I've made it no secret that I have a favourite bronzer, one that I consider to be the best bronzer on the market - far superior to any other that I have tried. I am of course talking about the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream. I'm not the only one that loves it, in fact it consistently sells out across all of its retailers, especially at this time of year when we're all seeking that extra warmth on our faces. But what's the suggestion if you're struggling to get your hands on a Chanel? I've made it my mission to find the very best cream bronzers that can hold their own against this iconic make-up product.
As I'm sure you know, there are different textured bronzers available - powders, liquids - but I've always preferred creamier products. For example, I will always opt for a cream blusher too, for me this texture always looks most natural on the skin. But I've seen lots of make-up artists combine both cream and powder textures - the former to add the majority of the rich pigment and the latter to set. So I asked two make-up artists - Ruby Hammer MBE and Mira Parmar - to tell me their views on cream bronzers and where they sit in make-up routines.
Why choose a cream bronzer over a powder one?
"Powder products can sit on the skin, gather in pores and look cakey," says Mira Parmar. "But cream bronzers are lightweight and seamless. I absolutely adore cream bronzers for the way they melt into the skin."
As I mentioned above, I really love the texture of a cream bronzer because of the way that it mimics the look of skin, and Ruby Hammer agrees: "It is more forgiving to use, melting into the skin, requiring less diffusion and giving a more natural finish."
What's the best way to apply a cream bronzer?
Is there a special technique to applying a cream-based bronzer? My personal approach is to get a large fluffy brush, swirl it around the pot and buff it into my skin. It turns out, I'm pretty bang on. "Use a soft fluffy brush to blend in a circular motion to give you a seamless finish," Mira says. "It gives a softer airbrushed finish to the skin." She says the circular motion when you apply it is key, you don't want to drag your brush as this will move any makeup underneath. Mira also says that a fan brush can be a good tool to have as well, as it helps you start subtly and build up the intensity.
Ruby likes to use a synthetic medium-sized stipple brush, with densely packed bristles - something like Real Techniques Glow Round Base Brush. "Swirl the brush over the formula and place where the light naturally hits," she says. "Temples, cheekbones, nose and chin." Her top tip though doesn't even involve bronzer: "Finish off with a hint of highlight (my Cheek Colour in Nude is perfect for this), nobody wants a flat finish to the face… it should be multidimensional."
What about shades?
During my testing, I noticed that some of the bronzers were on the warm side and others had very obvious cool undertones. Having spoken to both Mira and Ruby, I realised that there are two things at play here. One, you can use both the warm and the cool: "The cooler toned bronzers are used to contour and sculpt the face," explains Mira. "Whilst the warmer colours are perfect for getting that sunkissed glow and an all over natural looking tan."
But it's also important to think about your own undertones to find the right shade, as Ruby points out here: "When selecting the correct tone for you, you should look no more than two shades deeper than your natural skin tone. If you want to go darker look to fake tan, rather than bronze. To avoid looking orangey the best way to go is start slowly building up to your desired shade. In terms of tone it is trial and error, my skin personally is neutral but with a tan veers towards cool."
Can any skin type use a cream bronzer?
I have dry skin, which is another reason why I love using a creamy bronzer. The idea of using a powder on top of my skin that can sometimes be a wee bit flaky seems madness. But what about people with oily skin, can they use cream bronzers too?
Mira and Ruby both agree that all skin type can use them. "Cream bronzers are great for all skins, including those with dry skin and mature skins, because they make the skin look healthy and hydrated thanks to the skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic and squalane," says Mira. "Some oily skins can benefit from a cream bronzer cancelling out the oil effect." And she's right, because during testing I noted that some had a cream-to-powder finish, so these are probably best suited to those with oily and combination skins.
Best cream bronzers 2024 - tested and chosen by a beauty editor
1. e.l.f. Putty Bronzer
At first the finish on this threw me. I was dabbing my brush into the pot, then applying it to the skin and was concerned that nothing was changing. But that's actually the beauty of this bronzer. It has a subtle cream-to-powder bronzer, that's so lightweight it feels like velvet on the skin. This is one of the best bronzers for pale skin on the list, because it allows you to go easy. Some of the others on the list pack a punch straight away. Not this one.
2. Refy Cream Bronzer
During this whole testing process, I came to realise how much I liked having a mirror in a compact. So I instantly loved that this had one. The thing to note about this formula is that a little goes a long way, so don't get too excited at first. This one made me look instantly glowy, with just a few swipes on the right areas. Even though it has a cream-to-powder finish, it did leave a slight tackiness on the skin. I used the shade Sand and it was beautifully warm, but overdo it and I think it could err on the side of orange.
3. NARS Laguna Bronzing Cream
I've used Nars Laguna bronzer for as long as I can remember - it was one of the first products that I got my hands on when I started in the beauty industry. It's an icon. The classic shade has been given an extension - there are now five shades to choose from. I went with 01, as I am rather fair. It smells just like summer - which is because it's been infused with Monoï de Tahiti which helps nourish the skin. At first, it feels slightly sticky no the skin, but it soon dries down. Don't overdo it with this one, because even though it's a warm bronzer it has a slight cool tone to it too which can make the skin look dirty. Don't let that put you off though, my skin loved it (and so did my nose.)
4. Vieve Modern Radiance Cream Bronzer
This one really buffed into the skin well, which is good as your really don't need a lot. I found that swirling my brush in the tub actually put way too much product on, instead I dabbed my brush in gently. I used the Light shade, which had a definite cool-tone to it so whilst it did give me a really glowy finish, you could just as easily use this to sculpt too.
5. Makeup By Mario Soft Sculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer
This was one of my favourites - it gave me really natural-looking radiance and I never felt like I had applied too much. I'm annoyed that it doesn't have a mirror, as that would have just been the cherry on top. If you're looking for the 'I just got back from a glorious warm and sunny holiday' then this is the bronzer for you.
6. Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer
You know how I mentioned that some of the products on this list pack a punch, this is one of those. Go easy when you're putting the product onto your brush. You'll probably be tempted to swirl the brush around to follow the design of compact, but trust me you'll end up with far too much on your brush. Once you've nailed the technique, you'll love this bronzer for the beautiful warmth that it adds to your skin, but feels completely weightless.
7. Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer
This bronzer ticks so many boxes - it has a skin-like finish, it's shades are rich and buttery, it's buildable so you can't really go wrong and it has the all-important mirror in the compact. My one bugbear, is because the compact is white it starts looking dirty very quickly, but that can be cleaned with the swipe of a finger, so I'm just being picky there.
8. Saie Sun Melt Natural Cream Bronzer
This bronzer is very similar to the Vieve one - the pots are almost identical. It too has a cooler undertone, so it can be used for sculpting. However, where the Vieve one gave the skin a dewiness, this one has a soft-focus effect on the skin. More blurring. So if you're looking at them both and wondering which is for you, I'd say those with dull skin go for Vieve, those with large, visible pores will absolutely love this.
9. Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
I couldn't do a round-up of the best cream bronzers and not include this beauty. It is arguably the best. I've already spoken of my love of it, so I asked Mira and Ruby why they think it's such a successful product. "When you are the innovator you have the head start," says Ruby. "The lightweight formula melts seamlessly into the skin giving it a natural powder like finish." Mira says "Yes it’s an expensive purchase, but it's totally worth it. It’s light and glowy on the skin, can be used alone on top of skincare or on top of makeup. It leaves skin feeling and looking hydrated, whilst warming it up skin, It never feels heavy or looks cakey and can be used all year around." Glowing reviews of this glowing product.
