The 11 Best Bronzers for Fair Skin That Look Natural, Not Orange, Tested & Reviewed

Best Overall

Saie Sun Melt Bronzer

View On Saiehello.com

Through every swipe, swatch, and blend, no product created an effortless, natural sculpt quite like the Saie Sun Melt Bronzer. Extremely creamy and blendable, this buttery bronzer in fair bronze goes on sheer for a healthy-looking, soft finish that you can easily build up to completely customize your glow. 

“This is one of my all-time favorite bronzer formulas for fair skin,” says celebrity makeup artist, Ashley Rebecca. “The cream texture adheres beautifully to skin and the color looks natural. A little goes a long way — this bronzer will last you a while!”

Plus, it’s filled with nourishing ingredients, like organic colloidal oatmeal and grapeseed oil to hydrate skin, making it an especially great option for those with dry skin. For expert-level application, we like to warm up the product with our fingers to make it extra melty, but if you’re a brush loyalist, The Big Buffing Bronzer Brush is a hero for a totally seamless, non-streaky radiance.

Type: Cream | Finish: Natural | Shades: 6 | Key Ingredients: Organic colloidal oatmeal, grapeseed oil | Size: 1 oz

Best Budget

Undone Beauty Water Bronzer

View On Amazon $10 View On Ulta $10 View On Undone-beauty.com

At first glance, it may seem odd that this deep-toned chubby stick made a list of bronzers for fair skin, but don’t let the darker hue deter you — a single swipe reveals a subtle tan color that seamlessly melts into the fairest complexions. The Water Bronzer is unlike any bronzing formula I’ve tried: Water-based and infused with coconut water for an enhanced glow, this lightweight stick feels cool to the touch and takes minimal effort to blend. I find that using my fingers to gently tap it onto the high points of my face provides the most natural results. 

While we reach for this mini stick year round, it’s the only thing we use during the summer months as it feels soothing after days in the sun and is perfect for no makeup makeup looks. The intensity can be built up, but we wouldn’t recommend using this for very glam looks, as it looks best on clean, foundation-less skin. 

Type: Water-based stick | Finish: Natural | Shades: 4 | Key Ingredients: Coconut water | Size: 0.19 oz

Best Powder

Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Lighting Bronzer

View On Nordstrom $58 View On Ulta $58 View On Sephora $30

Ever wonder what celebrities use to achieve their ethereal, bronzed glow? More often than not, Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Lighting Bronzer is the answer. “This is what I call my red carpet bronzer, the formula never disappoints,” says Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist Aaron Berry. Part bronzer, part highlighter, Hourglass combined its award-winning Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder with light bronze pigments to create this multi-dimensional formula. 

Though it can be applied anywhere you would use a traditional bronzer, Berry especially  recommends sweeping it across cheekbones and over the bridge of the nose to add depth to your face and create a lit-from-within glow. Former Commerce Editor, Mary Honkus, tested the shade Nude Bronze Light (Berry’s go-to for fair skin) and adored how it diffuses across her complexion. “As I buff it in, my skin looks airbrushed and my features beautifully defined. I will say, though, that the end result is more subdued than anticipated. I build it up for special occasions, but overall this pick is ideal for the fairest of skin.” If you tan easily or are more fair-medium, this will be too light for you. 

Type: Powder | Finish: Radiant | Shades: 4 | Key Ingredients: Photoluminescent particles | Size: 0.39 oz

Best Cream

Chanel Glow Bronzing Cream

View On Chanel View On Ulta $60 View On Saks Fifth Avenue $60

Luxury beauty products tend to be hit or miss, but when it comes to Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who isn’t captivated by this bronzer. Honkus tried this formula after hearing rave reviews from multiple beauty editors on the InStyle team, and she audibly said ‘wow’ after the first application (something that she had never done in her five-plus years in the beauty industry). 

The beauty of this bronzer is in its simplicity: All it takes is a small sweep of the gel-cream formula to warm up fair complexions. “In seconds, I look like I stepped off a yacht in the sunny French Riviera — I have a gorgeous glow that lasts for hours and doesn’t oxidize throughout the day (no need to worry about patchiness or orange streaks here),” Honkus says.

