The 10 Best Body Bronzers for an Instant Glow From Head to Toe (2024)

Oakley has tried a handful of body bronzers, but says Dolce Glow's Mia Instant Body Glow can't be beat. Not only is this option a mainstay in her beauty kit, but the celebrity makeup artist also calls it "the most perfect body bronzer." "It’s so universal and gives the perfect glow," she explains. "It dries down so you don’t have to worry about it getting on anything!" This lightweight formula is easy to apply, dries quickly, and can be easily washed off after a long day. Once it's on, a cocktail aloe vera and hydrating oils like jojoba, cocos nucifera, Australian macadamia to offer a jolt of hydration.

Customer Review:

"Literally the most perfect bronze shimmer! I absolutely love this stuff. It completes every look! I promise you’ll love this stuff as much as I do!"—Maguire A.

A lot of bronzers have shimmer built inside, but if you want to shine at full wattage, Arshad recommends Glowmotions Glow Body Oil from Sol de Janeiro. "This has a beautiful blend of acai and coconut oil," she says. "It looks beautiful and smells even better!" Available in two shades, this oil offers a subtle, blurring tint that will give your complexion an extra oomph. Plus, it has a hint of cupuaçu butter to help with hydration and skin elasticity. Be prepared to dazzle—literally.

Customer Review:

"I absolutely love this stuff. Just like it says, give a warm nice glow with a glittering shimmer in the sun. Doesn’t transfer and stays in all day. Smells great, too."—Jewelz369

Since Jergens has a reputation for having a handful of self-tanners for less, it's not too surprising that the brand has some budget-friendly body bronzers, too. A blend of coconut water and shea butter work together to moisturize your skin and enhance your natural complexion. (This bronzer has no shimmer, so think of it as your skin, but better.) This bronzer is cruelty-free and washes off easily so you won't have to overdo it on the scrubbing.

Customer Review:

"These are wonderful! I can’t believe how easy and the color is natural and they didn’t jeff a strong smell. I will use annd purchase these again!"—Mrs. S

Makeup and skincare go hand in hand with this body oil from iNNBEAUTY PROJECT. This lightweight, luminous oil is packed with a bounty of ingredients to keep your skin looking and feeling its best: An antioxidant-rich green coffee oil to firm; vegan squalane to hydrate; and a caffeine-packed ingredient called guarana to visibly brighten and smooth the skin. While iNNBEAUTY PROJECT's oil is suitable for all skin types, its hydrating properties make it a particularly good option for those with dry skin. Oh, and did we mention this formula is cruelty-free and vegan?

Customer Review:

"I love the glow and bronze this product gives!!!! Super healthy looking." —Jessica M.

Unlike self-tanners, which leave your skin looking fresher for longer, bronzers are meant to be washed off like makeup. However, if you're looking for an option that can withstand sweat, rain, or a mid-summer swim, Arshad says St. Tropez's Instant Glow is "smudge-free and water-resistant." This formula offers a medium tan, plus many shoppers love that it's non-greasy and streak-free.

St. Tropez's Instant Glow is water-resistant, but remember: The beauty of a body bronzer is that it's temporary. In other words, you can rinse it off with soap, water, and a little bit of elbow grease.

Customer Review:

"Highly recommend! I used this every day while on vacation in Florida. I wore it all day at Disney while wearing shorts and it lasted all day. There was very minimal transfer but I feel like that is to be expected since this is for temporary use. I loved this product and how easy it is to apply. "—Tarrin

Think of the Impossible Glow drops from Pai as clean beauty's answer to a body bronzer. The organic skincare brand employed natural ingredients like fragonia, sea buckthorn, rosehip, and grape seed extracts to offer a nourished, shimmery glow. This formula is also packed with vitamin C and omegas to hydrate and soothe the skin. But what makes Pai's bronzer really stand out is its clever drops formula: You can simply add a little bit to your moisturize or SPF to bake a bronze into your pre-existing regimen.

Customer Review:

"Nice product overall! I have a light complexion and it gives me a nice glow. It is non-irritating to my sensitive skin and you have to use very little to achieve your desired look."—Laura R.

Just because you're faking a take with body bronzer doesn't mean your sun care should take a backseat. For the best of both worlds, reach for Le Mieux's Naked Glow Bronzer, which has SPF 50. A mix of peptides and adaptogens work together to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays and provide a warm, sun-kissed glow, respectively. Meanwhile, ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin E, and botanical extracts are incorporated to leave a hydrated, nourishing complexion behind.

