Whenever I wear makeup I use a bronzing powder. I even apply a little on my eyes just to blend in the whole look so you can imagine the number of bronzers I have tried, not just on myself. but on my clients and on set as well.  Winter to summer it can give you that tanned look or even just help you to look more awake. I do add a blusher as well so a bronzing powder to me just finishes off the base and is the safest way to achieve a great tan naturally. But how do you find the best bronzer for you?  With so many on the market, it’s hard to figure out which tone will help you to achieve that just got off the beach look or even just a little more colour in the winter months.

The best way to choose your colour is to think about your skin tone and the colour of your undertone. You may be fair but cool or medium but warm.  The colour of your skin tone will also help you to pick the perfect foundation for you.

How does your skin naturally react to the sun?

Next, think about the colour you want to achieve when applying the bronzer, is it more of warm tone or more of a golden brown tone. I tend to think about how my client’s skin naturally tans in the sun. Do you go more golden or more of a warm tone or do you not change colour at all? I have a medium to deep skin tone and I tan very easily. I normally have a cool undertone to my skin aka yellow but with a tan, I go a lot warmer so my preference is to pick a bronzer with a warm undertone.  So here are a few of my favourite bronzers that I have used over the years. I have broken it down into skin tones and picked my favourite three.

Fair to light skin tone.

This is anyone who doesn’t tan in the sun. If you go out in the sun but burn and then go back to your original skin colour. Avoid anything too bronze! And go more something a little bit warmer peachy pink in tone.

Golden Bronze by MAC £23.50.

This is perfect for anyone with a fairer skin-tone who wants a little bit of colour without going overboard or looking orange. I have had it in my kit for years and always replace it when I run out. It’s glowy but not sparkly on the skin perfect for a natural bronzer. You can build it up as well, the more you apply the darker it gets.

Trace Gold Blusher by MAC

I love this blusher and I have had it in my blusher palette ever since I can remember way before highlighters were invented this is what I used to give a bronze glow to my clients make up and on set. It’s such an amazing colour on fairer skins as it just gives the right amount of colour without looking dirty or grey. It lifts any makeup look as soon as it’s applied. I use it as a bronzer on the high points of the face and then add a blusher on the apples of the cheeks as well. So I use it as a bronzer although it’s a blusher.

Golden Light by Bobbi Brown

This is great for more of a natural-looking bronze. Perfect for all year round and is slightly more on the matte side. So be careful when applying not to load up the brush with too much product as it’s is highly pigmented. Again great for anyone with a fair to light skin tone who just wants a natural

Medium to medium-dark skin-tone

This is anyone that can get a tan easily and doesn’t burn.  And most people with this skin colouring have a cool undertone going to a warmer undertone with a tan. Any bronzer with a warm undertone works well you don’t want anything too yellow as this will probably just blend into your skin and look muddy. I have experienced that in the past with a few bronzers where it looks kind of grey on the skin. These products, however, could be a good colour as a contour so don’t just chuck them out.

Bronze by Mac £23.20

I use this in the winter on myself when I am slightly paler and looking a bit on the cool side/ yellow. It’s a great colour and I use on my bridal clients a lot and I remember this always being sold out at MAC because it was so popular especially in the summer months. It does have a slight glow so not great if you prefer more of a matte product.

Medium Deep Mineralize Skinfinish by MAC £26.50

When this was first launched it was sold as a powder and is, in fact, a setting powder. However, it’s the perfect bronzer for anyone and I have a few shades in my kit with me all the time. There are so  many amazing shades and is great for anyone to use light or dark, just go a couple of shades darker than your skin tone. Medium deep is a great shade as it has a little more warmth to it. It has low-level pearlised pigments which give a natural satin finish smoothing out the skin. So it’s not shiny and it’s not matte great if you have oily skin but don’t want a matte bronzer. Give me sun is also a great shade if you have more of a medium to the dark skin tone.

Guerlain Terracotta The Bronzing Powder £38.00

This was one of the first bronzers I have bought and I remember it smelt like summer! And it still does! It is such a great colour for anyone with an olive skin- tone wanting to look bronzed and when I say bronzed I mean bronzed so use sparingly. This, in turn, means it lasts for ages and I have dropped mine a few times. It is a slightly higher price point but such a great product. It has a warm undertone and when you look at it in the compact it looks very dark but you can apply it lightly for a more sheer look. This definitely can’t double up as a contour product as it has such a deep rich warm pigment.

Dark to Dark- Deep skin tone

This is anyone who tans very easily in the Sun and goes a warmer complexion when exposed to the sun very rarely burns. My years working in store for MAC and Laura Mercier the most popular products sold in the summer months is a bronzer. No matter what your complexion is everyone wants to achieve that just got back from holiday glow without even setting foot on a plane.

A lot of women with a deeper skin tone think as they do not use fake tan why use a bronzer. But for me, I find on a darker skin tone it can look more natural than a pink blusher for example. As it’s the colour you go when you catch the sun.  For deeper complexions, I choose a warmer tone to emulate the complexion you get from the sun. The below three products I have in my kit and use depending on if my client has a warm or cool undertone.

Sun Power by MAC £26.50

This is such a great colour I can wear this only when I have been away to a beach destination for at least two weeks and even then is slightly too dark for me but a girl can try! It’s a deep terracotta bronze almost auburn colour, and not shiny its part of the mineralized powder family but not a setting powder as it would be too red for that. But great on the high points of the face, not too matte and not too shiny so you don’t look sweaty wearing it and not patchy either.

Dark Deep Mineralized Powder by MAC £26.50

Again such a great colour for anyone looking to warm up their skin but naturally. Great if you don’t want to wear blusher but just want to add a bit of colour after applying your foundation and base products. I always have this in my kit as it’s a great colour for contour on lighter skin tones as well. It’s a rich golden bronze and is a good tone and texture for the socket line, using a soft blending brush to apply into the eye area.

Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer in Mocha Mami £25.00

This bronzer is ideal for dark skin tones especially if you have a red undertone to your skin. It has amazing staying power and does not move. I have used this on a photo shoot under hot lights and it looked amazing at the end of the 8 hour day!