Your Bronzer Will Look 10 Times More Natural If You Use This Type of Brush
Yes, the type of makeup you choose is so important. We're all loyal to our own favorite brands and formulas that really work for our skin types, tones, and the looks we're going for. But your makeup also needs good brushes so you can apply it flawlessly. Do you know the phrase "Work smarter, not harder"? I believe a good makeup brush will help your makeup do just that.
There are so many different types of brushes out there for different types of makeup. You've got foundation brushes, blush brushes, eye shadow brushes… But today, we're going to focus on bronzer brushes.
Sure, you can use any brush to apply your bronzer, but then, you'd be at risk of cakiness, unevenness, or an unnatural color because you can't blend. That's why a bronzer brush will come in handy for contouring, adding definition to the angles of your face, and/or evenly dispersing bronzer all over so you can get an all-natural glow. Plus, depending on the formula—cream, liquid, or powder—you're going to need a specific brush for that bronzer consistency.
Take a look at these highly rated, editor-favorite bronzer brushes below.
Saie The Big Buffing Bronzer Brush
For cream and liquid bronzers, try this buffing and blending brush. The bristles are ultra-soft and work well to evenly disperse product.
E.l.f. Cosmetics Putty Bronzer Brush
With an angled tip, E.l.f.'s brush is great for contouring and highlighting.
Sigma Beauty F29 HD Bronze Makeup Brush
Sigma Beauty's brush features a fluffy, tapered head that allows you to apply bronzer or powder evenly and with precision. It has ultra-soft synthetic fibers and a durable handle.
It Brushes for Ulta Airbrush Essential Bronzer Brush #114
The large, fluffy dome shape on this brush means that you get a high color payoff and can precisely highlight the angles of your face.
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Foundation Brush
This brush works on all formulas—powders, liquid, and cream. It features soft bristles that allow you to build coverage and blend your makeup seamlessly.
Merit Brush No.1
I have this brush at home, and I love that it's so versatile. I use it to apply foundation, blush, and, yes, bronzer. Its densely packed bristles make it so easy to blend and buff.
Nars #14 Bronzer Brush
Nars's bronzer brush has a large and dense head so you can evenly apply bronzer, whether you want to sculpt and contour or create an allover radiant look.
EcoTools Travel Kabuki Makeup Brush
Take this with you on the go—the compact brush is retractable, so it easily fits into your makeup bag and contains a cap to keep things neat. It's designed for sensitive skin and can be used with both bronzers and powders.
Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Contour Brush
If contouring is your main goal, you're going to want to pay attention to this brush. It has a unique angled shape with tapered bristles for easy and precise application so you can get a sculpted look. You can use it with cream and powder formulas.
Fenty Beauty Cheek Hugging Bronzer Brush 190
Fenty Beauty's bronzer brush is designed to hug the curves of the face, so you can sculpt your cheeks, temples, and jawline.
Wet n Wild Powder Makeup Brush
With over 90,000 ratings and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, Wet n Wild's brush might be the highest rated one on the retailer. One reviewer wrote, "Great brush for the price!! Good for all-around makeup application (application to large areas). I use it to put bronzer on my cheekbones and neck. It's so soft. I've used it for months now, and none of the bristles have fallen out or anything. It's good quality."
Utowa Round Face & Cheek Brush 23
Utowa's goat-hair and PBT-fiber brush can be used with bronzers and blushes. It's designed to make highlighting and blending easy and seamless.
Laura Mercier Bronzer Brush
With a full, round, and tapered head, this bronzer brush leaves sheer coverage. It's best used with pressed-powder formulas.
Real Techniques Ultra Plush Powder Makeup Brush
This powder brush delivers sheer coverage and leaves a smooth, mattified finish. The large domed shape makes allover application a total breeze.
Tom Ford #05 Bronzer Brush
Consider this Tom Ford brush an investment piece. The synthetic-bristle brush is designed for powder formulas and leaves sheer and radiant coverage.
Bronzers to Try
Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Bronzer is my go-to bronzer, so I'm excited to try this new cream formula. It can be used on both the face and body, and it's formulated with hyaluronic acid and provitamin D3 to keep the skin hydrated. It leaves a beachy, sun-kissed glow.
Physicians Formula's bronzer is enriched with murumuru butter, cupuaçu butter, and tucuma butter to nourish and condition the skin. It also contains refined pearls and soft-focus pigments to leave the skin looking and feeling glowy and smooth.
Nars's bronzing powder has a subtle golden sheen to deliver a warm, sun-kissed glow.
This powder bronzer is long-wearing and transfer resistant. Although the formula is a powder, it's still smooth, creamy, and blendable.
You get a two-in-one with this product—the compact contains a cream contour and a bronzing powder. Use the cream to sculpt and contour and then the powder to finish and set.
For a dewy, radiant look, try Nudestix's bronzer and highlighter stick. It's a water-resistant product that brightens the skin and leaves it glowy. One end of the stick has the product, and the other has a blending brush.
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Sarah is lifestyle writer and editor with over 10 years of experience covering health and wellness, interior design, food, beauty, and tech. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she attended New York University and lived in New York for 12 years before returning to L.A. in 2019. In addition to her work on THE/THIRTY and Who What Wear, she held editor roles at Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, House Beautiful, Elle Decor, and The Bump (sister site of The Knot). She has a passion for health and wellness, but she especially loves writing about mental health. Her self-care routine consists of five things: a good workout, “me” time on the regular, an intriguing book/podcast/playlist to unwind after a long day, naps, and decorating her home.