The large compact also deserves boundless praise, especially considering the price. While $50 may seem like an exorbitant amount for a bronzing product, it contains more than double the amount of other comparable options, so this will last for years.  

Type: Cream | Finish: Velvet matte | Shades: 3 | Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, Kalanchoe pinnata leaf extract | Size: 1 oz

Best for a Healthy Glow

Make Beauty Skin Mimetic Microsuede Powder Bronzer

View On Makebeauty.com View On Revolve $32

Powder bronzers can get a bad rep — they don’t melt into skin like their cream and liquid counterparts, and it’s easy for them to become patchy as the day progresses. Make Beauty took all of those concerns into account when they created the Skin Mimetic Microsuede Bronzer, and the finished product produces even, streak-free results that Rebecca relies on regularly. “This is an excellent matte formula, it glides on the skin without looking ruddy,” she says.

We fully agree; beauty editors often favor cream formulas over powder as the latter can leave harsh, oftentimes orange lines. This smooth, neutral-yet-warm-toned formula made us believe in powder bronzers again because of the way it smoothed onto our skin. While it applies like a traditional powder, the end result is comparable to a cream. I attribute this to the hydrating ingredients, including squalane and hyaluronic acid, that leave my complexion looking velvety and warm. As a bonus, the lightweight bronzer is extremely buildable, making it easy to craft subtle glows and dramatic sculpts alike.

Type: Powder | Finish: Matte | Shades: 6 | Key Ingredients: Squalane, ceramides | Size: 0.26 oz

Best for Cool Undertones

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer

View On Amazon $36 View On Nordstrom $19 View On Ulta $36

Benefit’s iconic Hoola Bronzer burst onto the beauty scene in 2001, and it’s been a favorite of makeup artists and fair-skinned shoppers ever since. Though the original shade (Hoola) works for light skin tones, Berry prefers Hoola Light. “This is a great first step into bronzer,” he says. “It has a very neutral undertone — not too yellow or orange. It’s also a great finishing powder to dust over your usual makeup routine.” 

“I wish this soft hue was around when I first started using bronzer years ago: Even though the formula is matte, it’s impossible to create harsh orange lines, no matter how much product I apply,” Honkus says. “Although it looks relatively light in the pan, it still adds a touch of color to my face and defines my features in an understated way, making it great for everyday use. That said, I reserve this for the winter months when my skin is nearly translucent — it’d be a touch too light when I have a tan, and overall, will wash out those with warm undertones.” If you have neutral or cool undertones like I do, this is a foolproof pick. 

Type: Powder | Finish: Matte | Shades: 4 | Key Ingredients: Silicone-based polymers | Size: 0.21 oz

Best for Sensitive Skin

Kosas The Sun Show Glowy Warmth Baked Bronzer

View On Sephora $35 View On Kosas.com

You don’t have to wait for golden hour (or go on vacation) to get an impeccable, photo-ready glow. In fact, just a quick dusting of The Sun Show Baked Bronzer from Kosas will do the trick. A cross between a bronzer and a highlighter, this shimmery baked powder knocks out two steps in one swipe, adding a dewy warmth and subtle sheen to my complexion. Unlike many powders, this one appears to melt into skin because it’s made with fatty acids, ultimately hydrating and softening skin with wear. Start slow with this formula — you only need a small amount to enliven your complexion. 

Type: Powder | Finish: Radiant | Shades: 5 | Key Ingredients: Concentrated fatty acids, meadowfoam seed oil, shea butter | Size: 0.21 oz

Best Stick

Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick

View On Nordstrom $26 View On Sephora $26 View On Credo Beauty $48

Senior Beauty Commerce Editor Kaitlin Clark has been a loyalist to this silky bronzer since it debuted five years ago. Founded by the renowned celebrity makeup artist Gucci Westman, who became famous for her “second skin” approach to makeup, creating impossibly dewy and naturally glowy looks for clients, including Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow, the line is both clean and luxurious.

