Here are 12 bronzers that boost glow without leaving you looking orange — as tested by beauty editors with pale skin

If you have pale skin, you’ll know from experience that warming up the complexion isn’t a case of whacking on any old bronzer (even if it's topped every best bronzer list) and hoping for the best. I've found finding the right shade for my fair skin tricky. The best bronzers for pale skin add natural-looking warmth without an unwanted orange hue.

As a beauty editor with pale skin, I’d like to think that finding wearable shades of the bronzer is now a bit of a specialist subject of mine. Shade options have significantly improved since I first started wearing make-up—I no longer automatically reach for the lightest shade when testing the best foundation for pale skin, for example—but your bronzer-of-choice still needs to be wearable.

Not only must your chosen bronzer suit your skin tone, it also needs to perform well. Ahead are my tried and tested picks of the top buys on the market, including both reliable go-tos and newfound favourites, along with pictures of what they look like on my skin.

If you're on the fairer side like me, I hope my years of research will help you in your future bronzing endeavours.

The best bronzers for pale skin - Quick Links:

• Best lightweight bronzer for pale skin: Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzer in Light, £32 | Sephora
• Best stick bronzer for pale skin: Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer in Dazed, £22 | Sephora
• Best bronzer for very pale skin: Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick in 01, £68 | Selfridges
• Best matte bronzer for pale skin: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Cream Bronzer, £45 | Sephora
• Best affordable bronzer for pale skin: L'Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Matte Bronzer in Light 250, £12.99 | LookFantastic
• Best radiant bronzer for pale skin: Refy Cream Bronzer in Dune, £18 | Refy Beauty
• Best balmy bronzer for pale skin: Saie Sun Melt Natural Cream Bronzer in Fair Bronze, £26 | Cult Beauty
• Best finely-milled bronzer for pale skin: NARS Laguna Bronzer, £38 | Space NK
• Best for a proper sunkissed look: Vieve Modern Radiance Cream Bronzer in Light, £32 | Cult Beauty
• Best sculpting bronzer for pale skin: Merit Beauty Bronze Balm in Clay, £26 | Merit Beauty
• Best liquid bronzer for pale skin: Glossier Cloud Paint in Swept, £22 | Sephora
• Best baked bronzer for pale skin: Kosas The Sun Show Baked Bronzer, £30 | Sephora

How we tested the best bronzers for pale skin

In order to make sure that we're giving you the edit of the very best bronzers for pale skin on the market, each of the bronzers below has been tested by a member of the Marie Claire beauty team or one of our contributors—and lots of bronzers were tested before they made the shortlist. As part of the testing process, we looked at everything from how easy they were to apply, whether the colour suited a pale skin tone, and if they had decent staying power. Read more about how we test products.

The best bronzers for pale skin, according to fair-skinned beauty editors

1. Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzer in Light

Makeup by Mario may only have been around since 2020, but with an artist like Mario Dedivanovic at its helm, it isn’t hugely surprising that the products are excellent. That very much applies to the SoftSculpt bronzer, an incredibly fine and lightweight powder that blends seamlessly into the skin. It’s a dream to apply and very buildable, adding warmth and definition. The Light shade is perfect for fair skin than needs warming up, not an all over tanned-look.

2. Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer in Dazed

I absolutely love these little sticks from Milk Makeup. (The contour option is also brilliant for pale skin—not at all muddy.) The formula blends really well and a little of the shade Dazed goes a long way for a subtle look, or it can be built up for more obvious bronze. This bronzer is on the small side, but it’s one of my favourites for sure.

3. Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick in 01

This nails the brief of the best bronzers for pale skin. Matte Bronzing Brick comes with two shades of powder, designed for a two-step approach—one to add natural-looking warmth all-over, and another shade to sculpt. 01 is my shade of choice. The lighter tone is super flattering and would work on even paler complexions than mine, and the powder is lovely and lightweight, blending with ease. I would say that the packaging is noticeably heavy, but it makes it feel very luxurious. Easily one of the best Victoria Beckham Beauty products.

4. Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Cream Bronzer

My skin is quite oily, so you’d be forgiven for assuming I lean towards powder products, but I love cream formulas—especially when they are on the matte side like Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin Bronzer. (It’s a hard toss-up between this and the brand's iconic Airbrush bronzer, but this is the mainstay of my make-up bag.) The formula blends easily, builds well, and wears beautifully on my skin throughout the day. The compact and mirror inside are also ginormous, making it extra useful for those times you’re applying make-up on the go.

5. L'Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Matte Bronzer in Light 250

A nice affordable option, L’Oréal Paris’ Infallible range is a hit with those looking who like long-lasting make-up—and the bronzer manages to nail this while remaining very lightweight. I use the Light shade and it looks great on my skin, but even that might be a little too warm for the palest of pale skin, but it feels nice on the skin with a reasonable price tag to boot.

6. Refy Cream Bronzer in Dune

Another brand that only launched a few years ago but that has been a huge hit is REFY. Brow Sculpt is the hero of the line-up, but the cream bronzer also gets my approval. Again on the warm side, even in the lightest Dune shade, the finish has a hint of dewiness to it that plays well with foundation. I also found I didn’t need much of it, so imagine it’ll last me ages.

7. Saie Sun Melt Natural Cream Bronzer in Fair Bronze

Anything I've tried from Saie I've really rated, and this is another absolutely lovely balmy-cream bronzer (if you really want to treat yourself, I can also recommend The Big Brush, a brilliant stubby buffing brush). The lightest shade was a perfect match, the formula buildable and the application a breeze. It's up there with the best cream bronzers for sure.

8. NARS Laguna Bronzer in 00

NARS is such a legendary brand that probably needs no introduction, but if the Laguna bronzer isn’t yet on your radar it absolutely should be. One of the brand's bestselling products, this is its universal bronzer that claims to have a shade to suit every single skin tone. The 00 shade is a little on the warm side—there are definitely lighter shades of bronzer out there—but it’s brilliant if you want to creating a healthy bronzed look.

9. Vieve Modern Radiance Cream Bronzer in Light

Last but by no means least, another winning product from Jamie Genevieve’s make-up brand, VIEVE. The original Modern Radiance, which features two shades of powder, is pretty good, but this is even better, in my opinion. It warmed up my complexion instantly for that real sunkissed look. Again it’s on the dewy side, so great for creating that all-over healthy radiance.

10. Merit Beauty Bronze Balm in Clay

"This is one of the easiest bronzers I've ever used. Stick formulas are abundant, but this formula is different. It's super creamy - so feels glorious on the skin - and it's incredibly sheer, which is ideal when you have pale skin and want to build up to colour subtly. Quine and Clay - the two lightest shades work well on fairer skin tones, but Clay does a cracking job at sculpting the face thanks to its putty-like undertones." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor

11. Glossier Cloud Paint in Swept

"I have fair skin, but I like to look bronzed. I dabble with fake tan - my preferred method is tanning drops - but I rely heavily on my bronzer to give me a warm glow. I have found the bronzer line-up of Cloud Paint from Glossier to be one of the best ways to achieve a natural-looking tan. For super pale skin, there's a shade called Sail, which is a rich nude that offers just a touch of warmth that won't overpower. However, Swept is my favourite for gorgeous sunkissed skin that still works with my English rose tones." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor

12. Kosas The Sun Show Glowy Warmth Baked Bronzer in Beachy

“As someone who is naturally pale, I didn’t use bronzer for a very long time in my regular make-up routine for fear that I would end up looking overly orange or unnatural. However, now that I’m 35 and look perpetually tired I find that the best bronzers for pale skin can actually really make a difference in how awake I look and feel each day. Despite not always loving powder products, this baked bronzer from Kosas is one of my favourites. Like a lot of baked products, it isn’t overly pigmented, meaning that you can build it up slowly to get the kind of glow that you want. (Perfect if you have a tendency to apply things with a heavy hand like me!) I apply it basically all over my skin using a big fluffy brush to deliver a natural flush of warmth and a beautiful sheeny glow that looks healthy and fresh, rather than like I’ve been experimenting with fake tan.” - Mica Ricketts, Freelance Beauty Editor and Marie Claire Contributor