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The Best Bronzers to Add Glow (and Zero Orange Tint!) to Your Fair Skin

By Elizabeth Denton

Published on Oct 11, 2023

A picture of a woman with almond-shaped eyes, holding a makeup brush, dressed in a black top, adorned with a golden necklace, and sporting bold red lipstick, showcasing her unique hairstyle with bangs Mobile

Bronzer is one of those makeup products many with fair skin reach for year-round. You might lay it on a little thicker in your summer makeup looks but continue to reach for it to warm up your skin no matter what the temperature. Bronzer is an incredibly ‌versatile beauty product; you can use it to sculpt your face or just as a light sun-kissed look on pale skin.

Finding your perfect bronzer shade is half the battle. That’s why we enlisted makeup artist Sharon L. Gjieli to explain what ‌fair skin tone babes should look for in a bronzer. “With fair skin, it’s important to opt for a bronzer with cooler undertones to avoid looking orange or unnatural,” she says. “Going too dark might seem tempting, but ideally a bronzer is only three to four shades darker than your natural skin tone.” She says to look for a buildable formula “so you can control how much pigment you want to apply.”

Below, some of our expert-approved and favorite bronzers for fair skin.

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MEET THE EXPERT

Sharon L. Gjieli is a professional makeup artist who has been working for private clients and various luxury brands for more than 10 years.

1. Best Bronzer Stick for Fair Skin:

LYS BEAUTY No Limits Cream Bronzer Stick in Motivate

TikTokers are obsessed with this creamy formula — and so are we. It’s silky smooth and ultra-blendable for a natural-looking glow. The hydrating formula is especially great for those with ‌dry skin because it smoothes right over texture and any fine lines.

2. Best Cream Bronzer for Fair Skin:

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Cream Bronzer in Sun Kissed

Those with oily skin and/or combination skin should look for a bronzer with a matte finish for its long-wearing power. This cream bronzer does just that and gives skin a sun-kissed glow without looking orange-y or streaky. That’s thanks to its ‌neutral undertones that make it easy to find the right shade.

3. Best Fair Bronzer for Dry Skin:

HAUS LABS BY LADY GAGA Talc Free Power Sculpt Velvet Bronzer in Light Level 2

Gjieli loves the shade options of this velvety powder bronzer for fair skin tones. She also loves the natural, skin-like finish and 12-hour staying power. We’re big fans of the nourishing formulation that contains skincare ingredients like fermented arnica and plant squalane. Even though it’s very pigmented, it’s never dry or patchy.

4. Best Matte Bronzer for Fair Skin:

BENEFIT COSMETICS Hoola Matte Bronzer

A makeup artist favorite, this OG powder bronzer is iconic for a good reason. It has a matte finish free from any glitter or sparkles and a warm undertone (often a no-no for fair skin!) that never looks orange. We like to start light with it and build up to a more dramatic makeup look.

5. Best Smelling Bronzer for Fair Skin:

TOO FACED Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer in Milk Chocolate

There’s real cocoa powder in Gjieli’s other favorite bronzing powder which makes it smell like real chocolate. But that’s not why we love it, too. It also has a natural-looking matte finish that’s buildable and long-lasting at the same time.

6. Best Fair Bronzer for All Skin Types:

CHARLOTTE TILBURY Airbrush Bronzer in Fair

Have dry skin? This bronzing powder contains hyaluronic acid (usually found in moisturizer) to hydrate. If you have oily skin or combination skin, it blurs pores. Basically, we love how this cult-fave bronzer gives all skin a healthy glow.

7. Best Bronzer Palette:

FENTY BEAUTY Sun Stalk'R Face and Eye Bronzer and Highlighter Palette

There are a whopping five shades of FENTY BEAUTY’s transfer-resistant powder bronzer (plus two highlighters), everyone can find their right shade. Even though the bronzer/contour shades are powders, the formulation is light and creamy and easy to blend across your cheeks and jawline.

8. Best Talc-Free Bronzer for Fair Skin:

NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder

This long-lasting bronzer is finely milled which makes it especially buildable. For those looking for a neutral undertone bronzer that’s free of talc, this one from NARS is our favorite option.

9. Luxe Bronzer for Fair Skin:

CHANEL Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream in Soleil Tan Bronze

We just feel fancy using CHANEL’s big cream-gel bronzer with the prettiest velvet-matte finish. It has a slightly glowy finish thanks to light-reflecting pigments and a smoothing formula with silica and soft-focus powders.

10. Best Drugstore Bronzer for Fair Skin:

PHYSICIANS FORMULA Murumuru Butter Bronzer in Light Bronzer

At less than $20, this cult-favorite, coconut-smelling bronzer is a steal. It’s creamy and soft, like a powder and a cream bronzer in one. The finish is radiant and glowy thanks to hydrating essential fatty acids and pro-vitamins.

11. Best Liquid Bronzer for Fair Skin:

GIGI GORGEOUS The Gigi Body Glow

YouTube personality, author, and activist Gigi Gorgeous helped create this ultra-glowy liquid bronzer we like wearing from head to toe. We like adding it to our body lotion for an every day summer glow all year-round.

Ready for more personalized beauty products just for your skin tone and needs (and so much more!)? Get in on all the IPSY fun! Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started with your own IPSY beauty subscription. Already an IPSY member? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and TikTok @IPSY.

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