A ful guide on cream bronzers + the best products a radiant glow

Cream bronzers that are best for sun-kissed skin have many other benefits than mimicking it. Non-powder-based bronzers can be used as dewy highlighters or sheer skin tints. They also have a hydrating finish and are easy to blend.

The best bronzer for your skin depends on what you are looking to achieve. Cream bronzers are a great choice because of their versatility. Chanel Makeup Artist Zoe Taylor agrees that cream bronzers are much easier to blend into skin. They glide on easily and leave no dry patches. Cream bronzers can be applied in many different ways. You could mix it with your moisturizer to create a tan all over, contour, or blush. Cream texture bronzers make skin look fresh and radiant.

Who wouldn’t want this? You can have glowing, new skin in a matter of seconds. After testing dozens of radiant liquid formulas, I have made my choice. These cream bronzers are suitable for all skin types and come in many finishes. Expert makeup artists can also help you with any questions.

For this guide to the best cream bronzer, we tried many products. We learned how to apply bronzer in all textures, including liquids, creams, thick creams and swipe-on sticks. Cream bronzers are easy to apply. We paid attention to how each formula blended and how easy it was for us to control. The opacity of the bronzers was also evaluated. These can be sheer, pigmented, matte, or shimmery. Each bronzer was tested on our skin for at most one day. We also tried several different ones to see if they were lasting, if they settled into pores, and if they remained true-to-tone after a full day of wear.

THE BEST CREAM BRONZERS

1. NARS LAGUNA BROKEN CREAM
Best cream bronzer overall

NARS excels in many areas (the kohl liner is unbeatable), but the brand’s strength lies in color cosmetics for skin, such as blush, bronzer and highlighter. NARS’ Laguna powder inspired this range of five cream bronzers. It takes the natural, non-sparkly finish of that iconic bronzer to the next level.

The lightweight, compact pot was easy to carry around in my gym bag, beach bag or festival bumbag. It’s a smooth cream texture that can be applied with your fingers or a brush. The finish is blurred and it spreads easily onto the skin. You will need to blend quickly as it sets into something powdery. However, it stays right where you put it. There are shades to suit all skin types, and monoi de Tahiti oil gives it a hydrated finish. Gorgeous stuff.

2. CHANEL LES BIEGES HEALTHY GLOW BRRONZING CREAM
Best luxury cream bronzer

It is impossible not to love this bronzer. This Chanel bronzer is a luxurious pot of Chanel cosmetics that has been whipped up and lightly glossy. What’s not to like? Once you get over your initial flush of lust, there are many things to keep a healthy, happy relationship with this man. He performs exceptionally well (no laughing at his back please).

This cream bronzer looked the most natural of all the ones I tried. The pigment is just the right level of sheer making it extremely adaptable and versatile. It blended smoothly, blurred my annoying nose pores, and set to a radiant, but not sparkly, finish that lasted from 7 o’clock in the morning to the end of the day. Taylor agrees that Chanel Les Beiges Bronzing cream is the best. She says it feels very solid once you apply it.

3. W7 BRONZE CHIC UNIVERSAL CHIC BRONZING BALM
Best budget-friendly bronzer

This bargain beauty from W7 is a great choice if you are looking for the best cream blusher. It’s also significantly less expensive than the rest of this list so you won’t have to spend a lot on a small amount. It is, however, a fantastic product.

It has a solid texture and a slight sheen. It reminded me of a more oily cleansing balm before you start melting it in. It blended well, glided over my skin easily, and set just like any other product. It gave my skin a glowing glow and smooth texture. Amazingly, it didn’t crease even after a full day of wear. Although the single shade range is not universal, it could be improved. I don’t believe one shade works well with bronzer. It was definitely too warm for my Celtic skin, and it wouldn’t work well for deeper tones.

4. Rare Beauty Wishes Efficient BRONZER
Best cream bronzer to use on-the-go

Rare beauty is a well-named brand. Celebrity beauty collections are only one in a million. Selena Gomez, actor and Disney alum, is behind it. Rare also created one of the most popular cream blush formulas. Rare also has a classy stick bronzer.

Because there is so little fuss, I’m drawn to crayons. It’s simple to store, pack, apply, and mix with your fingers. I believe stick form should be used for far more products. The shades are great, and have a unique combination of warm and cool undertones. It is especially good for olive skin and those with medium-deep skin. It packs a punch. I was shocked at how opaque my first stroke was. However, it blends well if you use it slowly. The dewy finish was very flattering for non-Selena Gomez skin.

