The Best Bronzers for Dark Skin Tones That You Need in Your Makeup Bag
Orange finish not included.
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We all love a good bronzer, but sometimes finding the right shade for our skin tone can get tricky. For darker skin tones, many bronzers can leave an unflattering orange or ashy finish that most of us don't want from our beauty products. But we have some good news: There are now tons of bronzers for dark skin to choose from that will add the warmth you want to your complexion, without any issues.
The Best Bronzers for Dark Skin Tones
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How to Shop
Undertones
Makeup artist Ego Iwegbu advises using bronzers for dark skin tones with a golden, yellow, or orange undertone instead of common silver-gray, which looks ashy on deeper shades. Iwegbu, who founded the clean beauty brand The Good Mineral, suggests identifying your skin's undertone, aka the color under the surface of your skin, and the undertone of a perspective bronzer.
Her biggest tip is to think about how your skin looks after you've been outside. For example, people with warmer undertones have a golden, caramel shade and should opt for bronzers with similar coloring. On the other hand, anyone with cooler undertones will look fantastic rocking a terracotta shade because their skin tends to look a little redder post-sun.
Shade Matching
As for shade selection, her rule is straightforward: Use bronzers for dark skin that are one or two shades deeper for a soft, natural, and bronzy glow. Anything deeper than that will look too obvious on your face, and bronzers that match your skin tone are more similar to powder foundations.
Formulations
Similar to foundations and blushes, bronzers for dark skin are available in various formulas. Here's a quick at-a-glance look at the most common formulations and what skin type they're best suited for.
- Powder bronzers, including Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer, NARS Bronzing Powder, and e.l.f. Cosmetics Bronzer Palette, are great for all skin types. They're especially wonderful for combination and oily skin because they provide a matte finish.
- Liquid bronzers, such as the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Serum Drops, provide a dewy, luminous finish to dry, normal, and mature skin types.
- Cream bronzers offer a fresh-face glow to normal, dry, and mature skin types. There are also bronzers, like the Danessa Myricks Beauty Power Bronzer Cream Bronzer, which boasts a cream-to-powder formulation that glides onto skin like a cream bronzer and lasts all day like a powder.
Below, check out a few of our favorite bronzers for dark skin tones — and prepare to make some more space on your vanity.
Pros
- Cheapest bronzer for dark skin
- Waterproof formula
- SPF 15 coverage
- Matte finish
- Most 5-star Amazon reviews
Cons
- Only one shade works for dark skin tones
Key Specs
- Rating: 4.4-star average from more than 17,340 Amazon reviews
- Shades available: 4
- Black- and woman-owned: No
Fun fact: The best beauty products aren't just in the department store. The virtual aisles of Amazon have plenty of hidden beauty treasures that will instantly elevate your vanity on a budget.
Exhibit A is this bronzer for dark skin. It has a natural finish with a no-BS formula that won't budge or fade (even in water!), and is infused with broad-spectrum SPF 15 to protect your delicate skin from harmful sun rays.
With more than 12,000 5-star reviews, Amazon reviewers are obsessed with our best overall bronzer for dark skin. To quote one noteworthy 5-star review: “This is my new favorite bronzer — it gives me a natural glow and blends with my skin tone so well! I used it for the first time in a photo shoot, and the bronzer (along with some really great editing!) gave my skin a bronze/golden hue.”
Plus, this bronzer for dark skin won't leave a barely-there look or ashy finish on your complexion, and it's under $3 — a win-win!
D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Serum Drops
Pros
- Lightweight, serum-like texture
- Clean formula
Cons
- Too hydrating for oily skin
Key Specs
- Rating: 4.6-star average from nearly 1,700 Amazon reviews
- Shades available: 1
- Black- and woman-owned: No, but woman-owned
Is it skincare, or is it makeup? Well, it's technically both! This bronzer for dark skin is the perfect addition to your moisturizer, foundation, or even on its own for adding a touch of warmth to your complexion.
You can use as little (or as much!) as you’d like, making this the customizable experience you’ve always wanted from your beauty routine. “I love the color, which seems to adjust to your actual skin tone. When I go without makeup, it gives my face the perfect glow, and under my makeup, it gives me the perfect natural sun-kissed look,” says one 5-star Amazon review.
Drunk Elephant’s bronzer for dark skin is super popular among Amazon reviewers who praise its clean and gentle formula as a “life-changing must-have.”
Speaking of clean ingredients, it contains skin calming vitamin F, cocoa and white tea extracts for an antioxidant boost, and platinum peptides to improve elasticity.
Pros
- Best shade variety
- Transfer-resistant
Cons
- Too mattifying for dry skin
Key Specs
- Rating: 4.5-star average from more than 1,030 Sephora reviews
- Shades available: 9
- Black- and woman-owned: Yes
Warm up your complexion with a little help from one of Bad Gal Riri's most popular Fenty Beauty products. Rihanna's bronzer wins major points for having the most impressive shade range with a whopping nine hues to choose from.
And if you're all about the mattes, then we definitely recommend this bronzer. It has a lightweight feel but a major impact, as it will seriously warm up your complexion. It also subtly sculpts for a fresh and youthful look.
Given the variety of shades available, oil-free formula, and Sephora reviewers describe it as a must-have bronzer for their pro makeup artist kits and personal cosmetics bags.
“I can really build the bronzer up, and I love how it gives me just enough warmth without looking too red and blush-like. It’s now my go-to product in my no-makeup look,” says one Sephora reviewer who wears Fenty Foundation in 420.
