Bronzers, the makeup item traditionally applied to give a sun kissed tan/glow, have been the latest complexion product to add new, deeper shades.
The market has expanded its shade range when it comes to foundation and concealer, but in recent years, bronzer has become the latest complexion product to be expanded. From Fenty Beauty debuting with eight Sun Stalk’r Bronzers back in 2019 to Benefit’s infamous Hoola Bronzer doing a shade expansion in the past few years, to drugstore options such as the Black Radiance True Complexion Contour Palette expanding their shade range recently as well- there’s been an uptick in the number of bronzing products dark-skinned makeup users have to choose from- and it’s about time.
What are bronzers? According to Adore Beauty AU, bronzers are used to, “emulate a sun-kissed glow and enhance a tan – it’s also a great way to make your skin look radiant and healthy.” Bronzers come in several different forms, similar to that of contour (which is used to sculpt and add dimension to the face). These forms include liquid, cream, and gel, but most commonly- powder.
How do bronzers differ from the traditional contour? Contour has been more traditionally used, in the case of “Instagram makeup” in particular. However, bronzers have been used by makeup artists and casual makeup users alike to give a warm tanned glow to the skin.
Contours work with dark and light colors, in order to provide the effect of a more chiseled, or the term used in recent pop culture, “snatched” appearance. They can, and are, often used in conjunction with each other to provide a balanced look of chiseled and bronzed.
Instagram influencer Ofunne Amaka who goes by the name Cocoa Swatches, has displayed and reviewed products online for years. She specializes in showcasing the latest in launches as it pertains to the makeup community, namely for dark-skinned people. Cocoa Swatches has a segment on her Instagram page in which she displays the “best in” a particular makeup category.
Recently, she’s made it a point to recognize that the “best in” bronzers, or her particular bronzer favorites, happen to all be black-owned. I’ve taken a number of her suggestions in building up my makeup collection as a whole but particularly in the area of complexion, and have found a number of my bronzers of choice to be black-owned as well.
Juvia’s Place, a Nigerian-owned makeup company founded in 2016 by Chichi Eburu, is one of the latest brands to release a relatively popular bronzer, the “Bronzed Duo Bronzer.” They initially made noise for their colorful makeup palettes that repeatedly went viral on the internet, from YouTube to Instagram to Twitter. They’re also known for their I Am Magic Velvety Matte Foundation having forty-two shades that begin with the deepest dark shade and end in the lightest shade, similar to Fenty Beauty’s notorious Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation lineup.
The Bronzed Duo comes in five shades, beginning with Deep Dark and ending in Light. I have yet to get my hands on this product to review it for myself but definitely plan to as I have several options to choose from, which means a lot being a dark-skinned makeup lover. Prime Beauty and Mented Cosmetics are also up-and-coming black-owned makeup brands that have bronzer collections catering to deeper-toned people.
All in all, while the bronzer expansions have been lovely to see as a makeup consumer, there’s no denying that these options should’ve been made available to dark skinned people years ago. While makeup companies play catchup, it’s pleasing to see all individuals have the ability to indulge in the latest makeup trends and to be able to achieve a full face!