5. GLOSSIER SOLAR PAINT
Highlighter and best cream bronzer

Glossier is the best cream bronzer. It may surprise you, but it has the most glamorous and reflective formula. Glossier is known for its hyper-natural products like the best tinted moisturizer, which suggests pigment, and the long-lasting perfume that smells just like you.

This cream is quite a different beast. The cream was shiny and glowing as soon as I removed the doe foot applicator, which is a very useful tool. This is not a negative thing. This formula gives a radiant glow that isn’t too sparkly but does give a nice highlight. It’s not a great product to apply all over your face. However, it is a good idea to put it on your cheekbones and brow bones. It doesn’t crease and lasts well. Although the pigment can be quite heavy, it is still acceptable as a targeted combination of bronze-highlights and a tint all over.

6. ICONIC LONDON SILVER BRONZE
Best liquid bronzer

This cream bronzer is not the best, but it is a good choice. The texture is light and watery. This foundation is definitely lighter than some of the more robust creams like Chanel and NARS. This product is strong as long as you don’t squeeze too much out, as I did my first time.

This product is lightweight and easy to use. You can also mix it with foundation, skincare products, or other products to create a glowing glow. The sheer pigment and the large selection of shades gave my skin a bronzed look without feeling or looking heavy. Although it has a hint of shimmer, it doesn’t shine too brightly or seem overly glittery.

7. CHARLOTTE TILBURY CONTOUR WAND
Best cream bronzer for facial contouring

The Charlotte Tilbury brand is all glamour, fun, and sexy makeup looks. Although it is not a traditional cream bronzer, this product actually serves a different purpose. But as excellent, darker-than-your-tone, non-powder makeup I reckon it still deserves a shout-out.

This cream bronzer is great for facial sculpting. This is the best cream bronzer for contouring makeup to achieve a natural look. It’s clever with its twist-open sponge-tipped tip. The formula is light but easily blendable, and it dries completely matte for convincing definition and shadows. Although it looked dark initially, it blended well and worked well over concealer and foundation. It also stayed exactly where it was put. This product is a bit more expensive than others, but you only need a tiny amount each time.

8. CHANTECAILLE RADIANCE GEL BRONZER
Best cream bronzer for skin benefits

There is a lot of crossover between people who want the best cream bronzer for dry skin and those who are looking for it. Most non-powder formulas can be used on dehydrated skin, but this one is especially good because it contains hydrating skincare ingredients.

This contains warm, glowing pigment in one shade, but it is a pretty versatile sheer one. It also contains nourishing squalane and rosa damascena oil as well as other skin-loving botanicals. Despite the moisturizing properties, the texture was refreshing on my combination skin. It would not have been as pleasant on dry skin. The rose oil must have a French-luxury scent. It smells amazing! It gave my cheeks a healthy glow that mimicked the bronzed glow of someone just returned from a weekend, as well as the fresh-faced “I’ve had some sleep and taken some coast walks” energy.

WHAT FOR DO WE USE CREAM BRONZER?

“Cream bronzers give skin a radiant, dewy finish,” says Charlotte Tilbury’s star makeup artist, Sofia Tilbury. “I chose them to create a natural-looking, beachy-bronzed effect, whereas powder formulas have a more smooth, soft-focused, sun-kissed look.”

Skin type is also important. Cream bronzer has a unique ability to suit all skin types. It can be used over a full-coverage foundation without looking greasy, or over a moisturizer. Taylor agrees. Tilbury says, “Creambronzers are great for all skin types due to the skin-like, dewy finish they give. But they are especially great for those with drier skin. For a lasting finish, I recommend setting creambronzer with a layer of powder bronzer if your skin is oily.”

WHAT COLOR OF BRONZER SHOULD I USE?

Rachel Hardie, NARS Lead Artist, says “I would always choose a couple of tones darker then your natural skin tone. If you’re fair, I would work towards a gold with a touch of green-based bronzer for a natural, sunkissed appearance. A warmer base will cancel out any sallowness in olive tones. A rich, but not too reddish, pigment is best to complement deeper skin colors.”

HOW TO APPLY CREAM BRONZER

Tilbury explains that cream bronzer is best used with a brush that is densely packed to pick up the correct amount of product. The bristles should also be smooth so that they fan out across the skin to create a seamless blend.

She continues, “After applying foundation, tap your brush in the product, then gently tap and press onto skin. Focus on areas where sun naturally hits such as the cheekbones and forehead, nose and jawline.” You can layer to achieve a sun-kissed look, and glide over your shoulders, collarbones and limbs.

Taylor suggests that cream bronzer be used to contour and define the face. Taylor says to start with the neck. Next, work your way up to the cheekbones. This gives the skin warmth and subtle changes to the structure.