Life's Too Short For Bad Bronzer

As the days have gotten longer and the temperatures have slowly climbed somewhere above sweltering, it feels like every beloved makeup brand has launched a new, buzzy bronzer. Liquids, creams, powders—it’s rare for me to take my afternoon TikTok scroll and not see one come across my screen with “this changed my life, go and buy it before it sells out” influencer messaging.

At any given moment of any day of the week, if you walked into my bedroom, you’d see a pile of products sitting on the corner of my vanity waiting to be given the ole’ college try. The road ahead of them is treacherous: kind of like saying a word so many times it no longer sounds like a word, most products face a fate of blending in with each other and making an unfortunate journey to my product graveyard (a bag in my coat closet I give to my family and friends—they didn’t work for me, but sometimes they do for them!). The chances of a product standing out enough to make into my daily routine are low, but when it happens, earns a blast to my group chats and a place on a pedestal so high, my family and friends usually wind up picking them up too.

Until now, that bat signal has been reserved for my blood line or people I like enough I would bury a body for, but it’s high time it’s made public. Welcome to Not an Ad by Betches Style, where I—hey I’m Madeline, Betches’ Style Director!—will be spilling the (never sponsored) details on the products that have passed through my rigorous testing process and, against all odds, stood out so much that they’ve received the highest honor: I’ve recommended them to my mother.

Over the past few months, my aforementioned makeup stash has grown to have half a dozen bronzing products that I’ve gradually put through the wringer (read: worn on 95 degree commutes and through nine hours of office air). Bronzer is my favorite makeup product, so this task has been far from a chore, but the standouts have revealed themselves after I was forced to choose favorites when I packed for a two-week trip home for the Fourth of July. No one should spend $40 on a bronzer that they don’t absolutely love, so if you’re itching for a new one to fake a summertime glow (wear SPF, people!) here’s what I’d recommend.

• If you need a bronzer that looks good on bare skin, Refy’s Water Bronzer is ultra-thin and mimics the look of a cheek stain (but its packaging makes it much easier to apply).

• If you feel like bronzer disappears on your face before you leave the house in the morning, your routine is yearning for a powder. The new, reformulated Marc Jacobs Beauty Legally Bronze Bronzer is the best powder bronzer I’ve ever tried, and it wears as beautifully on its own as it does to set a cream formula.

• If you want an easy-to-apply bronzer that’s easy to take on the go, it doesn’t get better than Rhode’s Pocket Bronzer. It comes in eight gorgeous bronze shades that blend like a dream, add natural-looking warmth to the skin, and actually last throughout the day.

• If you’re looking for a bronzer that never leans orange, Saie’s SuperSuede Bronzer is for you. The shade ‘Amalfi’ is my go-to for adding a bit of warmth to my skin while giving my face a lil’ chisel.

• If you want a hydrating but never sticky bronzer, Westman Atelier’s Sun Tone Bronzing Crème has a cream-to-powder formula that drys down completely, but keeps your skin looking healthy and dewy throughout the day.

• If you want a cream bronzer that doesn’t break the bank, Milani’s Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzer blends beautifully into the skin and leaves you with a subtle, sun-kissed look that makes the skin look healthy and hydrated.

• If you want a bronzer that’s impossible to mess up, LYS’s No Limits Cream Bronzer’s ultra-creamy formula blends into the skin like butter (even if you accidentally apply a little too much).