I'm just going to say it: Finding the right bronzer for your skin tone can be tricky if you're not white. I struggled for years to find a bronzer that would actually show up on my brown skin, until recently. I gave a handful of bronzers from a few of my favorite brands a test drive, and I may have found the holy grail. I was particularly impressed with the pigment payoff of each, something that had been a huge issue for me in the past. A lot of darker bronzers end up being the same color as my skin, but not these!
I don't like to gatekeep either. I'm sharing details on the six formulas that stood out below, along with a few bronzers makeup artists love for darker skin tones. Keep scrolling. There's definitely a formula for you.
How to Apply Bronzer on Black and Brown Skin
Celebrity makeup artist Judi Gabbay says, "I find that brands don't often have an extensive shade range of bronzers, but they do have an extensive range of powders. Personally, I always use face powders as bronzers in my kit. You can do the same thing as a consumer to get a better shade of bronzer for yourself."
Gabbay loves MAC's Studio Fix Powder ($44) and CoverFX powders for this because they have deeper red undertones that work well for Black and Brown skin. To create a skin-like finish over the powder, Gabbay will also use something like Hourglass's Ambient Lighting Palette ($70) (volume three of the palette works for olive- to cocoa-hued skin tones). Another favorite of Gabbay's is Fenty because it has an incredible shade range for Black and Brown skin.
Her best application tips for bronzer include applying it where the sun would naturally hit your face. Typically, this would be the top of the forehead, tip of the nose, the chin, and under the cheekbones. Another great tip, she says, is to use the "rule of three." To do this, you would apply the bronzer in a three shape down the left and right sides of the face. (This can also be used for contouring.)
Best Overall Bronzer for Deep Skin Tones: Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer
Pros: Great shade range, transfer-resistant, smooth, and easy to blend.
Cons: Powder formula may be too drying for some.
Fenty's Sun Stalk'r was one of the first bronzers I ever tried. Yes, it is a powder formula, which may be a bit drying for some, but the shade range is so versatile, and the formula is super easy to blend.
Customer Review: "I love this bronzer. The formula blends like butter, and it makes you perfectly tan without looking muddy!"
LYS Beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick
Above, I'm wearing the LYS Beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick.
Pros: Cream formula blends easily; leaves a silky, second-skin finish; and contains hydrating skincare ingredients.
Cons: Very pigmented. I recommend starting with a very small amount and building up.
LYS Beauty's cream bronzing stick is one of my favorites for darker skin tones. I'm wearing it in the photo above, and I feel like it adds the perfect amount of warmth without looking chalky or cakey. It also blends like a dream—I use a brush with this one, and it just melts right into the skin.
Customer Review: "I cannot explain enough how much I love this product! It has the most creamy consistency I've ever seen in a cream contour stick. I'm a go-to Fenty Beauty contour stick girl, but this has completely changed the game for me. It completely melts into my skin and leaves my skin with a healthy-looking, sunkissed glow."
Haus Labs Power Sculpt Velvet Bronzer
Pros: The formula creates a skin-like finish and contains hydrating squalane to protect and nourish the skin. Highly pigmented color with a great shade range.
Cons: None.
I've spent enough time raving about the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation ($45), but the brand's Power Sculpt Bronzer deserves some serious love, too. The pigment payoff is absolutely beautiful, and the shades available make it a great pick for darker skin tones.
Customer Review: "The perfect bronzer. [It] literally goes on like [a] cream, stays all day, and blends perfectly. These products are a dream."
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
Pros: Unique cream-gel formula creates the perfect warm and sunny glow with light-reflecting pigments.
Cons: Shade range could be better, expensive.
I only recently tried this creamy bronzer from Chanel, but the color impressed me. I realize this doesn't have the most impressive shade range, but I love that it creates such a natural, sun-kissed glow on the skin. The darkest shade worked incredibly well for my olive/tan skin, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it for those who are a bit darker in tone. It does, however, blend like a dream and looks so natural on the skin that it's my go-to for everyday wear.
Customer Review: "I'm in love with this. It's so worth the money. It blends like a dream, looks beautiful, smells good, and lasts all day. I will always have this in my makeup routine. It's seriously amazing!"
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream Bronzer
Above, I'm wearing the Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream Bronzer.
Pros: Offers up to 16 hours of wear, hydrates skin, sweatproof.
Cons: Expensive.
