Best Bronzers for a Sun-Kissed Glow this Summer

bronzers for a sunkissed glow post title photo

High-End, Drugstore, and Body Bronzers Perfect for a Sun-Kissed Summer Glow

Bronzer is one product that I’ve become more and more obsessed with over the last year.

I just love how it warms up my complexion and gives my face soft dimension even if I decide not to contour that day!

Bronzer is a staple in my everyday makeup routine and I don’t think I could go even a single day without it.

But, especially in the summertime, it’s a must! I go much heavier on the bronzer over these few months to give me a sun-kissed look that matches the season.

Since it is THE bronzer season of the year, many brands have just released new bronzers that look amazing! (I’m trying really hard to refrain from buying them ALL.)

From matte bronzers, luminous bronzers, shimmery bronzers, body bronzers, liquid bronzers, to bronzer/highlighter combos, there is literally something for everyone!

In today’s post, we’ll be going over the best bronzers, both high-end and drugstore, to give you that gorgeous sun-kissed look for summer.

Some of these products are brand new releases and some of them are old, classic favorites. But, with any one you choose, you’ll be ready for summer!

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

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Best Bronzers for Summer

I will include the manufacturer’s description of each item along with any thoughts I have on the product. 🙂

High-End Bronzers

Fenty Beauty – Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer

A long-wear, transfer-resistant bronzing powder in eight groundbreaking shades, each carefully curated to bring all skin tones to life.
This powder bronzer comes in eight versatile shades to bring out the warmth in all skin tones. Smooth, creamy, and easy to blend, this light-as-air bronzer gives you a sun-soaked glow that stays put all day. Whether you’re looking for warmth or contouring, it does it all with the perfect soft-matte finish.

I’ve had my eye on this bronzer ever since it was first released and have heard so many great things about it! I haven’t tried it yet (because I have about a million bronzers in my collection), but I am dying to!

The shades of this bronzer are all supposed to bring out the warmth in your skin tone, regardless of your natural skin tone, which is perfect for summer! All about that warm sun-kissed glow for summer!

Benefit – Hoola Matte Bronzer

Dust on Benefit Cosmetics’ iconic Hoola Matte Bronzer across the chin, cheeks, and forehead for a healthy, natural-looking tan that flatters any skin tone.
Complete with a soft, natural-bristle cheek brush, it delivers pure matte color—without leaving behind shine or shimmer. It’s ideal for fair complexions or for use as an all over finishing powder, and it instantly warms your complexion, leaving you with a healthy-looking, believable glow year round. The finely milled matte bronzer blends on smoothly and seamlessly.

The Hoola Bronzer is the one bronzer that I find myself reaching for the most on a daily basis.

It just has the perfect amount of warmth, without being to warm, to liven my face up a bit. Since the shade isn’t too warm, I can (and do) wear the Original Hoola shade at all times of the year!

Too Faced – Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer

Bronzing has never been so delicious. Create all-over warmth and dimension while achieving a rich, matte, buildable tan. The formula is infused with 100 percent real cocoa powder for skin-loving benefits and a long-wear bronze that smells as good as it looks.

As an Allure Best of Beauty 2018 award winner, this bronzer is a favorite for many! And, who can blame them, right? It’s infused with 100% real cocoa powder and smells like chocolate!

Marc Jacobs – O! Mega Bronzer Coconut Perfect Tan

This super-sized bronzer instantly and universally beautifies with the touch of a brush. Micro-fine, jet-milled powder blends effortlessly for a flawless, radiant-matte finish that looks great on all skin tones.
The limited-edition palette features the same seamless matte formula of O!mega Bronze Perfect Tan in a more neutral bronze shade, and it’s delicately scented with coconut fragrance for a vacation vibe.

This bronzer in the shade Tan-Tastic is totally one of my holy grails for its natural tone and finish. I sometimes have the problem of bronzers looking too orange on me, but that never happens with Tan-Tastic!

However, for the summertime, I’m all about having warm golden goddess vibes and Tan-Tastic is too light and neutral for that.

So, unless you’re very fair, I totally recommend using Tantalize for the summer as it’s a warmer and deeper shade than Tan-Tastic.

