There are generally two types of bronzer wearers: Those who swear by their favorite powder formulas, and those who love the look and feel of a perfectly blended cream bronzer. If you’re looking to make the switch from powder to cream, keep reading: Our beauty team spoke to the experts to find out which ones are the very best cream bronzers on the market in 2022, and our picks are next-level good. Creamy yet long-lasting, these cream bronzers might just earn the top spot on your personal best bronzers list.
Not to be confused with cream contours, cream bronzers should do a few things: They should warm up the skin without looking too orange or red-toned; they should blend easily without leaving patches or uneven color behind; and they should last for hours without needing to be set down with a powder bronzer on top. And, no, they don’t need to be expensive (see: Marie Claire’s guide to the best drugstore bronzers.)
Cream bronzers can be applied with a beauty sponge, a brush, or your fingers to give the skin an all-over glow. Better yet, some of the best cream bronzers can be applied to the eyelids as an eyeshadow if you’re in a pinch, which is great news considering that many of the makeup looks at New York Fashion Week featured monochromatic makeup.
To make sense of all of the different options available right now, we spoke to Taylor Frankel, co-founder of makeup brand NUDESTIX. Frankel built her brand around makeup that looks natural and goes on smooth, so she knows a thing or two about applying bronzer that looks like you just stepped off a beach. Ahead, shop all of the very best cream bronzers on the market, including a few editor favorites and, of course, Frankel’s favorite too.
Best Cream Bronzers
"I swear, there is truly nothing (and I mean nothing) better than this cream bronzer. Every little ounce of hype it's received, is well deserved. It gives the perfect glow, sculpt and defines without looking ruddy, and blends like a dream. It's one of the only formulas I've found that stays on all day, doesn't pill, and looks good on just about every skin tone." — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
This bronzer is hailed as the most blendable bronzer on the market, and the internet would have to agree. There are hundreds of videos on TikTok and Instagram showing off show seamlessly it melts into the skin. It comes in five shades, and has a satin finish that looks like skin. The formula is packed with fatty acids that hydrate the skin as you wear it, leaving your skin looking and feeling supple.
If it’s a glowy, highlighter-like look that you’re after, this cult classic is for you. Available in five shades, this bronzer is made with mango butter and calming green tea for hydrated skin. Apply it with your fingers to let it melt into your skin for a highlighted look.
"This two-in-one product from BeautyBlender features a pot of bronzer on the bottom and a cream highlighter in the lid for travel-friendly beauty. Both the bronzer and the highlighter blend seamlessly into the skin, leaving you with a medium-toned bronzed look that toes the line between a classic bronzer and a contour. Also, I’ve found that it lasts all day on my dry skin without flaking off or breaking up.” – Julia Marzovilla, E-Commerce Writer
"Undone Beauty’s Water Bronzer is a beautifully barely-there formula if you find cream bronzers or the idea of excessive blending intimidating. This water-based stick looks deceptively dark in the tube but it’s incredibly sheer and builds so subtly, it’s almost impossible to apply too much. It creates a realistic sunkissed look and feels light, cool and fresh on the skin.” – Matilda on Video, Beauty Content Creator
Team Marie Claire has already raved about the e.l.f Cosmetics Putty Bronzer in our roundup of the best drugstore bronzers, so you know it has to be good at just under $10. Available in 7 shades with warm, neutral, and cool undertones, the bouncy texture glides onto the skin.
Fans of Glossier’s range of lightweight, sheer products probably already know how great this cult-favorite bronzer is. Available in four shades, it has a doe foot applicator for targeted application. Best applied and blended out with your finger, this glowy bronzer feels weightless.
"My favorite cream bronzer is the Nudestix Nudies Bronze in Bondi Bae! It is a luxurious nation cream bronzing stick that glides on effortlessly and looks naturally sunkissed on the skin. It is also multi-tasking with a brush on the other end, to apply to the eyes, lips and cheeks - making it ideal for a quick 5 minute makeup routine or when on-the-go.” — Taylor Frankel, Co-Founder of Nudestix
Available in seven shades, Fenty’s bronzer works either as a contour or as a regular bronzer, based on the shade. These bronzers are designed in duos that work together, so you’ll be able to pick up a set that works together for the best sculpted look, or just wear one or the other for a lighter look. The formula is sheer and lightweight, so it’s great if you’re afraid of applying too much on the first go-around.
If you prefer an all-over bronzed look rather than looking overly sculpted, apply this stick bronzer from Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty line across your forehead, cheeks, and eyes. It comes in a variety of undertones from cool to warm for the most natural finished product.
Not every bronzer in your collection needs to be matte. This one from REFY is designed to leave a glowy, wet look on your cheeks. Shop it in three shades for a glossy finish that lasts all day. Great for light makeup days over bare skin, this bronzer is good skin in a pan.
If you want a classically matte bronzed finish, check out Milk Makeup’s Matte Cream Bronzer Stick. You can shop it in two shades, and it's formulated with mango butter and apricot oil so that the finished look doesn’t look dry.
“I’m no makeup artist, so having two-in-one products in my collection is a must. This cream from Huda Beauty is the perfect combination between a bronzer and a cream contour. It has a moussy cream texture that blends with a few pats of my fingers or a sponge. It’s highly pigmented (one dot on each cheek is enough for a bronzed, sculpted look), but you can layer it for a more defined look.” – JM
Meet The Experts
Taylor Frankel is one of the savvy, female founders of NUDESTIX and NUDESKIN. Embodying the easy-going ideals of the millennial generation, Taylor was the natural inspiration to her mother, Jenny Frankel,who developed the brand. Growing up surrounded by beauty, Taylor believes beauty is a lifestyle. She was always drawn to the industry and created NUDESTIX for a minimalist,natural and no-fuss look and most recently, she launched NUDESKIN to provide a simple, multi-tasking vegan powered skincare regimen for confident, nude-faced look.
Taylor actively serves as the Chief Brand Officer and brand spokesperson for the brand. She oversees the overall brand vision and creative for both the NUDESTIX and NUDESKIN teams and continues to inspire through her efforts to advocate for Love Is Louder, a movement by The Jed Foundation in support of Mental Health Awareness, The Canopy Project and WWF in support of the environment and wildlife, and BeautyBe Change in support of spotlighting under-represented artists and content creators in the beauty industry.
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