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If you’re a fan of TV shows or movies, then you’ve probably seen actors and actresses framed against a rising or setting sun. What you’ll notice is that in these scenes, their skins are particularly glowing and beautiful, and this effect happens outside of movies and shows, too, in the right lighting of course. A great bronzing stick will help you imitate this effect.
Unfortunately, for how beautiful sun-kissed skin may be, you can only really achieve the look naturally during certain times of the day - particularly during sunrise or sunset. These are known as the “golden hours” of a day, and you’ll find many people on social media taking photos at this time of the day.
But why wait when you can replicate the effect using makeup? Bronzers and bronzing sticks serve as the perfect solution. They’re designed to make your skin shimmer and glow even during the coldest of evenings. Bronzing may not be an effect that appeals to everyone, but if you think you can rock it, then having one of the top bronzing sticks of 2024 will make golden hour every hour for your face and skin.
Comparing the Top Bronzing Sticks of 2024 in Detail
Physicians Formula — Best Overall
Key Features
- Natural ingredients
- Toffee and mocha tones
- Contains jojoba oil
- Contains aloe vera
Since bronzing is made to imitate the effect of a natural phenomenon, it makes sense to want to have the product be made out of natural ingredients, too. The Physicians Formula organic bronzer is made out of ingredients and materials such as jojoba oil, Indian senna seed, aloe vera, and more. These ingredients combine to result in a bronzing look that’s both beautiful and natural in more ways than one.
There are two tones to choose from - toffee and mocha - and while they aren’t very different from one another, the subtle differences may be enough for you to choose one over the other. The cream is easy to blend and even has antioxidants included to provide warmth to your skin and keep it nice and hydrated while it’s applied.
SACE LADY — Best Shimmer
Key Features
- Buildable formula
- Can be used directly or with foundation
- Shimmering finish
- Liquid formula
While it’s fine to go for a natural glow with bronzers and bronzing sticks, there’s something about a supernatural glow that just makes it feel a lot more eccentric and ethereal. If you want to stand out with this level of beauty, then this liquid highlighter may be what you’re looking for. While it’s not a bronzer in the strict sense, it helps give your skin a very bright and shimmering finish akin to that of a bronzer - just with a lot more oomph!
The formula is “buildable,” which means that you can either apply it directly over your face or put it on after using foundation for a different effect. The highlighter is specifically designed for light to medium skin tones and the fluid texture really adds the glow factor to the finish. It may not look like natural sun-kissed skin, but it doesn’t have to, as the look is unique and fresh, which is never a bad thing when it comes to makeup.
Black Radiance — Best 2-in-1 Option
Key Features
- 2-in-1 product
- Made for women of color
- Natural look
- Contains brush
Looking for a 2-in-1 product? Look no further, as this bronzing stick also serves as the foundation for your skin. It’s rich in pigment and color, and the design of the stick itself makes it quite easy to apply the formula. While one side holds the foundation, the other has a soft brush for you to blend and apply the foundation properly. Plus, there’s no need to bring extra brushes along, as it already comes with the stick.
The stick is made using modern technologies and is made by Black Radiance, a company that’s dedicated to enabling women of color. With various glows to choose from, this foundation stick is a must-have for women on the go and for people looking for that natural glow-up. You won’t find foundation bronzing sticks like this anywhere else.
Undone Beauty — Most Natural Looking
Key Features
- Satisfaction guarantee
- Made with coconut water
- Paraben-free
- Non-comedogenic
Just because a product is made out of natural ingredients doesn’t mean it’ll result in a natural look. This is especially true when it comes to bronzing sticks and bronzers in general, as some ingredients just can’t replicate the bronzed look as well as others. This bronzing stick, however, does both: it’s made out of natural materials while also resulting in a very natural-looking tan that gives you the perfect bronzed finish.
This water bronzer stick is made out of ingredients such as coconut water and is paraben-, gluten-, and cruelty-free, too. The vegan formula is also non-comedogenic, which, in layman’s terms, means that it doesn’t block up your pores. The product comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, with the store page claiming “love it or it’s free.” If a natural glow with natural ingredients is what you’re looking for, then you’ve found it here.
Beauty for Real — Best Youthful Glow
Key Features
- Highlighter with bronzing effect
- Can be applied with a brush, sponge, or fingers
- Easy to apply
- Cream-based
This last bronzer is also more of a highlighter than an actual bronzing stick, but it’s got a cocoa brown option, so it was definitely worth mentioning. Since it’s a highlighter, you’ll be getting a really vibrant glow and, combined with a brown cocoa color, you get almost a youthful finish with this on your skin. The formula is easy to apply, as it’s cream-based but dries up into a weightless powder that’s easy on your skin.
