I love Tom Ford and Guerlain Terracotta for bronzers (that are still available). One of my favorite formulas was the Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders by MAC, but it was limited!
Thanks to BooBooNinja for today’s question!
— Christine
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I really like essence Sun Club bronzing highlighter in fair/blonde.
I’m not a huge fan of bronzers but the new one that Clarins released for Summer 2015 is really wonderful. I use it often and I would be so happy if it became permanent.
For years it was Guerlain (with honorable mention going to Dior), but then I discovered Tom Ford’s Terra and that has been my go-to ever since. I don’t wear bronzer all that often and I don’t really need to contour and so I haven’t been motivated to try a lot of different ones. For now, Tom Ford is my fave.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Guerlain’s Terracotta Bronzing Powder (Moisturizing and Long Lasting) in #03, #05, and #08. I truly had a “where have you been all my life” moment when I first tried it. Lol. It’s just so finely milled, and blends into my dark skin like a dream. The powder is matte, but yet has a hint of golden/copper shimmer. Gorgeous!!
I agree…..Guerlain has the best bronzers. Works great with brown skin too..
I don’t really wear bronzer, but I found Radiant Light from the Hourglass Ambient Palette that i have works great as a bronzer for me! It really surprised me as my skintone is probably closest to NC35 in mac.
Ohh, I want to know what is similar to Too Faced Chocolate – but without the smell.. I can’t stand the smell in the morning!
Me too! I don’t know why everybody is so crazy about the smell! I just can’t stand it!
If you’re using the lighter Too Faced Chocolate (milk chocolate?), try Benefit Hoola. I’m not sure what a good match for the darker Too Faced bronzers would be, but you might want to check the Dupe List here!
I use both Too Faced Milk Chocolate and Tarte Mineral Bronzer (in the croc stamped compact, whatever it’s called). The latter has slight shimmer, but just enough for a nice glow – not so much that I feel like I’m covered in glitter. I find that the colors are otherwise similar on me though!
I just swatched a random sampling in my stash, and the closest I’ve come to is the L’Oréal True Match Powder in C9, or the NYX Highlight & Contour Powder in HCP01 (the split pan in the white compact). These were all compared to the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep Bronzer.
Not very original, but I love NARS Laguna! It looks great on me all year round, worn sheerly or intensely, even as an eyeshadow. Laguna is one of those cult products that is really popular for a reason. Honorable mentions: Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil & Benefit Hoola
Too Faced Milk Chocolate is the absolute best for fair skin!
For extremely fair skin, I like to use MAC Baby Don’t Go Blush. I also like NYC Sunny bronzer even if it is a bit orangey.
Not a bronzer really, they tend to be really orange or muddy on my pink/red skin, and I can’t stand cheek color products that have shimmer in them, for some reason. Rather take the extra step to use another product- highlighter or luminizer to ensure its only it’s the spots I want!
Uh, so anyway for a “faux bronzer” I like MAC Gingerly blush. Too red/corally to be a proper bronzer for most but it works great for me.
I really like Michael Kors Bronzing Powder in Flush, very luminous, and the recent Balm Desert by theBalm is also fantastic.
Me too, I love the Michael Kors bronzing powder! So gorgeous, it is the first bronzer I really enjoy.
It’s a toss up between the CoverGirl Bronzer in Ebony Bronze and the Shea Moisture Illuminating Powder in Mandalay Dusk. They are both beautiful.
I am a big fan of the BE Creative Sunrise bronzer! It’s a Belgian brand though, so not too many people know it.
Received Marc Jacobs bronzer but cracked after a few uses. It was ok, to light. After cracking they let me get a new one and I like this much better! Lol.
There was an LE collection from MAC a couple years ago. I LOOOVVVEEDD the bronzers in that and wish it would have been P.
I also love the GIORGIO ARMANI liquid summer
WnW Ticket To Brazil. Once applied, it looks nearly identical to NARS Laguna, but is 1/10 the price, and is talc-, paraben-, & petroleum-free, which is even more important to me in warmer weather, as I wear bronzer more frequently in Summer.
Because I loved my Laguna, I am definitely going with your suggestion for WnW Ticket To Brazil! Sounds perfect!
They aren’t *exact* dupes, but I actually applied one to each side of my face, forgot about it, and ran some errands. I didn’t get any strange looks when I was out, but I remembered once I got home, looked in the mirror, and noticed no real difference in color or wear-time!
I actually prefer the color of NARS Casino over Laguna, but for the price, I’ll take it, LOL!
