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Bronzer is a great way to add warmth and definition to your makeup look—and when it comes to applying it on fair skin, choosing the right shade is key. It all starts with identifying your skin’s undertones to ensure that your bronzer hue won’t read too intense or orange. Here, we spoke with New York City-based makeup artist Kasey Spickard to learn how to choose the right bronzer for fair skin, plus the best 15 bronzers to try, from glowy to matte and everything in between.
Our top 15 bronzers for fair skin tones, at a glance:
- Best overall: Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer in Shady Biz, $35
- Best powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Matte Bronzer in Fair, $58
- Best liquid: Saie Beauty Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Effortless Liquid Bronzer in Sand, $25
- Best cream: Tower 28 Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzer in Sun Coast, $20
- Best glowy finish: TULA Bronze Boost Glow Bronzing Drops, $34
- Best matte finish: Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick 01, $66
- Best clean formula: Kosas The Sun Show Baked Bronzer in Beachy, $35
- Best natural finish: Haus Labs Power Sculpt Velvet Bronzer with Fermented Arnica in Light Level 2, $38
- Best contour: LYS Beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick in Motivate, $20
- Best stick: Westman Atelier Face Trace Cream Contour Stick in Biscuit, $48
- Best drugstore: NYX Professional Makeup Buttermelt Bronzer in All Butta’d Up, $10
- Best for mature skin: YSL Beauty All Hours 24H Hyper Sunkissed Glow Bronzer in Sepia, $65
- Best sculpting: Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo in She’s Statuesque, $40
- Best multitasking: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light, $58
- Best splurge: Tom Ford Shade And Illuminate Cream Contour Duo 0.5, $90
How to choose a bronzer for fair skin tones
When it comes to choosing a bronzer for fair skin tones, Spickard recommends looking out for a product that meets a few expectations in tone, intensity, and finish. And he’s right—finding the right hue and consistency will ensure that your bronzer doesn’t look streaky, too orange, or unnatural. Here’s what to look for:
The tone
“So many bronzers appear super orange when you put them on fair skin, so you want to look for products that are lighter in the shade range,” says Spickard. For fair skin with cool undertones, he recommends opting for a bronzer that sits in the more neutral, taupe world. For fair skin with warm undertones, he recommends a bronzer that’s more golden-peach. Although it’s seemingly subtle, choosing a bronzer that complements cool or warm undertones will make a world of a difference.
The intensity
Spickard also notes that you don’t want too much intensity in your bronzer if you have a fair skin tone—instead, less is more. “If your bronzer is too intense, take your beauty sponge or foundation brush that you use to apply your complexion products and lightly tap over where you have too much bronzer and blend it into the skin,” he recommends.
The finish
A great bronzer should have a natural-looking finish, and you can achieve this by choosing a formula that has a blendable texture that will melt evenly onto the skin. If it’s a liquid or cream formula, try mixing it into your normal foundation shade to add depth—this will leave you with a coveted just-got-back-from-the-beach glow.
Shop the 15 best bronzers for fair skin tones
This long-wearing, pigmented, and light-as-a-feather bronzer gives a wash of warmth to fair skin, making it a favorite in our book. It’s super versatile and won’t look heavy or cakey on the skin: rather, it will have a soft focus and velvety finish so good you’ll want to apply it every single day.
Shades: 9
Pros:
- Cruelty-free
- Soft focus finish
- Long-wearing
Cons:
- Some reviewers report that the consistency is a little chalky
Powder bronzer can give you a defined finish that almost looks airbrushed, and this formula hits the mark. It contains hyaluronic acid and fine, silky powders to omit a radiant, but never excessively shiny look.
Shades:4
Pros:
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Matte formula
Cons:
- Some reviewers report that the pigment is a little sheer
If you prefer a liquid bronzing formula, we love this soft-focus pick that’s buildable and blurring. For a subtle finish, opt for one layer, or add more definition with a second. This bronzer also has glycerin, licorice root, and silica for a hydrated, soft, and even-toned finish.
Shades: 6
Pros:
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Dewy finish
Cons:
- Comes off a little streaky if not blended well
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This cream bronzer will give you a radiant, shimmery finish that reads sunkissed. We love how easy this formula is to apply—it glides on without pilling or tugging and keeps the skin hydrated with mango seed butter and castor seed oil.