This bronzing stick of sorts is also great since it’s made out of antioxidants. The pomegranate extracts in the formula make it so that your skin is constantly nourished. After applying it to your skin, you can use a brush, sponge, or even your fingers to smooth out, making it fairly easy to apply. If you love the youthful look of a highlighter but prefer something that’s more natural, then this brown highlighter will give a bronze-like finish to your skin that’s also beneficial for your skin’s health.
Buyer's Guide: Find the Perfect Bronzing Stick for Your Skin
Bronzing sticks can be used to give your skin beautiful, natural-glowing qualities. Here’s all you need to know about this nifty makeup product.
What is a Bronzing Stick?
Bronzing sticks are a type of bronzer that is applied to the face and skin via a stick. You roll or apply it directly on the skin, just as you would with something like a blush. Bronzers are makeup products designed to give your face a glowing finish similar to what it would look like under the sun.
Why Should You Use Bronzing Sticks?
It gives your face a natural glow
Bronzing sticks are interesting in the sense that they try to imitate a look that can be achieved naturally rather than trying to introduce something new to your face. A sun-kissed face looks good but doesn’t need any special makeup to achieve: just a bit of patience, luck with the weather, and the right angle. This can be a big reason why bronzed faces look much more natural than other ways of touching up your face, such as with a highlighter or blush.
Bronzing imitates the natural glow of the sun on your face, and as such, isn’t extremely eye-catching but still stands out compared to a face that isn’t bronzed. This is especially true when you’ve got a bronzed face during an evening event, as that look would be virtually impossible to achieve otherwise due to there being no sun around to cause it naturally. This subtle contrast is what really makes bronzed looks stand out.
It’s easy to apply
Bronzing sticks are actually quite easy to apply on the face. Since they are applied in a similar fashion to blushes and the like, all you need to do is put a bit of it on your face and then blend or smooth it out using brushes, sponges, or even your finger, depending on the product that you’re using.
Some bronzing sticks take this one step further, too. Aside from being in stick form, which makes it easy to hold, certain sticks also have a brush attached to the other end. This means that you only really need the stick itself to give yourself a bronzed look, which is great if you’re either in a rush or want to carry light for the day.
From Our Celebrity Expert, Olivia Elgart:
"No matter your skin tone, if you want to look like you've had some one-on-one time with the sun, a bronzing stick is your friend. Our patron saint of makeup and overall #bossbabe Rihanna is a well-known user of bronzing sticks to get that signature sunkissed look, while also adding some contrast and dimension to her face. Bronzing sticks are just a game changer, period."
Tips For Using a Bronzing Stick
Bronzing sticks are made for one purpose, but you still need to know a few things before using them properly.
Bronzers and bronzing sticks can be used with blush
When you think about it at first, you may be surprised that bronzers and blush can work together. After all, they’re both meant to highlight the cheek area of the face, but look very different on the face once applied. However, these two makeup products can actually work in tandem to result in a look that’s not only complex but also completely natural looking.
Picture someone with their face flushed red staring into the sunset. Maybe they just got a confession from their crush, or maybe they just finished crying after an emotional break-up. Sounds like something straight out of a movie, right? Well, consider this: in this scenario, the person’s face would be red AND sun-kissed, right? That’s why both bronzers and blushes can work together; though they seem like contrasting products, they can actually work together in the right scenarios.
It is worth mentioning that you shouldn’t always go for this look. Just having your face bronzed or blushed is completely fine! If you want something that’s a lot more complex, however, while still retaining some semblance of natural beauty, then this combination is what you’re looking for. You’ll need to be extra careful when working with both products at the same time, but there are plenty of helpful guides on how to use both products together in tandem.
When should I use bronzers vs blushes?
We mentioned just now that bronzers and blushes can work in tandem, but what if you only wanted to use one of them at a time? Which one should you choose? The answer is actually a lot simpler than you think, and it has to do with priority - warmth or color. Though these two sound like the same thing, they’re actually quite different.
Blushes offer color, and in particular, warm colors. This is why we mistake it for “warmth” because it has hues and tones of red. Bronzes, however, offer warmth and warmth alone - they make the natural color of your skin appear sun-kissed without having to rely on warm colors such as red or pink. So in summary, if you’re looking to add color, go for blushes, and if you just want warmth, go for bronzes.
Bronzing Stick Price Range
Bronzing sticks can range anywhere between $5 to $10 for a lot of brands. Bronzing sticks aren’t very expensive and can easily be bought at your local department store or on Amazon. For popular makeup brands, you’ll have to spend a little extra, but don’t expect to spend any more than $25 or so on a single stick.