Oh, WnW Reserve Your Cabana is extremely close to NARS Nico! I actually learned that here…
Thanks, Amy! I will probably go with whatever one is deeper, because even ColourPop Poolside is pretty light on me. I know that WnW still has some great stuff, although it seems that they messed up their awesome e/s formula.
I have been on a mad hunt for the perfect bronzer for my medium, yellow under-toned skin forever it seems. My faves are The bronzer in Charlotte Tilbury’s Filmstar Bronze and Glow, Chanel Lumiere D’ete (LE), both of Tom Ford’s are gorgeous, and I like Guerlain Teracotta in #3 and #5 depending on if I have gotten any color/self tanned, etc. Colourpop’s Poolside, Carry-on, and Happy Hour all get honorable mention from me as well! 🙂
My skin tone is the same as yours. Which Tom Ford bronzer do you like?
I honestly like them both equally. I was lucky enough to snag one of each in the clutch size at the beginning of summer. but, I will be buying full sizes when they empty. TF Gold Dust has a gorgeous sheen and pulls warmer than Terra. Terra has no shimmer and is cooler-toned than Gold Dust. Terra will be nice to just warm up my face if I feel I am looking drab in the winter. This summer, I have been using both or just Gold Dust. I like to layer and use Terra as a traditional bronzer would be placed and Gold Dust on the tops of my cheeks and over the bridge of my nose( like a luminizer).Gold dust is also lovely on the arms, legs, chest, collarbones.
Sorry that got wordy. I guess if I had to pick one, I would go with Gold Dust. But, then I would want Terra by Fall, lol! Sorry if that got confusing? LMK if I can help in any other way. I have a ton of bronzers. It took so many to go through in order to find the ones I loved!
Thank you for your long comment! I am going to try to get both. Gold is calling me for summer but I always want matte in the fall.
Yeah! Try to keep me posted on what you think! 🙂
Having used up the entire Laguna half of a Nars cheek duo, I would have say I actually loved it! However, this year I’ve been digging ColourPop Poolside as my bronzer even though it’s a little lighter than I expected, it really looks quite natural. Love it with Butterfly Beach or MAC Summer Wind as the highlight! I may have to try ColourPop Happy Hour next for a bit more depth.
MAC Pro-longwear bronzer in Nude on Board…they need to make this permanent!
I love the Pixi Bronzer’s red undertones on me, and same with the Bare Minerals Ready Bronzer in Skinny Dip. However most people probably don’t like that. My other new favorite is Too Faced Chocolate Soleil. And I think I’ll probably pick up Milk Chocolate Soleil at some point too. Hoola looked way too muddy on my skin tone, I gave that one away. I’ve never tried the Guerlain Terracotta bronzers, that seems like a bucket list splurge item though!
For warmer months, love Sugar Tropic Tan bronzer. It’s pretty dark and very pigmented, so I have to use it sparingly on my fair-to-light skin, but it’s the perfect shade of brown it’s not too orange and not too ashy. The powder is finely milled so it does kick up a bit of dust, but it blends very well. It really is a tan in a compact.
In the winter I like using Laura Geller’s Bronze-N-Brighten in Fair because it’s a little cooler-toned and lighter which makes it a more believable and natural-looking contour color on my skin in the colder months. Oh, who am I kidding? I’m in LA where it’s sunny and warm year-round B)
I’m really fair-skinned, so I can’t go too dark or too orange. Most bronzers don’t work for me. Hands down, the best I’ve found for fair skin is Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil.
I like the Balm Bahama Mama! 🙂
Because for me, it’s a great contour/ bronzer & it blends out nicely.
So I use bronzer for actual bronzing–like sun-kissed skin (not contouring). I’m about NC20 (I’m a pale olive with some pink and yellow tones) and I really love Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless. It never looks powdery, it stays, no shimmer and there are no red tones–I just look like I have sun-kissed skin–which is awesome. I have other bronzers too (Benefit Hula, some Sephora one’s, Too Faced Leopard, Sun Bunny, Snow Bunny and I’ve tried NARS Laguna) but I always reach for Bronzed and Poreless.
I’m such a bronzer junkie and sort of apply it all over my face, but that means that the right color really is key. For my neutral toned fair skin, in the wintertime I’ve been using Inglot AMC 53 (I believe that it’s just a darker shade of regular powder, not really bronzer), all year round Bobbi Brown’s Golden Lights is really smooth and versatile (Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Bronzer also gets an honorary mention in this category) and MAC’s Sun Dipped is really great for that more contoured evening look come summer. Sadly, I find Teracotta’s scent really unbearable.
I prefer Guerlain but I don’t own one!
