Once you find your best bronzer, a sun-kissed glow is never more than a few seconds away. Like a good concealer or eyeshadow, bronzer is one of those makeup products we always keep in our bags.
The goal of bronzer is to mimic the warmth you get from a tan, whenever and wherever you want it—without looking smudgy, muddy, or orange. That’s easier than ever to achieve with our Matte Bronzer and Bionic Bronzer. These versatile, glowy beauty products effortlessly melt into skin—no matter if you have cool, warm, or neutral undertones—for a stunning sun-kissed complexion.
Read on for a rundown on choosing and using our best bronzers based on your skin tone and specific makeup look for the day. Even beginners can ace a flawlessly glowy complexion with these makeup products after scrolling through this bronzer guide.
Cream vs liquid bronzer: Which one is right for you?The best bronzers come in three different formulas: cream bronzer, liquid bronzer, and powder bronzer. Milk Makeup offers two of the three. Specifically created with shimmer-free, buildable pigments, both our liquid bronzer and cream bronzer are perfect for achieving a seamless, sun-kissed finish in seconds. (We prefer to leave the shimmer to highlighter and eyeshadow.) Like all Milk Makeup products, they are vegan, cruelty-free, and suitable for all skin types. Best of all: They have a high-end feel for less than $40 each. Now ask yourself, “What is my favorite bronzer formula?” If you can’t answer, no worries—we’re here to support you in this journey. First and foremost, consider the makeup look you intend to incorporate bronzer into. Want a natural-looking matte finish? Try our TikTok-favorite Matte Bronzer. It’s our cream bronzer stick that comes in five different shades that cater to all skin tones and undertones, including Dazed (light bronze), Blitzed (deep bronze), and Spaced (very deep bronze). Matte Bronzer is packed with mango butter and apricot oil, which add featherlight moisture to skin while imparting a glowy, your-skin-but-richer effect. Swipe this buttery cream bronzer on the areas of your face where you want to add warmth. Bionic Bronzer, on the other hand, is a liquid bronzer that makes skin look extra glassy and dewy thanks to moisture-locking snow mushroom, reishi mushroom, and hyaluronic acid. If you have a drier skin type, consider this your new favorite bronzer. No matter what makeup look you have in mind, its buildable pigments will add major moisture to your skin while topping it with a sheer wash of sun-kissed warmth. (You can even set your liquid bronzer with bronzing powder if it’s looking too dewy for your aesthetic.) |
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Bionic Bronzer also comes in a wide range of shades to suit everyone, from fair to deeper skin tones. Enriched with supercharged skincare ingredients, our liquid bronzer works like a moisturizing serum to give you smoother, plumper-looking skin while you wear it. You can even mix the pigment in with your moisturizer, foundation, or primer for all-over warmth. (And there’s a lot more liquid bronzer tips where that came from.)
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with both. Sara has been known to use both at the same time for one superstar glowy makeup look. “First, I start with Matte Bronzer to help map the shape of my client’s face,” she explains. “I do a soft sculpt or ‘baby contour’ by applying it to temples, hollows of cheeks, under the middle lower lip line and through the crease on eyes.” Then, she buffs out the pigment with a fluffy brush before adding Bionic Bronzer onto the tops of the cheeks, temples, and across the nose.
What’s the best way to apply bronzer?
If you've ever seen a TikTok tutorial on how to wear bronzer, you might be familiar with the classic "3" method, which has a sculpting effect. The 3 is meant literally: Apply bronzer along your hairline, cheekbones, and jawline in the shape of the number.
The best bronzer for this technique is our shimmer-free Matte Bronzer because you can slick it onto your skin straight from its tiny tube. (You can also use bronzing powder if you so choose.) Glide the cream bronzer stick over your skin. Then, blend the pigment out well around the edges of where you're placing it. Choose a brush for a more precise effect or your fingertips if you want something a bit softer.
According to Milk Makeup Director of Artistry Sara Wren, the 3 method is a great place for beginners to start when learning about bronzer placement. But it definitely isn't your only option. To achieve a natural-looking, sun-kissed makeup look like you've just returned from a beach holiday, bronze "the areas where the sun would naturally deepen your skin tone," Sara says. Think: across the top of the forehead, in a ‘W’ shape across your nose, and onto your cheeks. You can use either Matte Bronzer, Bionic Bronzer, or a powder bronzer for this technique. Keep in mind: Bronzer isn’t for sculpting and adding shadows, so avoid adding it along the sides of your nose and hollows of your cheeks. You can swipe our cool-toned Sculpt Stick onto those areas.
Once you’ve found your best bronzer placement, add some blush and a shimmer-flecked highlighter to your cheeks for a well-balanced, ultra-glowy makeup look. “Depending on the level of glow I am going for, I’ll grab Highlighter in Lit or Bionic Glow for more of the wet glow on skin,” Sara says. For a super glittery, fun sparkle, she reaches for Highlighter in Turnt.
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How to Apply Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer
If you’re looking to warm up your features, or if you want a face and body product that you can apply straight out of the tube, our Matte Bronzer is your best option. Sure, this cream bronzer stick has a matte finish, but it still provides a year-round summer glow that always feels creamy, moisturizing, and weightless on skin.
Like our Lip + Cheek, Matte Bronzer can be swapped into a few different makeup products: try using it as an eyeshadow or nude lipstick. Simply swipe the bronzer stick directly onto the area of your face where you want to add some color, Sara says.
Highlighter is strongly recommended to use in conjunction with bronzer but not required. If you want to achieve a glowy makeup look without a highlighter, Sara says that blending Matte Bronzer out with a damp makeup sponge will do.
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How to Apply Milk Makeup Bionic Bronzer
Bionic Bronzer has a pigment-rich but blendable formula that wears well with other products. You can use it with light to full coverage foundations and, as Wren likes to do, "layer it under powders for a bronzed-from-within look."
You can add luminosity to Bionic Bronzer straight out of the tube by mixing it with our award-winning Bionic Glow liquid highlighter. Together, they’re like a vacation in a tube (technically, two tubes). Shake well before applying and then softly blend out with your fingers or a brush.
It’s not just for your face, either. The velvety formula is great for mixing with your moisturizer or other liquid products for a barely-there tint. Plus, you can apply a little to your chest, collarbones—anywhere on your body that could use a little more color.
How to Choose the Right Shade of Bronzer
Choosing a natural bronzer shade is just as important as finding the right formula. To select yours, Wren recommends choosing something that reminds you of your natural tan.
If you’ve got a fair to medium-light skin tone, Wren suggests our Matte Bronzer in Dazed, Baked, or Blaze, or Bionic Bronzer in Time Travel. For medium or olive-toned skin, try Matte Bronzer in Blaze or Bionic Bronzer in Shapeshift. Light brown and dark skin tones will do well with Matte Bronzer in Blaze, Blitzed, or Spaced, and Bionic Bronzer in Invincible.
There you have it! If you can’t relax on the beach for a week with a good book to get that beachy color, you can reach for one of our best bronzers to do the trick in seconds.
Meet the Expert
Sara Wren (she/her) is the Director of Artistry at Milk Makeup. In her role, she does all the makeup artistry and direction for our Milk Makeup global campaigns, educates the staff and field team on application methods, stars in the brand’s social media videos, and travels to different markets spreading Milk Makeup’s good vibes. When she’s not on set, Sara loves experimenting with DIY hair colors, eating tacos, watching basketball, and scouring for vintage cosmetics to add to her impressive collection.
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