Best Drugstore Bronzers For Every Skin Tone (Products Listed Below)

When properly applied, bronzer adds depth to your makeup. It’s a relatively easy way to enhance a tan or achieve a sunkissed glow. But while popular brands like Nars and Bobbie Brown offer premium bronzers can cost upwards of $40 (the popular Tom Ford Soleil Glow Bronzer is priced at $112 for a large compact), there are actually great bronzer options easily found in drugstores. The best part? They’re all under $10! All you need to do is figure out how to choose the right one.

Finding the Right Drugstore Bronzer

Like most makeup products, bronzers aren’t a one-type-fits-all deal. There are a number of things to consider. Among the most important considerations are type, shade, finish, and skin compatibility.

Type

Powders are the most popular type of bronzer because they’re common and relatively easy to apply. In recent years, cream and liquid bronzers have also gained popularity. However, most of the top-rated drugstore bronzers are still in powder form. Baked bronzers are also incredibly popular. They’re kind of a hybrid between powdered and creams. In fact, baked bronzers are creams that have been heated to dry and could be applied with a brush or applicator sponge.

Shade

Choosing the right shade for a drugstore bronzer is easy because many of them have transparent covers so that you can see the actual product. Also, at drugstores, there are typically testers lying around. The best shade for you depends on what you want to achieve. Two shades darker than your own skin tone would give you a deep glow while just one shade darker would look lighter and more natural. Never go for a bronzer that’s more than two shades darker because that would give you a very artificial look.

Finish

Nowadays, there are matte, sheer, and shimmer bronzers. Matte bronzers are the most popular, especially for contouring. Sheer and shimmer bronzers are better for achieving a natural-looking sunkissed glow, with the sheer type offering less definition than the shimmer types.

Skin Compatibility

Unfortunately, there’s no way to be sure whether a bronzer will be compatible to your skin without trying it. In general, powders work well for all skin types. If you have oily skin, you should definitely opt for powder bronzers. Cream and liquid bronzers work better for dry to balanced skin types.

Best Drugstore Bronzers

These top-rated drugstore bronzers offer remarkable quality despite their price. They provide impressive pigmentation and excellent texture. Plus, unlike other cheap brands that tend to fade over a few hours, these stay on for a surprisingly long time. 

1) NYX Professional Makeup – Matte Bronzer

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• Type – Pressed Powder
• Shade – 5 Shades Available
• Finish – Matte

The Matte Bronzer by NYX Professional Makeup will bring out your tan, define your facial features, and provide depth to your overall makeup. It offers a soft matte finish that will help you achieve a honey glow without the shimmer. The five available shades include Light, Medium, Deep, Deep Tan, and Dark Tan. With that range, you’ll surely find the perfect shade that will help you achieve a natural look. Plus, all NYX Professional Makeup products are guaranteed cruelty-free. This drugstore bronzer is also vegan.

2) Rimmel London – Natural Bronzer

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• Type – Pressed Powder
• Shade – 4 Shades Available
• Finish – Matte

The Natural Bronzer by Rimmel London gives off a warm matte finish that’s perfect for contouring as well as achieving a soft, sun-drenched look. The available shades include Sunshine, Sun Light, Sun Bronze, and Sun Dance. So whether you’re fair-skinned with neutral undertones or darker with yellow undertones, there’s a good shade for you. What most users love about it is that it’s not too pigmented, so it’s perfect for those who prefer to build up their color in layers rather than applying it all in one go. Additionally, it is waterproof for up to 10 hours.

3) Milani – Baked Bronzer

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• Type – Baked
• Shade – 3 Shades Available
• Finish – Shimmer

The Milani Baked Bronzer gives off a creamier pigment, as expected from any baked makeup product. It gives you more color and a more natural-looking sunkissed glow, helping you achieve a year-round tan without even stepping foot outside. The three shades to choose from include Glow, Soleil, and Dolce, which all give off a soft shimmer finish. Apart from going on smooth, most users love that the color stays on all day, which is a delight for something this creamy.

4) Maybelline New York – City Bronzer

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• Type – Pressed Powder
• Shade – 3 Shades Available
• Finish – Matte

The City Bronzer by Maybelline New York is more like a very dark pressed powder than a bronzer because of its subtle, matte finish. It is best used not to achieve a honey glow but to enhance your complexion and highlight your best features. It comes in three numbered shades (100, 200, and 300), which go from light to dark as the number increases. Although it is a pressed powder, Maybelline boasts that it is formulated by combining micro-milled powder with whipped cocoa butter. That ensures that it goes on smooth and offers a natural glow.

5) CoverGirl – TruBlend Bronzer

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• Type – Baked
• Shade – 1 Shade Available
• Finish – Sheer

Like the Baked Bronzer by Milani, the TruBlend Bronzer by CoverGirl gives off a creamier finish because it is baked. The main difference, however, is that this goes on sheer, allowing you to build up to a lighter, natural-looking post-beach glow. Although it only comes in one shade, it is incredibly versatile and looks great on a wide range of skin tones. Additionally, this bronzer is oil-free and dermatologically tested, so it’s compatible even for people with sensitive and acne-prone skin.

How to Apply Cheap Bronzers

As the list of top-rated drugstore bronzers proves, low price doesn’t always mean cheap quality. Often, the difference is only apparent when you don’t know how to apply it properly. To help you get the best look out of your drugstore finds, here are some useful tips for you to follow:

• Prep your face. Bronzers work best with full makeup. So, before you apply your bronzer, make sure you already have your concealer and foundation in place.
• Find the right areas to bronze. While highlighters are applied to the areas that the sun would hit if you were outside in daylight, bronzers are best used outside of those areas. That would include the top of your forehead (along the hairline), right below your cheekbones, and directly below your jawline. You can also apply it lightly to the sides of your nose.
• Layer the bronzer. Rather than applying your bronzer all in one go and then trying to blend it and sweep it off, apply it lightly and then build it up as you go along. That will help you avoid harsh coloring that will make you look less natural.
• Check your face in different light settings. Once you’re happy with your full makeup, check your face in different lighting. Most importantly, draw your curtains and see how natural light changes your look. Also, if you’ll be attending an occasion where photos might be taken, try to take a picture of yourself with and without flash to see how your bronzer and the rest of your makeup look when photographed.

As with everything in makeup, a high price doesn’t always mean better quality. While it might seem more glamorous to opt for premium brands, you can actually achieve the same results for a fraction of the price. Once you’ve chosen the best drugstore bronzer for you, you’ll never again waste another penny on luxury brands. All you’ll need to work on, then, is your skill with a contouring or bronzer brush.