Shades:5
Pros:
- Vegan + cruelty-free
- Hydrating
Cons:
- Some reviewers feel that the consistency is too balmy
Bronzing drops are a great way to add warmth to your face during your skincare routine. We love this golden formula exactly for this reason: it’s easy to mix into your moisturizer or apply on its own before makeup. These drops also contain a rainbow seabright elixir, copper peptides, and hyaluronic acid for added plumping effects.
Shades:1
Pros:
- Customizable
- Skin-friendly
Cons:
- Comes in only one shade
Spickard loves this bronzer duo for good reason: it doesn’t appear too orange and blends beautifully. “This bronzer is great for fair skin—you can use the deeper shade for intensity and the fairer shade to blend, they’re absolutely gorgeous,” he says.
Shades: 5
Pros:
- Versatile
- Refillable
Cons:
- Pricey
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It’s true — a great bronzer can be clean. This talc-free pick proves this and much more, thanks to its glowy finish that leaves behind the ideal amount of pigment without appearing chalky or heavy. We love that it also has a blend of fatty acids to keep the skin looking hydrated and smooth.
Shades: 5
Pros:
- Baked formula gives a pigmented glow
- Vegan + cruelty-free
Cons:
- Some users dislike the packaging; it can be a little hard to open
Achieve a warm, velvety flush with this bronzer that gives you a post-beach glow. It has a second-skin, natural finish and also contains good-for-your-skin ingredients like fermented arnica oil and plant squalane for a protected and nourished look.
Shades: 8
Pros:
- Vegan + cruelty-free
Cons:
- Very pigmented, can come off splotchy if not blended
Adding definition to the face is easy with this creamy bronzer formula that acts as the perfect contour. It has a buildable pigment, which makes customizing your look a breeze, plus, rosehip oil, green tea extract, and sodium hyaluronate to ensure the skin looks bouncy, plump, and defined post-application.
Shades: 7
Pros:
- Blendable
- Cruelty-free
Cons:
- Some reviewers report that the shades have strong orange undertones
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“For cooler-toned fair folks, I actually love this contour stick,” says Spickard. He recommends using this stick as a bronzer base and layering a warm bronzing powder on top for a multi-dimensional finish. This one also has a combination of jojoba seed oil, raspberry leaf stem, and kaolin clay for a mattifying, yet moisturizing finish.
Shades: 3
Pros:
- Cruelty-free
- Easy to apply
Cons:
- Some reviewers report a streaky finish
- Only 3 shades
This super affordable bronzer pick is a dream: it’s a powder that glides on like a cream thanks to its hydrating ingredients like shea, mango, and almond butter. It has a buildable, warm, and smooth finish that lives up to its name.
Shades:7
A bronzer with hyaluronic acid will leave your skin looking defined and plump, which is why we love this bronzer pick. It also contains niacinamide and limetta extract to keep the skin hydrated and soft, making it perfect for mature skin types.
Shades:5
Pros:
- Natural finish
Cons:
- May contain ingredients that are not considered ‘clean’
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If you’re in search of a sculpted look, opt for this cream contour and powder bronzer duo. Use the cream as a base to outline your contour just below your cheekbone, then apply the powder on top to lock in the pigment. You’ll be left with a sculpted, dare we say—snatched—jawline.
Shades: 5
Pros:
- Cream and power formula
- Cruelty-free
Cons:
- Some reviewers report that the consistency is drying
This ambient lighting bronzer is a crowd-favorite multitasker because it provides both highlight and depth. It has light-reflecting technology that gives your look a three-dimensional, glowing finish for extra luminosity that can be used on the cheekbones, lids, and more.
Shades:3
Pros:
- Warm-toned and luminous
- Can be used as a bronzer and eyeshadow
- Cruelty-free
Cons:
- Pricey
If you’re looking to splurge, Spickard loves this cream contour duo for fair skin tones. “For warmer-toned fair folks, I love this bronzer — it’s subtle and blends out so beautifully to give a natural warm glow,” he says. It also contains moringa oil for hydration, plus light-diffusing pearls for radiance and sparkle.
Shades: 4
Pros:
- Buildable pigment
Cons:
- Luminous
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