I always associate the summer months with radiant sun-kissed skin and to help you achieve that beautiful, glowing look, try one of these bronzers for summer! They’re not exclusively for summer, as it certainly depends on your skin type, where you live and the overall effect you’re trying to achieve. Most of these bronzers for summer can be applied before or after your foundation, and in general the matte bronzers can be used for contouring and adding definition to your cheekbones, brow bones, forehead and any other area you want to highlight.
1 BECCA Shadow & Light Bronze Contour Perfector
One of the greatest bronzers for summer is from Becca, the relatively new Australian cosmetic company. What I like most about this bronzer is the fact that there are two shades of this creamy powder to choose from, so you’re not just stuck with one shade! Use a blending brush to blend the two colors, creating that perfect shimmery look for your cheeks or wherever else for that little touch of radiance. Available from Sephora and online for $40/ compact.
Frequently asked questions
2 NARS Bronzing Powder
NARS possibly has the second best bronzer out there - I’ve heard this from make-up artists in the industry too, so I hope that you won’t be disappointed! It is a matte powder (not crème-based), and it creates a lovely warming glow, with just a hint of shimmer, making your skin look genuinely tanned (there’s no orange tint or fakeness here). Available in three tones at various department stores, NARS boutiques, Sephora and Ulta for $38/compact.
3 Benefit Cosmetics Sun Beam
Here you’ll find a very different type of bronzer, but do you expect anything else from Benefit Cosmetics? This product is awesome and very similar to their Watt’s Up! highlighter. The main difference between the two is the color tone. Sun Beam is a golden-bronze liquid that you can dot onto the skin; anywhere that you’re wanting that sun-kissed look. If you have a medium to deep complexion, Sun Beam is the product for you. If you have a lighter complexion, you might want to try High Beam instead. Available from Sephora, Ulta and Benefit boutiques at $26/jar.
4 Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless
Too Faced has one of the greatest selections of bronzers out there, making it challenging to find just the right one for you. However, I really love Too Faced’s matte-effect pore-reducing bronzer, which doubles up as another product, making it hard to beat. It feels great on your skin, it minimizes pores, it isn’t shimmery and doesn’t leave that orange after-glow either, so you can totally use it as a blush if you’re pale in skin tone. Available from Sephora, Ulta and online for $30/compact.
5 MAC Bronzing Powder
MAC’s bronzer is a tinted powder that comes in four different shades – Refined Golden, Matte Bronze, Golden and Bronze – so you can select the perfect shade depending on your skin tone. MAC’s powders are sheer enough to enhance and highlight your skin, giving you that tanned-look, or they’ll strengthen your existing tan. This bronzer is one of the cheapest on the list, priced at $25/compact, and is available from department stores, MAC boutiques and online.
6 BareMinerals Warmth All over Face Color
This product gets rave reviews just like the other bronzers on this list, but I love bareMinerals simply for the fact that they don’t use preservatives and this one-colored bronzer works for practically everyone (except perhaps the fairest of the fair skinned, as it is a little dark in pigmentation). You can apply it before or after foundation and it won’t leave you looking orange either! Priced nicely at $19/tin you can find it at Sephora, Ulta, bareMineral boutiques and some department stores.
7 TARTE Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer
Another mineral-based bronzing powder which is lightweight, but if you live in a hot, humid environment or go hiking or swimming with makeup on, then this product won’t let you down. It lasts all day long, so it would be perfect for wedding makeup, and because it’s matte you can contour your cheekbones with it too. Priced at $30/compact, you can find this online, at Sephora and Ulta.
I hope you will enjoy these bronzers. Do you have a bronzer that you recommend?
