral Nude Bronze ($49.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a light brown with warm undertones that leaned slightly orange and less...
Dior Soft Terra (001) Diorskin Mineral Nude Bronze ($49.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a light brown with warm undertones that leaned slightly orange and less...
Fenty Beauty Coco Naughty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer ($30.00 for 0.22 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with warm undertones that seemed more...
Fenty Beauty Coco Naughty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer ($30.00 for 0.22 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with warm undertones that seemed more...
Tom Ford Beauty Terra Soleil Glow Bronzer ($70.00 for 0.3 oz.) is a light-medium brown with subtle, warm yellow undertones and a matte finish. It had...
Tom Ford Beauty Terra Soleil Glow Bronzer ($70.00 for 0.3 oz.) is a light-medium brown with subtle, warm yellow undertones and a matte finish. It had...
Fenty Beauty Shady Biz Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer ($30.00 for 0.22 oz.) is a medium, yellowed brown with warm undertones and a matte finish....
Fenty Beauty Shady Biz Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer ($30.00 for 0.22 oz.) is a medium, yellowed brown with warm undertones and a matte finish....
Fenty Beauty Inda Sun Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer ($30.00 for 0.22 oz.) is a light brown with neutral-to-warm undertones and a matte finish. ...
Fenty Beauty Inda Sun Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer ($30.00 for 0.22 oz.) is a light brown with neutral-to-warm undertones and a matte finish. ...
Glossover Averages
Your Year in Review: Bronzer Edition
I thought it would be interesting to read through how readers used products throughout the year, what favorites emerged, what products fell by the wayside… so, if you want to join in, copy and paste the questions below and add your answers via a comment!
- What was your most used bronzer? Least used?
- Will you repurchase or will you look for something new?
- Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019?
What was your most used bronzer? UD Jawbone from the Basquiet quad and Becca Malibu Soliel.
Least used? Out of a stupid oversight on my part, Laura Mercier 03.
Will you repurchase or will you look for something new? My 2 main summertime bronzers are both LE, so it will be new ones eventually. Believe it or not, I still have a lot of Jawbone left! Because it has such amazing pigmentation, very little is needed, so it’s lasting into a 3rd year.
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019? Always is, because I avoid direct sunlight as much as possible due to having Lupus. I’m not exactly pale at Fenty 260/MAC NC35 (winter), but I still need to look alive, so bronzer makes up for the lack of sun exposure and any active tanning. I DO need a winter bronzer in a less red tone than summer. I’m thinking about Fenty Inda Sun? Any thoughts?
Nancy, if you need more Jawbone, let me know. I never use the one in my Basquiat palette because it’s way too dark. I’ll depot it, entomb it in bubble wrap, and send it to you.
Bronzer isn’t something I use much at all. I’m quite fair and often bronzer will just look unnatural on me – sort of like I’ve got a dirty face.
What was your most used bronzer? Least used? Most used – a toss up between Tarte’s Chocolate Soleil (for matching my neck to my face and for contouring away my flaccid -it’s not double but not as taute as it used to be – chin) and Too Faced Sweetie Pie bronzer (which isn’t really a true bronzer at all). Least used – Urban Decay Sun Kissed Beach Bronzer – I got it really cheap at Marshalls and it’s a nice product but, as I say, my “need” for bronzer is pretty limited
Will you repurchase or will you look for something new? Let’s just say it’s not a burning need; if I read about something really good here at Temptalia, chances are I will check it out but I’m not madly searching…
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019? Probably the Too Faced Sweetie Pie one because I can use it all over, dusted on with a big fluffy brush on “no makeup days” to impart a bit of healthy but realistic colour to my face.
What was your most used bronzer? Chanel Tan De Soleil and Beauty Pie GoldieLux
Least used? PF…. they all go orange on me (but not the Chanel…I know weird)
Will you repurchase or will you look for something new? I have the MJ bronzer on wishlist.
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019? Yes, once I found the right brush. Also when I realized I like Glowing blush but matte bronzer.
What was your most used bronzer? Marc Jacobs Tantastic & Guerlain Four Seasons Bronzer in Nude. I use both daily.
Least used? Urban Decay, can’t remember the name. I gave it to my daughter.
Will you repurchase or will you look for something new? I want to try Fenty’s formula and will have to switch to a different Guerlain bronzer, the one I’m wearing now is discontinued.
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019? It’s part of my daily routine.
What was your most used bronzer? Hourglass Ambient Edit Unlocked Palette – Finishing Powder, Filtered Light, I am very fair so this is enough of a bronze for me.
Least used? N/A
Will you repurchase or will you look for something new? I think this will last a long time as you don’t need to use very much at a time, and as it was a LE I will look for something else when I do finally finish it.
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019? I do like to use it, it gives my face a little more dimension.
I loved my Hourglass Radiant Light Bronzer, I used it up! I love my MAC Give Me Sun! it is a staple! I found myself using my Trish McEvoy Bronzer/Highlighter Duo.. I seem to love the Bronzers with a sheen/shimmer to them. I have the Armani Bronzer loose powder and it is lovely to layer over the bronzers if you like a bit of sheen
I don’t use bronzer a lot, and I didn’t buy any in 2019 (unless there was one in a palette that I’m not remembering).
What was your most used bronzer? TheBalm Balm Desert
Least used? I have a couple darker bronzers that came in a Wet n Wild vault that I never used and am going to destash. Bronzers in face palettes, I usually only use as eyeshadows.
Will you repurchase or will you look for something new? If I ran out, I’d repurchase. It’s hard to find bronzers for my skintone that aren’t too dark, and/or too orange, and/or too shimmery. I like that Balm Desert is a little rosy, and works as a blush. I used it exclusively while we were on summer vacation, as it was too hot to wear much eye makeup. With a pretty lippie, my face still looked like it had some color to it.
I’d also repurchase Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer in Light, as it’s my second-most used, and I love the texture.
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019? No, but it never is. I usually embrace my paleness, and only use bronzer for a certain look I’m going for that day.
What was your most used bronzer? Least used?
The few times I used bronzer it was either Benefit Hoola or Too Faced Chocolate Gold Soleil Bronzer
Will you repurchase or will you look for something new?
I don’t use bronzer often, so Hoola is pretty much my “staple”. If used bronzer more I absolutely would repurchase the Too Faced Chocolate Gold though. On the off chance I feel compelled to buy something new, I would like to try the Physician’s Formula Sunkissed one.
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019?
Nope as a general rule and even less so in 2019.
What was your most used bronzer? Least used? I used the crap out of my ND Mini Bronze & Glow palette this year. My Becca Sunlit Bronzer in Bali Sands took a back seat.
Will you repurchase or will you look for something new? I would repurchase the ND mini palette. But I have plenty of product left, so I don’t need to b
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2019? Moreso than it used to be, but I just use it to give some shape to my face.