Also seen in: Makeup Worth Your Money

Hourglass – Ambient Lighting Bronzer

An illuminating bronzer with Photoluminescent Technology, featuring bronze pigments that deliver a natural-looking, sunkissed glow while flaunting depth and dimension.
Ambient Lighting Bronzer’s sheer, airy formula sweeps softly onto skin for a healthy-looking, radiant finish. It’s formulated with Photoluminescent Technology, featuring optically transparent particles that transform the look of skin by manipulating and refracting light to emphasize your best features.
The optically transparent particles allow for seamless blending and color transitions. The powders, blended by hand using an advanced miscelare technique, offer the perfect balance of pigments in a gorgeous pattern.

I fall in love with this bronzer more and more every time I use it! I just recently got the shade Luminous Bronze and it’s the perfect warm luminous bronzer to achieve a sun-kissed glow.

When I’m feeling like I REALLY want to be bronzed, I will layer this bronzer on top of my Hoola bronzer.

Also seen in: Best Makeup of May 2019

Becca – Sunlit Bronzer

With a shade for every skintone, this neutral bronzer imparts healthy-looking warmth so that skin looks sunkissed—never orange. Each beach-inspired bronzer features BECCA’s iconic Shimmering Skin Perfector® formula that’s custom-made with subtle shimmer, and it blends pigments with liquids to deliver its unparalleled, creamy feel. The powder’s silky texture lets you customize your glow—go from subtly sunkissed to a just-stepped-off-the-beach bronze.

This is another great radiant bronzer option for a healthy sun-kissed glow! My favorite shade is Capri Coast. 🙂

Drugstore Bronzers

Physicians Formula – Murumuru Butter Bronzer

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer Murumuru Butter Bronzer is an ultra-luxurious bronzer infused with Murumuru Butter, delivering a radiant Brazilian goddess glow! Moisturizing wonder features ultra-refined pearl and soft-focus pigments that smooth skin texture, brighten skin tone and deliver a gorgeous bronze finish.

The tried-and-true bronzer for many! Not only does is smell like coconuts, which makes you feel like you’re on the beach in the summer, it applies flawlessly every single time. The formula is like silk! It’s so smooth and creamy – true to its Butter name.

My go-to shade is Bronzer, which is the original shade, but for the summertime, I’m definitely feeling a darker shade. Physicians Formula actually recently released new shades – Bronzed Brazillian Glow and Endless Summer!

I think those shades are probably too dark for me, though, so I’d choose Sunkissed Bronzer or Deep Bronzer for the summertime.

Also seen in: Drugstore Makeup Holy Grails

NYX – Matte Bronzer

Achieve a natural and healthy-looking complexion using any of the powder bronzers available in beautiful russet shades. Perfect for that desired honey glow all year long! Bronzing skin is easier than ever with the best bronzer for a warm, sun-kissed complexion. If you’re looking to get a radiant glow sans shimmer, this matte formula will be your new BFF.

This is another tried-and-true bronzer for many! It has great pigmentation and a little definitely goes a long way!

All of the shades have a warm undertone, perfect to bronze you up for summer.

Also seen in: Best Drugstore Makeup Face Products Under $10

Catrice – Sun Lover Glow Bronzer

Kissed by the sun! Catrice Sun Lover Glow Bronzing Powder provides a natural looking sun-kissed complexion all year long. Silky-soft marbled bronzing powder is ideal for all skin tones. Super fine light-reflecting pigments provide a fresh and healthy glow.

This bronzer was my first glowy bronzer and it’s the one that made me fall in love with them! Now, I regularly use a glowy bronzer at all times of the year!

It looks way darker in the pan than it actually is, so don’t let that scare you. I have a light skin tone and it’s the perfect shade for a natural sun-kissed glow.

Also seen in: Best Drugstore Makeup Under $10

Milani – Baked Bronzer

Crafted on Italian terracotta tiles, Milani Baked Bronzer is all about a warm, beautiful glow with a delicate shimmer finish. Choose from soft gold to tantalizingly tan and dust it lightly on face and body.

Milani can seriously do no wrong with their baked products. I love the baked blush and I love the baked bronzer, too!

All of the shades have a warm undertone to them and the slight gold shimmer in each of them provides a gorgeous bronzed glow.