This Charlotte Tilbury bronzer is a total dream. It's my most-used and -loved bronzer of this bunch because it looks fantastic on darker skin tones. I love the shade range on this one, and it catches the light so beautifully when you wear it out. A little also goes a long way. I accidentally used way too much the first time I applied this formula, but it still blended out beautifully!
Customer Review: "This is the best cream bronzer on the market. It glides on smoothly and is a beautiful color. I love that it's cruelty-free too."
Saie Sun Melt Natural Cream Bronzer
Pros: Great shade range for darker skin tones. The formula contains nourishing skincare ingredients and provides a natural finish.
Cons: Contains oil and may not be suitable for oily or acne-prone skin.
I have great things to say about pretty much every Saie product, but this creamy balm-like bronzer takes the cake. It's lightweight, offers a natural finish, and contains nourishing skincare ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, elderberry extract, and grape-seed oil.
Customer Review: "This is my favorite bronzer! It lasts a long time and makes me look like I actually go out in the sun."
Mented Cosmetics Sunkissed Bronzer
Pros: Great shades for darker skin tones, highly pigmented.
Cons: Powder formula may be too drying for some.
Mented offers this powder formula in rich shades for Black and Brown skin. Each is highly pigmented and adds so much extra warmth to the skin. The only potential downside is that it's a powder formula, which may not be great for dry skin types.
Customer Review: "I bought this before the New Year after seeing an ad on Instagram, and let me tell you…. all of my makeup looks have been fabulous! I remember looking at myself in the mirror, trying to figure out what the difference was, and then I remembered that I added this bronzer. WOW! It totally changed my everyday look more than my MAC bronzer did. I have the [shade] Yacht Life, and it is perfect. I am thinking of [buying] the darker shade for even more drama. I love this brand!"
Pacifica Sun Dreams Bronzer
Pros: Budget-friendly, buildable, creamy formula, can be used as a contour or a bronzer.
Cons: Product can get a bit chalky if over-applied.
You can use this Pacific formula as a contour or bronzer. It's also for anyone who likes a matte look without any shimmer.
Customer Review: "Very nice! I dot it on my cheek bones and soften with the foundation brush. It looks so natural, and it is buildable. You can warm any area of your face with this. I love it!"
Black Radiance True Complexion Contour Palette
Pros: Comes with contour, bronzer, and highlighter shades; creates a natural finish; budget-friendly.
Cons: Not as forgiving—use sparingly and build up.
This Black Radiance palette offers three shades to contour, sculpt, and highlight. I don't know about you, but I definitely appreciate convenience, and these rich shades make it so easy for darker skin tones to sculpt and bronze.
Customer Review: "I love this product. It's the perfect brown to give you a beautiful contour, and the highlighter is stunning."
L'Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Soft Matte Longwear Bronzer
Pros: Budget-friendly, offers up to 24 hours of wear, great shades for darker skin tones.
Cons: May be too matte for dry skin types.
L'Oréal's Infallible bronzer went viral on TikTok for a reason—it offers weightless, breathable coverage for up to 24 hours and leaves a soft matte finish.
Customer Review: "Easy to apply, good price, looks good."
Danessa Myricks Evolution Setting & Blurring Loose Powder
Pros: Minimizes the appearance of pores and texture, absorbs oil, and reduces shine.
Cons: Powder formula may be too drying for some.
Makeup artists love Danessa Myricks products because she knows skin and texture. These powders are fluffy, airy, and have the right balance of red and brown to create and enhance the glow you need. Shades 4.5 and 5 are especially great for darker skin tones.
Customer Review: "A winner and new staple to my makeup collection. Five stars!"
Hoola Matte Bronzer
Pros: Highly pigmented, applies evenly, has great shades for deep skin tones.
Cons: Powder formula may be too drying for some.
This bronzer offers a lot of pigment, so a little goes a long way. It applies super-evenly without slipping on moisturized skin. Plus, it has just the right amount of red for deep skin tones.
Customer Review: "This is definitely my favorite bronzer!! It's so good and stays on my face for the whole day. I really recommend this product!"
SheGlam Silk Haze Cream Bronzer
Pros: Easy to blend, natural-looking finish, great pigment payoff, affordable
Cons: Contains waxes and silicones that may not be suitable for acne-prone skin
This is another good bronzer that has a good range of shade options for darker skin tones. It's super easy to blend, has great pigment payoff, and at just $6, is really affordable.
This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
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