This soft, buildable formula comes in three shimmer-free shades that melt into skin without ever looking overdone — a nightmare for anyone with light skin. Plant seed oils and fruit extracts moisturize skin, leaving behind a supernatural radiance, while the addition of China clay absorbs excess oil so your complexion is the perfect level of dewy (and never shiny). 

“Biscuit is a delightfully neutral shade that still has enough oomph that it just looks like I’m standing in my best light all day long,” says Clark. “I had never really used a bronzer regularly before this one, mostly because I had been scarred from past experiences that left me orange, but the stick is totally foolproof to use and build or layer when I want to kick up the intensity.”

Type: Cream | Finish: Natural | Shades: 3 | Key Ingredients: Jojoba seed oil, kaolin clay, berryflux vita | Size: 0.21 oz

Best for Body

MAC Cosmetics Radiant Bronzer

View On Nordstrom $35 View On Ulta $35 View On Ulta $35

For many of us, a light dusting of bronzer is a quick fix to camoflauge our weary-looking skin and what’s better than a gorgeous bronzer that perfectly compliments your visage? One that compliments your face and your body.

“The biggest mistake I see people making when they are fair skinned is they don’t bronze the neck,” says Berry. “I think it’s so important to make the makeup look cohesive and connect the neck and face.”

In other words, to achieve a natural and healthy-looking sun-kissed color, it shouldn’t stop at your face — or even your neck. “Just take that same bronzer you just used on your face, grab a large, fluffy brush, and blend the bronzer all over the neck, collarbone and the tops of your shoulders,” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist, Maria Vargas. “I save the shimmer and the iridescent textures for the body,” says Vargas, who adds that flashes of glitter or shine can highlight any uneven texture on the skin, especially if you have tech neck.”

And if you’re game to get a little playful, a body bronzer is the way. “It may sound weird, but I love a slim, elegant collarbone, and in the summer, I like to highlight mine to really enhance the look,” says Clark. “However, I’m also a sweaty mess in the summer and the cream bronzer that I use on my face doesn’t work at all for my decollete — it rubs off at the slightest touch. A powder is the only way for me to get the look I want.” 

Yet after MAC discontinued Clark’s beloved powder bronzer, she thought all hope was lost for her collarbone — until they replaced it with this one, which she says she likes even better. “Radiant Medium Golden looks phenomenal on my skin, and the radiant finish has the magical effect of a soft, sunset glow,” she says. “I also appreciate that it’s dermatologist-tested because my temperamental skin needs no excuse to break out.”

Specs of shimmer not your thing? Fear not, there’s also a matte option for each glorious shade (Medium Matte Golden is the matte twin to the one Clark loves), plus four more, designed to flatter every undertone. 

Type: Cream to powder | Finish: Radiant | Shades: 5 | Key Ingredients: MAC’s proprietary Marshmallow Cushion Blend | Size: 0.26 oz

Best for Mature Skin

Tom Ford Soleil Glow Bronzer

View On Nordstrom $70 View On Sephora $70 View On Neiman Marcus $70

We were initially skeptical about this bronzer — how could a powder really moisturize the skin without caking to dry patches or sinking into fine lines? In this case, the answer is by using a surplus of natural, plant-based ingredients like mango, cupuaçu, and cocoa butters. This trio conditions the skin and allows the bronzer glides across complexions without skipping, leaving an illuminating brilliance in its wake, and making it an especially great pick for anyone with mature skin who wants to combat dullness. Plus, the brand thoughtfully left out potentially irritating ingredients such as mineral oil and parabens so that sensitive skin can reap these dazzling benefits as well.

And, trust us, no one will want to be left out of the conversation here since both shades, Terra and Gold Dust, look like they were touched by Midas himself as they boast just a hint of shimmer, imparting a sophisticated amount of color onto the skin. If you are looking for a more snatched beat it’ll take a few more minutes to build up the subtle bronzers; however, we promise the payoff is worth it. 

Type: Powder | Finish: Matte | Shades: 2 | Key Ingredients: Mango, cupuaçu, and cocoa butters | Size: 0.3 oz