Also seen in: Best Makeup of March 2019

NYX – California Beamin’ Face & Body Bronzer

This jumbo bronzer is designed to be dusted all over the face and body. Featuring a creamy texture, our all-over powder bronzer with soft pearls delivers a warm faux glow with a flattering satin finish.
The super blendable formula is perf for contouring or creating an airbrushed, second-skin effect, no more patchy spots! Each carefully curated shade blends smoothly across the face or body to warm up every complexion for that sunkissed glow all year round.

This is a newly released bronzer from NYX and it instantly got my attention! I am just so drawn to glowy bronzers right now!

I have yet to try this bronzer, but many are saying it’s a dupe for the Becca Sunlit Bronzer (mentioned above).

Also seen in: New Must-Try Drugstore Makeup – Summer 2019

L’Oreal – True Match Lumi Bronze It Bronzer

L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Bronze It Bronzer leaves skin with an instant sun-kissed glow. Buildable bronzing powder can be used to create an all-over bronzed complexion or contour for a radiant, sculpted look. Shimmer bronzer, formulated in 3 shades, is designed to flatter light, medium & deep skin tones.

Every brand is ready for summer as L’Oreal also recently released this product as their version of the glowy bronzer!

It has less of a warm undertone than the other glowy bronzers I just mentioned above, which makes it a great option if warm bronzers turn too orange on you.

Also seen in: New Must-Try Drugstore Makeup – Spring 2019

Liquid Bronzers/Body Oils

Liquid bronzers and bronzers meant for your body are totally new to me as I’m always worried about transfer whenever putting anything on my body. But, as these are becoming more and more popular, I just may need to give them a shot because they look stunning!

best liquid/body bronzers all product photo

Fenty Beauty – Body Lava Body Luminizer

This body luminizer leaves skin feeling dewy, and has light-diffusing micropearls with a sheer tint of color designed for all skin tones. It’s now available in the iconic shade Trophy Wife, plus the original two bestselling shades—Who Needs Clothes?! and Brown Sugar.

Patrick Ta – Major Glow Body Oil

Inspired by the flawless, next-to-naked looks Patrick creates for his editorial clients, this fragrant body oil contains shimmering, multifaceted pearls to give your skin a rich, muliti-dimensional glow, while the nourishing, anti-oxidant packed formula helps to keep skin radiant from within.
The fragrance is luminous, sweet, and indulgent, with notes of jasmine, white musk, and saffron. Patrick’s signature scent never fails to turn heads.

Huda Beauty – N.Y.M.P.H. Not Your Mama’s Panty Hose All Over Body Highlighter

N.Y.M.P.H promises to give you flawless summer skin that feels smooth and hydrated—without streaks or harsh lines. The water-based formula melts seamlessly into the skin to help blur imperfections, leaving you with nothing but a sun-touched shimmer that is both water- and transfer-resistant.

Sol De Janeiro – Glowmotions

In Brazil, glowing skin is a year-round obsession. Glowmotions kiss the body with a sensuous, luscious light, while hydrating and leaving skin scented with the addictive Brazilian Bum Bum Cheirosa ’62 scent. From sunkissed to full-on flaunting, choose your move and your mood.

Anastasia Beverly Hills – Shimmer Body Oil

This luxurious, lightweight formula goes on smoothly and leaves skin with a touchable, silky-soft feel—never greasy—and a subtle, shimmer finish. It features a tropical, coconut-vanilla scent, and emits a superfine mist that goes on weightlessly.

Milani – Intense Bronze Glow Face & Body Liquid Bronzer

This highly-pigmented, pearlized liquid bronzer delivers a warm, luminous glow to the face and body. Light reflecting pigments and golden pearls combine with Coconut extract to hydrate and leave the skin with a radiant finish that won’t transfer or rub off.

And that’s it for this list of the best bronzers for a sun-kissed summer glow!

Have you tried any of these bronzers? Which ones are your favorites? Do you have any favorites that I missed on the list?

Be sure to let me know down in the comments! If you have any recommendations, please let me know because I LOVE trying new bronzers!

And if you are planning to buy any of these to prepare for summer, don’t forget to use Ebates (now called Rakuten)!