If you’ve got pale, cool-toned skin it can be a difficult task to find bronzers that don’t leave you too orange, so our shopping writer Grace has tested out the ones actually worth buying
As a pale girl, I really struggle to find bronzers that don’t show up too orange on my skin tone, especially when I’m not fake tanning. Most brands’ shade ranges have really improved over the last few years, so it’s not hard to find light enough bronzers, but what I’m after is a cool tone, and it’s proving to be harder than expected.
I was pretty content with my warm bronzers up until the beginning of this year. Maybe it’s because I turned 25, and my frontal lobe has officially developed, but I suddenly realised that I’d been walking around for the past ten years wearing the completely wrong shade and subsequently looking a bit too tangerine.
However, after trying out different bronzers, from creams to powders and luminous to matte, I think I’ve finally found a few that are pale-girl-approved.
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Best cool-toned bronzers for pale skin
Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer in Amber, £30
Grace says: “Shades and undertones have been something Fenty has been getting right from the very beginning, so I don’t know why it took me so long to try out their cool-tone bronzer. And it did not disappoint. My worry when on the hunt for the perfect shade was that it would look a bit too grey and corpse-like. I’m still after that sunkissed glow, just not in such a Trump orange shade.
When I first opened the product up, I thought it was going to look too muddy, but it actually blended out beautifully and gave me a really natural-looking warmth. The picture of the bronzer looks rather dark, but I think this is the perfect tone and shade for pale skin tones. I’m also a huge fan of cream bronzers, and I loved how easy this was to apply. There is no shimmer in these bronzers, but the cream texture leaves a gorgeous, dewy finish. Out of all the bronzers I tried, this was my favourite and was a truly cool tone.
An honourary mention also goes to the next shade up, Butta Biscuit. It has more of a neutral undertone, but it will be perfect for when I want to go slightly warmer in the summertime.”
Shop the bronzer: Fenty Beauty, Boots (currently £24), and Cult Beauty
E.l.f Camo Liquid Bronzer & Contour in 1 Fair, £7
Grace says: “Finding an affordable cool-tone bronzer is an even harder task, but E.l.f has really pulled through with its shades. I’m a huge fan of E.l.f; every product I try goes straight into my everyday makeup bag (the Camo Liquid Blushers are some of my favourite ever blushes), so it wasn’t surprising to find that I love their liquid bronzer.
The product is extremely pigmented, and a little really goes a long way with this. S,o I would recommend applying a small dot to the back of your hand and then going in with a dense brush rather than applying the product directly to your phase. The great thing about this blush is that because it’s a liquid bronzer, it doesn’t dry down too quickly, and it is super easy to play around with.
In terms of colour, the pigment is really cool-toned, and there is zero risk of looking orange when using this. If the Fenty is out of your price range, this a fantastic, affordable alternative in terms of being a similar shade and tone.”
Shop the bronzer:E.l.f, Amazon, Boots, Superdrug
Sephora Collection Bronzer Matte Bronzing Powder in Golden Gateway, £16.99
Grace says: “Although I prefer cream and liquid bronzers, I wanted to find a powder that actually worked for my skin tone, and Sephora’s Matte Powder in the shade Golden Gateway did. The name Golden Gateway, of course, doesn’t sound very promising to be cool-toned, but I think this powder is the perfect mix of cool and neutral undertones, leaning more toward the neutral side.
Powder bronzers often look patchy on me, clinging to the oilier areas on my combination skin, but this had a really smooth application. For under £20, I was pleasantly surprised with the results.
The only thing I would note is that this bronzer has a fragrance. My skin is not sensitive to fragrance, so I actually really enjoyed the scent; it reminded me of holidays and summertime. However, if you are sensitive to fragrance, it may not be the right one for you.”
Shop the bronzer:Sephora
Saie Sun Melt Natural Cream Bronzer, £26
Grace says: “One of the easiest-to-apply cream bronzers I’ve ever tried is from Saie. If you’ve wanted to try a cream bronzer but are unsure about the application, you should definitely try Sun Melt. Also, if you’re any paler than me, this will be the perfect shade.
The product in the pot looks deceivingly warm-toned, but once applied, there were no orange or red tones in sight. What this product did was give a natural warmth that really looked like I wasn’t wearing any bronzer but instead had caught the sun in the best way possible.
My only criticism of this product is that it’s almost too creamy for me to wear on its own. I have combination/oily skin so I would definitely need to set this with a powder if I wanted it to last all day. However, if you’ve got dry skin, the formula should be compatible with your skin.”
Shop the bronzer:Cult Beauty