Bronzer is one of those transformative makeup products that adds flattering warmth to the complexion as well as adding dimension by sculpting the face somewhat. But the best bronzer for pale skin, specifically, has to strike the delicate balance of adding warmth without looking orange on a paler complexion. Not the most straightforward of tasks but, thankfully, our experienced beauty team has tested so many over the years that they know which ones will and won't work on lighter skin tones.
The aim of the best bronzers is to make your skin look sunkissed, but if you are naturally pale this poses a couple of problems. Firstly, it’s likely that your skin doesn’t tan naturally and even if it does, pale skin is happiest in the shade. As such, you probably don’t have a golden version of yourself to refer back to and replicate with makeup. Team this with the fact that old-school bronzers historically left pale skin orange and/or muddy-looking, and we wouldn’t judge you for giving the category a wide birth.
The good news is that today's bronzers are not only softer in texture and finish but available in lighter shades, too. “A good bronzer will light up the face in a natural way,” advises pro makeup artist Kelly Cornwell. “Make sure it’s only one or two shades darker than your skin tone. Match your best foundation to the shade of your skin, then use the bronzer to add a little warmth. Always check the shade of your bronzer on the neck. If you can see a very dark stripe, then it’s not for you.”
The best bronzers for pale skin, reviewed by our beauty editor
RRP: £32 | Best shade for pale skin: Dusty Rose or Light Tan
This particular Jones Road bronzer took two years to perfect, and in true Bobbie Brown style, it's easy to use and looks seamless on the skin. It's a powder bronzer but the texture is so silky that it applies like a cream – but with a powder finish. It's a great option for pale skin as it goes on somewhat sheer but is easily buildable.
When testing, we found that it gave skin a super natural hint of colour, and on pale skin, it's tricky to make bronzer look this subtle. We tested the shade dusty rose, which is a dark, rosy colour closer to a blush and offers a rosy glow for pale skin. However, if you want a more sunkissed, faux glow look, we'd suggest opting for the light tan shade, which is more of a bronze.
Buy if: A super sheer, natural glow is on the agenda
Avoid if: You prefer cream or gel formulas
RRP: £26 | Best shade for pale skin: Light Bronze
This 100% vegan formula is one of the best bronzers for pale skin for when you want to fake a sunkissed, "I just got back from a holiday" glow. The Light Bronze shade is light enough to not look orangey or cakey on pale skin. Instead, it gave us a gorgeous, natural hint of colour and added just the right amount of warmth.
What we loved the most about this was its super matte finish. When testing, we found it helped the bronzer look more natural on pale skin, which is not always easy to find. It didn't separate throughout the day, nor did we need to top up the colour after hours of wear. All in all, we loved it.
Buy if: You like your bronzer to have a matte finish
Avoid if: You prefer something more glowy or shimmery
RRP: £27.50 | Best shade for pale skin: Summer Glow
It can be challenging to find the right bronzer for paler skin tones in the summer months when you want to mimic a sunkissed glow and want the warmth of a bronzer. This illuminating bronzer is a great option. Our testers found that this bronzer offers a glow that doesn't look too overdone.
Because of the liquid formula, it felt like it melted into the skin and blended in seamlessly with the best foundation. What we enjoyed most about this was the added skincare benefits. Infused with vitamin E and hydrating Nordic algae, it gives skin that lit from within glow.
Buy if: A 100% vegan formula, with added skincare benefits and an easy-to-blend glow sounds exactly like what you've been looking for
Avoid if: You have oily skin and prefer a powder bronzer
RRP: £25 | Best shade for pale skin: Jensta
If you have paler skin, then cream bronzers like this one are a good choice; the lighter texture and their ability to blend makes them pretty much foolproof when it comes to application. With a cream bronzer like this one from Trinny London, you get that added glow that you would usually see when you're in the sunshine, and similar to a liquid bronzer, it gives a much more natural finish than powder formulations.
When testing, we loved how creamy this bronzer was, how it melted into the skin and how it added a warm glow and dimension to the skin. The lightest shade, Jensta, is subtle enough for pale skin and gives a faux sunkissed warmth with no shimmer.
Buy if: You want to fake a sunkissed glow easily
Avoid if: You like a powder formula or some shimmer
RRP: £26 | Best shades for pale skin: Quince or Clay
This is one of the best bronzers we tested as the lightest shade has been created to work with even the palest skin tones. As with all Merit products, it's a vegan, clean and cruelty free formula, and almost impossible to mess up. A cream formula in a stick is sheer but easily buildable, blended into bare skin just as well as it did with the best foundations.
Although bronzer and contour shades are different, what we love about this is that we found when we added more layers, we could use it to add definition when applied under the cheekbones. Overall, it offers warmth and adds colour to pale skin tones without the dreaded orange tones.
Buy if: You want a bronzer you can use to add warmth and dimension
Avoid if: You never contour
RRP: £38 | Best shades for pale skin: 00, 01
Anyone familiar with NARS (or who counts their Orgasm blush among the best blushers) will know that they don't play when it comes to pigment. We expected this bronzing powder to require a very softly-softly approach to avoid veering off into tango territory, but actually, the payoff is much more subtle. This gives you much more control over how much you want to build the colour, which is great for paler skin.