Pros
- Natural, soft-matte finish
- 8 hours of wear
Cons
- Reviewers say it's easy to over-blend
Key Specs
- Rating: 4.3-star average from more than 40 Sephora reviews
- Shades available: 3
- Black- and woman-owned: Yes
Oily skin types should skip cream makeup to avoid looking greasy after a few hours, but this bronzer for dark skin is the exception. Makeup artist Danessa Myricks created a unique cream-to-powder bronzer that won't congest your pores and lead to acne and an oily finish.
It comes in two more hues to choose from, so you can experiment with shade intensity — plus, its light-as-air feel will give off a soft-matte natural finish that adds instant warmth to your complexion.
Sephora reviewers call it their holy grail bronzer for dark skin because it melts into their complexion like butter, they only need a little bit of product, and it lasts an entire work day under a face mask. "It is incredibly soft — a beautiful, rich, creamy mousse-like texture that blends like a dream," says one 5-star Sephora review.
Pros
- Extremely pigmented
- Highest average star rating
Cons
- Relatively heavy packaging
Key Specs
- Rating: 4.8-star average from nearly 240 Sephora reviews
- Shades available: 6
- Black- and woman-owned: No, but AAPI- and LGTQBIA-owned
For less than $40, you get not one, not two, but three highly pigmented shades made for deeper skin tones. Whether you want to go for a subtle warmth or looking for high intensity, this three-shade bronzer palette for dark skin has you covered.
Created by beauty guru Patrick Starrr, this pressed powder bronzer for dark skin is like an IRL Instagram filter for your face — it uses magnolia bark extract to visibly smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your skin.
"As an African American girl with a deep complexion, I always had a tough time finding bronzers to show up on my skin, but this palette is EVERYTHING. I love how blendable the shades are and how they come with three shades that all work for different purposes," says one 5-star Sephora review.
Pros
- Finely milled powders
- Undetectable finish
Cons
- Too shimmery for oily skin
Key Specs
- Rating: 4.5-star average from nearly 3,740 Sephora reviews
- Shades available: 4
- Black- and woman-owned: No
Want to add a sparkle to your day? Then grab this bronzer, stat. This rich bronzer feels silky-smooth when applied, and Casino is a deep hue that works perfectly on dark skin tones. Plus, it has a layer of golden shimmer to create a post-beach goddess glow in just a few swipes.
Legendary makeup artist François Nars created this buttery, satiny, and lightweight bronzer for dark skin tones, and online reviewers agree it's one of the best products available.
“This shade [Casino] is the perfect hue to bronzing us girls that already have the natural shade of brown. Gives the perfect vitamin D-kissed skin,” says one 5-star Sephora review.
Pros
- Clean beauty product
- Reduces the look of large pores
Cons
- Not sold on Amazon
Key Specs
- Rating: 4.6-star average from nearly 120 Sephora reviews
- Shades available: 5
- Black- and woman-owned: Yes
“If you’re looking for that ‘no makeup’-makeup finish, then this bronzer for dark skin is your best pick. It has a buttery texture that glides onto skin, and its matte finish won’t smudge or fade as the day goes by,” says our beauty editor, Nicole Saunders.
She’s not the only fan of this bronzer for dark skin. Sephora reviewers use words like “very matte,” “perfect bronzer,” and “a favorite,” to describe this top-rated product. “As you continue to blend, the bronzer just seamlessly and magically melds with your skin producing a very natural and seamless bronze effect,” says one 5-star Sephora review.
We also love that it's infused with some standout skincare quality ingredients, including niacinamide, to minimize the look of pores and reduce shine. There's also green tea extract, which is renowned for using antioxidants to soothe tired skin, and sodium hyaluronate to help the skin stay hydrated.
Pros
- Lasts at least a year
- Reviewers also use it as a contour and shadow
Cons
- Sold out at Ulta
Key Specs
- Rating: 4.8-star average from more than 300 Mented reviews
- Shades available: 4
- Black- and woman-owned: Yes
This bronzer for dark skin has a near-perfect score on Mented for a good reason: It’s an O.G. that will never leave you disappointed. Plus, Sunkissed Bronzer has a natural satin finish, and results in a flattering summer glow even in the dead of winter.
Sunkissed Bronzer has a rich, pigmented formula that blends seamlessly into any skin tone. There are four different shades to choose from, and each powder bronzer is packed with vitamins A and E to nourish your natural complexion.
“It’s so easy to blend, you can use a brush or even your hands, and it looks seamless. It’s so smooth and finely milled, so it doesn’t go on patchy or cling to dry patches,” says one reviewer. They add it’s incredibly pigmented, and a little bit of product goes a long way.
Nicole Saunders is the beauty editor at Best Products with over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing lifestyle content. She specializes in breaking down complicated topics, like high-frequency wands and microcurrent devices, into easy-to-understand guides. She takes great pride in heavily researching and testing featured beauty products, — such as hairdryers and foundations — on our site, and spotlights her all-time seasonal favorites in her quarterly column Best New Beauty. And she tests quite literally thousands of launches for our Beauty Awards package.
Jennifer is the former beauty editor for BestProducts.com, where she’s testing out everything from the latest lip gloss to the craziest skincare trend sweeping the online beauty-verse. Her work has been featured in Allure, Byrdie, HelloGiggles, and more. When she’s not swatching eyeshadow all over her arms, you can find the NYC-based editor scouring for hours on end for vintage finds, eating pad thai, and hanging out with her cat, Chunks.
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