Bronzers | 2021 Editor's Favorites
I tested 64 different bronzers during 2021, and I narrowed down my list of favorites to a mere six, but there were some new and high-quality formulas released with–gasp!–more than two shades available.
While the shades below represent my personal favorites, the shade of bronzer is often dependent on one’s skin tone, not just a matter of preference, so be sure to check out the full ranges of these formulas, which were top performers this year: Anastasia Cream Bronzer, Dior Forever Natural Bronzer, Huda Beauty GloWish Bronzing Powder, LYS Beauty No Limits Matte Bronzer, and Makeup by Mario Soft Sculpt Bronzer.
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 2021, 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!). (You can check out the best of 2020 posts if you missed last year’s.)
Temptalia’s Favorite Bronzers | 2021
Anastasia Amber Cream Bronzer ($35.00 for 0.4 oz.) is a light, golden brown with moderate, warm undertones and a "natural matte" finish--the kind that...
Anastasia Amber Cream Bronzer ($35.00 for 0.4 oz.) is a light, golden brown with moderate, warm undertones and a "natural matte" finish--the kind that...
Anastasia Caramel Cream Bronzer ($35.00 for 0.4 oz.) is a medium, peachy brown with warmer, more orange undertones and a "natural matte" finish--the...
Anastasia Caramel Cream Bronzer ($35.00 for 0.4 oz.) is a medium, peachy brown with warmer, more orange undertones and a "natural matte" finish--the...
Dior Warm Bronze (05) Dior Forever Natural Bronze ($48.00 for 0.31 oz.) is a medium brown with moderate, warm undertones and a matte finish. It had...
Dior Warm Bronze (05) Dior Forever Natural Bronze ($48.00 for 0.31 oz.) is a medium brown with moderate, warm undertones and a matte finish. It had...
Dior Soft Bronze (03) Dior Forever Natural Bronze ($48.00 for 0.31 oz.) is a muted, light-medium brown with warm, pinkish-peach undertones and a matte...
Dior Soft Bronze (03) Dior Forever Natural Bronze ($48.00 for 0.31 oz.) is a muted, light-medium brown with warm, pinkish-peach undertones and a matte...
Huda Beauty Medium GloWish Soft Radiance Bronzing Powder ($31.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a medium brown with warmer, more orange-leaning undertones and a...
Huda Beauty Medium GloWish Soft Radiance Bronzing Powder ($31.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a medium brown with warmer, more orange-leaning undertones and a...
LYS Beauty Courage No Limits Matte Bronzer ($18.00 for 0.23 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with muted, warmer golden undertones and a matte finish. It...
LYS Beauty Courage No Limits Matte Bronzer ($18.00 for 0.23 oz.) is a medium-dark brown with muted, warmer golden undertones and a matte finish. It...
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 it or will you look for something new?
- Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2021?
My most used bronzer this year was one from Prime Beauty cosmetics. The shade bronzeville is perfect for me with the right undertone. I would absolutely repurchase but I also plan to check out Danessa Myricks bronzers in 2022. I have the contour balm from Danessa and I love it. I believe 2020 was the first year I used a bronzer daily (I have troouble finding ones I like due to my skin tone) and it definitely continued into 2021. Now that I see LYS looks promising I’m down to try one from them as well.
What was your most used bronzer? Flower Beauty Heatwave Bronzer in Sunrise (cooler toned)
Least used? Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer (My first ever bronzer, still nice, but I don’t like that they aren’t cruelty free anymore).
Will you repurchase it or will you look for something new? I won’t need to repurchase in the next year, because I don’t use makeup daily, and it will last me a long time. I would
repurchase the Flower bronzer if I did run out.
Was bronzer a big part of your routine in 2021? I watched a lot of makeup tutorials/reviews/GRWM this past year, and most people use bronzer or “brontour” in their looks, so it inspired me to start to include bronzer in my routine whenever I did my makeup.
I bought the Anastasia bronzer – I simply love it. My next most used is the Rimmel Bronzer. I’ve used Dior, Chanel, etc, but I somehow always come back to Rimmel. Sun bronze is perfect for me.