I like Edward Bess’ lighter bronzer #1. I recently bought a palette from IT Cosmetics. It contains a peachy pink blush, a highlighter and bronzer. I don’t believe there is a color choice but love all three products. I also purchased a Sephora thick fan brush that is great for me for bronzers.
Guess I’m not big on the bronzing aspect of bronzer. Been through 2 smashbox baked starburst, now maybe d/c’d or pink added +renamed baked starblush…doesn’t look the same, pictured. also way down in pan on too faced snow bunny. I’m med light, coolish. Hoola is major muddy, and most run way too yellow or yellow/brown. Liked benefit one hot minute, too, coppery, but the loose powder aspect makes it messy. I think I use those two in winter, when skin looks colorless.
the old neutrogena wasn’t bad, either, been though a couple of those. ‘course there’s new s.t. : packaging, formula. another don’t fix, if it ain’t broken…..Think i’ll do some snow bunny now.
I loved MACs pro longwear bronzers. Sun Dipped is my HG bronzer / contour / eyeshadow. I really wish they would bring it back. It’s been too long since Temperature Rising’s release, and I’ve run out.
My favorite is Wet N Wild Color Icon in Reserve Your Cabana. I think that’s the name, anyway. Light golden, softly shimmery – great for my skin, light/medium, coolish. Giant compact, lasts forver, and cheap too. I can never find bronzer that’s light enough, so I really like this.
Yess!! The only one I found that isn’t too warm, dark, muddy, or orangey on me. And it has SPF 15! I bought it on a whim for like $4, so happy
I got a sample of bare minerals READY bronzer in the color The Skinny Dip, and I am so impressed!! Really liking it over Nars Laguna now.
I honestly don’t really bronze almost ever. Sometimes I’ll put some MAC Harmony blush on my temple/around my outer forehead area, but I don’t go for a “sun-kissed” bronze look on myself.
My HG are for sure NARS Laguna and Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer.
Christine, which Tom Ford bronzer do you like? I was thinking about getting the summer 2015 Terra.
I don’t have a ton of bronzers, since I have one solid one I always use: the Too Faced Endless Summer 16 Hour bronzer. I wouldn’t say it’s 16 hour wear at all, but it is the longest lasting bronzer I’ve tried. It’s also not matte in the pan, but there’s no shimmer or anything on the skin so I can use it dusted under my cheekbones in a soft/diffused contour. And it’s very neutral in tone, at least on me.
Too Faced Soleil Milk Chocolate Matte bronzer and Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing powder in Aruba.these two don’t look muddy on my skin and not make my face look too darker than my body
Body shop has great bronzers. 01 has got to be the lightest bronzer around. Even 04 when used with a light hand is really nice even if you’re a Mac nc 15.
I don’t wear bronzers all that much and when I have done, I just used the one in the e.l.f. Studio blush & bronzer duo (St. Lucia). However I just got W7’s Honolulu on a whim and I am really impressed — so smooth and natural and easy to blend <3 the e.l.f. bronzer doesn't come close.
DEFINITELY MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in Delphic. I DIE.
I always need bronzer when I put makeup on, even if I’m not wearing anything else on my cheeks. It makes such a difference in warming up my face and giving it a little dimension. I hardly ever do a sharp contour. My current favorites that are in rotation are Benefit Hoola, NYC Sunny, and Too Faced Sun Bunny (slight unnoticeable shimmer). I don’t notice a huge difference between these on my face.
I LOVE Too Faced Milk Chocolate. I absolutely love the smell of it too! I also use Benefit’s Hoola and Nars Laguna, but I do find them a little dark for skin in the winter. Which is why the Too Faced milk chocolate is perfect for winter.
I don’t own a lot of bronzers but my favorite is Too Faced Chocolate Soleil! I’m fair but I don’t care if it’s “too dark”, I love a bronzed look! (also, using a light hand and a fluffy brush is the key!)
Benefit Hoola’s been the standard for a long time. But I discovered The Body Shop’s Honey Bronzer in 01 recently, and it is so good for fair skin in the winter because it is super light, but with a tinge of red that makes it look believable that you somehow caught a ray.
MAC Pro Longwear Bronzer! I hope MAC makes it permanent one day!
The Body Shop matte Honey Bronzer in fair. Not too warm, not too cool, matte but not flat, and light enough that it juuust shows up on me, which is exactly what I wanted. Love it.
the best is definitely chanel soleil tan de chanel for me
other great bronzers include armani liquid summers, guerlain, tom ford shade & illuminate and bronzers and nars ones also pretty good
but what i like the most is cool toned matte such as thebalm bahama mama and kevyn aucoin contour shade and bronzing veil and mac matte contour shades