Customer Review:

"I am amazed how beautiful my skin looks after I use this bronzer with SPF 50. It looks so natural and my friends are asking me why my skin looks so great. I LOVE it so much. It melts on my skin and keeps my skin so soft."—Becca K.

Since most body bronzers seen here come in one or just a few shades, it can be difficult to find an option to suit melanin-rich shoppers—until Vaseline delivered its Illuminate Me Shimmering Body Oil. Crafted with consumers of color in mind, this lightweight, non-greasy oil offers a warm, copper glow that won't leave an awkward cast behind. The magic lies in an ethically-sourced mica mixed into the body oil.

Customer Review:

"Luxurious formula, not sticky and smells great. It is a great base layer for building up on perfumes. It seems greasy at first but it sinks into the skin and leaves a glowy finish. It is not as bronzing as it looks though but I love it regardless. It has shimmer too!"—Honey

A body bronzer is more temporary than a typical self-tanner, but you can stretch its lifespan by picking up a bottle of Tan-Luxe's Instant Hero Skin Perfector Body Bronzer. Thanks to light-reflecting nanoparticles and micro-pigments, this cream can deliver a radiant glow for up to 24 hours. There's also a blend of aloe vera, caffeine, and vitamins B, C and E to minimize the appearance of redness and spider veins.

Customer Review:

"Actually really easy to just bronze up. Added just enough color to give me a glow and I really like the tone of it."—JennNov

Be honest: How tan do you really want to be? Are we talking a "spent the day in the sun" glow? Or a fresh from a multi-week beach vacation bronze? Well, thanks to Lorac's TanTalizer Body Bronzing Luminizer, you can have it all. Available in two shades, this gel-cream hybrid has a buildable quality that allows you to give your faux tan a slightly customizable edge.

But while you might buy this body bronzer for its shade variety, you'll also love this option for its skin-nourishing ingredients. Antioxidants as well as argan, rosehip seed and marula oils work together to nourish and condition the skin. Another thing to love is the spice vanilla scent, which departs from the tropical aroma of most bronzers and self-tanners.

Customer Review:

"I wore this on my wedding day to give my spray tan a little shimmery bronze Glow and I'm so glad I did. It enhanced my bronze! I love love love the shimmer! it can go anywhere! I've never had an issue with transfer! The ones complaining about that are maybe putting too much product on!"—Mkthein2018

Self-tanner or body bronzer? Well, if you want an immediate tan with little to no wait time, the latter is your best bet. "They are formulated to last longer than a body bronzer, which is why they have an application process that develops over a period of time," Arshad explains. "A body bronzer develops immediately."

Similar to the rest of your makeup, a body bronzer generally goes away after taking a shower or using body wipes, so it may not ideal for someone who wants a long-lasting tan. That said, body bronzers are notoriously low maintenance. "Body bronzers don’t require any prep for application," Arshad says. "However, before applying self-tanner, it is recommended to exfoliate the skin in order to avoid streaks or color patches."

Regardless of which technique you use, Arshad says it's important to avoid using these techniques on irritated or exposed skin. "No matter how safe a product is, it can delay healing and, worse, cause an infection," she adds.

Like anything else you put on your body, ingredients matter. "Body bronzers can cause skin irritation, so it is important to be mindful of the ingredients involved," Arshad says. Look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid to retain skin moisture, shea butter to moisturize the skin, and vitamin C to help with discoloration and hyperpigmentation."

Oakley, who claims she's tried "every type of body bronzer under the sun" in her line of work, says it's important to double down on formula type. "I love a body bronzer balm because it gives the most glowy appearance, but the downfall is it doesn’t dry down so it tends to get in your hair and on your clothes," she explains. For something more transfer-proof, Oakley recommends a cream or powder.

• Alexis Oakley is a celebrity makeup artist in Los Angeles.
• Samreen Arshad is the founder of Samreen's Vanity.

• The 19 Best Cream Bronzers Worth Adding to Your Makeup Collection
• The 10 Best Tinted Moisturizers with SPF
• 22 Best Moisturizers With SPF for Every Skin Type, According to Dermatologists
• 10 Best Sunscreen Oils to Score a Healthy Glow This Summer
• The 10 Best Face Tanning Drops for an Instant Glow