We used the NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder with a big fluffy brush, which was the perfect tool for diffusing this very soft, fine powder onto the skin. It does have a subtle shimmer, but in our experience you have to apply a lot to see those specks of sparkle. They catch the light very softly but in a grown-up, not all-out glittery, way.
Buy if: You like your bronzer to have a grown-up shimmer
Avoid if: You don't like shimmer or you want a bronzer that contours (this would be too subtle)
RRP: £45 | Best shades for pale skin: Fair
This bronzer is absolutely huge (a slight downside for keeping your makeup bag travel-friendly), satisfyingly weighty, and clad in rose gold. The powder inside might have less initial wow factor than the packaging, but it delivers where it counts.
It's super silky and very finely milled, which has a blurring, pore-disguising, almost air-brushed effect on the skin – not entirely dissimilar to the best powder foundations. It's matte, so it helps to soak up shine on oily complexions without the need to follow with your best setting powder. Depending on how pale you are, you might need to build this a little for a noticeable colour, but don't worry about running out – it's so generously sized that you won't be hitting pan anytime soon.
Buy if: A bronzer that will last months
Avoid if: You want a smaller compact to carry on the go
RRP: £7 | Best shades for pale skin: Feelin' Shady or Tan Lines
This putty bronzer comes in a little tub which is perfect for travel and has a creamy texture that's easy to dot onto the skin where you want it. It transforms into a powder as you apply, so you just need to buff and blend relatively quickly before it dries down too much.
We did find that the textures varied slightly between the shades we tried (some were silkier than others) so keep this in mind. It could also be that one sample was older than the other, so make sure you're putting the lid back on properly to stop yours from drying out. Also, it's worth flagging that the lightest shade in the range, Feelin' Shady, has a slightly cooler grey tinge to it, which makes it better for contouring than bronzing.
Buy if: You want a bronzer you can also use for contour, is easy to blend and has good staying power
Avoid if: You prefer your cream bronzers in a stick rather than a pot
RRP: £30 | Best shades for pale skin: Amber or Butta Biscuit
Rihanna's brand proved it's possible for a brand to cater the entire skin spectrum – including the very pale. The Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer formula works for all skin types, while the shades stretch across a broad range of skin tones. What we love most about this is that it's sheer and glossy, which imparts a gorgeous glow on skin, plus it's super pigmented, meaning you only need to apply a tiny amount at a time.
We like that you can shop not only by your skin tone but also undertone, which will be cool, neutral or warm. If you don't know which category you fit into, head to a shop and hold a piece of gold jewellery next to your skin, then a piece of silver jewellery. If gold makes your skin look brighter, you're warm; if it's the silver, you're cool. Look the same? You have a neutral undertone. By taking these into account, you'll get a more convincing finish from any bronzer for pale skin.
Buy if: You like to match your undertone
Avoid if: You don't enjoy cream textures or a glossy finish
How we tested the best bronzer for fair skin
A selection of the bronzers we tested for this guide
To test the best bronzers for fair skin, our pale-skinned beauty editor eased off her best fake tan for the face for long enough to see if these formulas could do the heavy lifting instead. Each one was tested at least once, with close attention paid to the following factors when assessing each one.
- Packaging: A bronzer's container needs to be mess free, easy to open and, in an ideal world, convenient for travel, too.
- Texture: We kept an eye out for a nice texture and comfortable feel on the skin in our search for the best bronzer.
- Ease of application: Bronzers should be easy to apply and blend, not clinging to the skin but buffing in with ease to avoid tell-tale lines. You’ll find the best powder bronzers, stick bronzers and the best cream bronzers on this list. Whatever the formula, we made sure these were easy to apply for even the freshest bronzer newbies.
- How natural it looked on and complimented pale skin: To make this list, a bronzer needed to impart natural-looking warmth on the skin without looking orange or muddy.
- Price: Each bronzer was assessed in terms of value for money, i.e. how well it performed in line with its price. If a bronzer was more luxuriously priced, it needed to show though a better user experience or superior texture and ingredients, for example.
How to choose the best bronzer for fair skin
As well as taking our expert testing insights on board, there are a few other things to consider to ensure the best bronzer for pale skin works for you.
- Bronzer type: Different bronzer formats have different uses. Cream bronzers are great for sitting comfortably on mature skin, while lightweight powders diffuse nicely across the best foundation and can work well for a more matte look.
- Price point: Bronzer lasts for a fair while, depending how often and how much you apply, but having an idea of what you can reasonably afford to re-purchase is a good idea to avoid lamenting its absence in future.
Our expert panel
Jess Beech is an experienced fashion and beauty editor with more than eight years of experience in the publishing industry. She has written for woman&home, GoodtoKnow, Now, Woman, Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Own and Chat, and was formerly deputy fashion & beauty editor at Future plc.
Kelly Cornwell is a professional makeup artist and beauty editor-at-large for IMAGINE. Her famous clients have included Elizabeth Hurley, Lily Collins and Elizabeth Debicki. Her three decades of experience in makeup artistry mean she's very well versed in the best bronzers for pale skin (and has probably used a lot of them on some of her clients!).
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