The Best Bronze Makeup For Your Skin Tone

We’re often afraid of using bronze makeup, thinking it might look too orange, or streak and cake on our skin – leaving us looking like clowns.

Not ready to show those legs? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered:

But the truth is, the right bronze makeup can do wonders for your skin all year round. Think chiselled cheekbones, a warm, golden skin tone- and strange veins or redness covered. It’s about picking the right bronzer. And with this selection of beauties, you can’t go wrong.

The question is, how do you go about picking the best bronze makeup for you? It all comes down to your skin tone and the kind of finish you want.

If your skin is fair, opt for cool-toned hues, while golden-based bronzers are a beautiful match for olive and dark skin tones.

Steer clear of bronzers that sparkle or have too much highlighting pigments in them. It’s all about subtle contouring and natural shadows to bring out your best features.

Another question we get asked all the time, is should you use a cream, powder or liquid bronzer? bareMinerals International Makeup Artist Sarah-Jane Froom believes that powder bronzers work well on oilier skin types while normal and dry skin might be better suited to a cream or liquid.

“You must also think about the base you are using, noting that your bronzer should work in harmony with your foundation, BB or CC cream. If you’re wearing a cream or liquid bronzer, it will melt beautifully into light, silky bases of the same texture, while bronzing powders will sit particularly well with a higher-pigment matte or powder foundation,” she adds.

Now that we’ve given you the lowdown on the best way to choose a bronzer, see our favourite bronze makeup buys on shelf now:

A blush and bronzer

A budget-friendly bronzer that lives up to the lasting finish claim in its name? No wonder Rimmel’s Lasting Finish Blush in Bronze is so popular. The lightweight formulation works beautifully as a blush and a subtle bronzer to warm up your complexion. Just a little under the cheekbones is ideal for subtle definition. Available at Clicks stores.

Blend and build your colour

Another genius product from this top skincare brand. Clinique’s True Bronze Pressed Powder is the perfect finishing touch for bronze skin. It’s available in three shades, ranging from a lighter pink bronze to a darker bronze with red undertones.

The clever formulation allows you to blend and build the perfect tone for your skin. Available at Edgars.

 

The natural highlighter 

One of those products that looks just like a golden honey pot, you almost don’t want to use it – but dig in you must, because this looks even better on the cheeks.

The Body Shop’s Honey Bronze Highlighting Dome is a warm coppery bronze shade that will suit olive and deep skin tones beautifully, as it’s a creamier blend. Use your fingertips to gently pick up the highlighting shade, then dab over cheeks and the centre of your nose. No fancy brushes needed! Available at the Body Shop.

A sheer finish 

This gorgeous matte bronzer from the makeup experts themselves, is cleverly designed to suit most skin tones and types, including dark skin tones.

Plus, the finish of the MAC Bronzing Powder has the tiniest amount of iridescence, invisible to the naked eye – no sparkle here- but enough to make skin look sheer and fresh rather than muddy and matte. Available on MAC stores or Edgars.

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Beach in a box 

Don’t be fooled by this tiny box of bronzer. The powder formulation in Benefit Hoola Mini holds the purest matte pigment which makes it great for contouring. Plus, the soft-bristled brush is just the right shape to chisel in those cheekbones.

So versatile, it’s the best everyday bronzer that’s got a cool finish. Available from Edgars.

The natural look

Its no exaggeration to say bareMinerals has the knack of nailing complexion products, and this bareMinerals All Over Face Colour is on a par with the perfection of the original mineral foundations.

Designed to give the skin a healthy, natural-looking glow, the pigments are subtle and warm with a slight illuminating effect. It’s so versatile, it can also be used as a blush or eye shadow and suits most skin tones. Available online from Biovea.