11 Best Bronzers to Leave Skin Looking Naturally Sun-Kissed

This Guerlain powder bronzer has been long beloved by both beauty editors and makeup artists. “It’s a classic and for good reason (and definitely a worthy splurge!) — it gives the perfect sunkissed glow without looking fake or orange," says beauty editor Dori Price. "Plus I love the super subtle, sophisticated shimmer that’s in it. You can only see it when the light hits your skin in the right way.”

Get the quality of a high-end bronzer at a drugstore price with this CoverGirl formula. The powder is baked and swirled with multiple tones and subtle iridescence for natural dimension and has cool undertones to ensure a true-to-life look. "It goes on and looks like satin on skin," GH's beauty editor says.  

This luxurious, understated Chantecaille bronzer powder is Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann’s Holy Grail for a believable look. “This bronzer and mattifying powder hybrid is so fine that it is almost impossible to overapply,” she says. “It gives a barely-there sunny effect, plus blurs fine lines exceptionally well, unifies skin tone, and lasts all day.” Even more to love: “I like that it feels light on the skin and subdues shine while bringing a healthy-looking tinge to my cheeks without making my skin look dry or cakey.” 

If you love the softness and natural effect of cream makeup formulas, Wizemann swears by this Physicians Formula bronzer for its light, creamy, shimmery coverage at an affordable price. “It’s infused with three kinds of butters — murumuru, capuacu, and tucuma — so it blends effortlessly and gives skin a velvety finish that is smooth to the touch and not drying, a must for dry skin,” she says. “I like the understated glow it produces, how it adds freshness to the skin, and the relaxing scent makes me think of beach vacations!” It also comes with a small brush, so you can apply it on the go.

This Maybelline bronzer doubles as contouring powder and comes in three shades, from fair to deep. Its matte finish with no visible shimmer makes it great for sculpting cheekbones. "It applies so smooth without any patchiness," an Amazon reviewer noted. 

Created for deep skin tones, this Beauty Bakerie bronzer palette contains shades of rich espresso, bronze, terracotta, and rust that work as highlighter, blush, and even eye shadow. "This is the best palette I've seen for dark complexions," an Ulta reviewer raved. "The colors are simply beautiful." 

For a great match for medium skin tones, look no further than this cult classic Benefit bronzer. “The original formula is a great shade on my light-medium skin tone and looks so natural because there is no shimmer that can make my skin look oily,” says GH Beauty Lab chemist Danusia Wnek. “One swipe over my face is enough for me, but you can easily build it up for a more intense contour.”

Yes, it’s possible for bronzer to look flattering (and life-like!) on fair skin: Just see this Fenty Beauty formula. “Bronzer can look strange on my extremely pale, freckled skin tone, but this looks much more natural than others I’ve used,” says GH beauty assistant Katie Berohn. “It’s super easy to apply and blends and builds without any harsh lines or unevenness—the most forgiving bronzer that I’ve tried!”

This Smith & Cult compact, a favorite of GH Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D., contains both a bronzer and blush in complementary hues, eliminating any matching guesswork. "I love this duo, which contains a neutral bronzer and a warm, peachy blush,” she says. “I can use this for contouring as well as for an all over sun-touched look by either using the colors separately or blending them.

A forgiving bronzer that's (almost) foolproof, this Laura Mercier baked powder contains swirls of pink, champagne, and rose pigments to balance out the brown tones, plus a flattering subdued gleam. It's one of GH's beauty director's favorites for giving her skin an enlivening luminosity, and a Nordstrom reviewer agrees: "The color combination just magically brightens and bronzes in all the right places."

Made with just a few ingredients: skin softeners like coconut and jojoba oils and cocoa butter, plus natural pigments, this RMS Beauty cream bronzer feels more like skincare than makeup. "It makes your skin look so healthy and radiant," a Dermstore reviewer reported.