Tarte Cream Bronzer Review: My Honest Review - Glamour 'n Glow (2024)

Tarte is one of the biggest beauty brands, as far as natural brands are concerned. They offer a wide variety of products, such as their bronzers.

Their Breezy Cream Bronzer is especially popular and is on their bestseller list. We all know how cream bronzers are popular — I mean, who doesn’t love that bronzer glow? I know I do! Unlike powder bronzers, cream bronzers are much easier to blend and give that beautiful, sun-kissed glow to the skin that’s perfect for the summer (or any time of the year you want that glow).

I’m a huge fan of powder bronzers, and I couldn’t wait to try this cream bronzer! Will the Tarte Cream Bronzer live up to the hype, give me glowing, sun-kissed skin? I have tested tried a ton of bronzers in my life; I’m a skincare and makeup freak, so let’s get to my full Tarte Cream Bronzer review…

The Tarte Cream Bronzer Features

• The cream formula that dries down to a matte bronzer
• Soft and blendable formula
• Made with great ingredients, such as marine plants, which softens skins and reduces the look of wrinkles
• Slip grip technology that ensures the bronzer will last all-day

Pros

• Great for both contour and getting that sunkissed glow
• Applies smoothly
• Looks natural

Cons

• Wish they had a better color selection. Even Seychelles was too dark and orange on me.
• To avoid looking too orange, I had to use less bronzer

The Tarte Cream Bronzer Shade I Bought: Seychelles

Tarte’s Breezy Cream Bronzer is available in three shades: Seychelles, Grace Bay, and Sunset Beach. The last two colors are very deep while Seychelles is the color of a traditional bronzer, though I think it looks a bit too orange. Seychelles is sold out on the Tarte website as of writing, but I was able to find it on the Sephora website.

As stated previously, Seychelles is a golden color that’s made with light-to-medium skin tones. I argue it’s still too dark for light skin tones. This wouldn’t bother me because I like the contoured look. But what gets me is this bronzer is way too orange. It could also be the intense pigment that made me have to blend this like crazy.

Reading other reviewers, they’re stating this color looks very similar to the sun-flushed look. I do agree, but I think this bronzer still looks better on tanned skin as opposed to super pale skin (which is what I have).

What I do like is the matte color. It has no shimmer, so the final result is very natural.

Formula

One thing I do like about this product is the formula. It’s very soft and glides on effortlessly. Even the cream formula doesn’t feel too liquidy or heavy on the skin. Some reviewers said it’s perfect when applying with a brush, but I used my fingertips and blended with a foundation brush and concealer — will go over this more in the next section.

Application

As stated previously, I usually use powder bronzers. It didn’t take me long to realize my powder bronzer brush would not suffice on a cream bronzer. What I did instead was use my fingertips to apply the bronzer to my brow bone and up to the outer corner of my eyebrow.

The picture here shows the bronzer not blended. I didn’t do the full “3” technique because I quickly noticed this bronzer was too dark/orange for my skin and less is more in this context. Always apply this bronzer after foundation/concealer and before powder for best results.

From here, I applied concealer (my skin’s shade) on the tops of my cheekbones and at my jawline. I blended the concealer first with my foundation brush and then buffed out the bronzer. I finished by applying translucent powder and buffing out the bronzer more with a powder brush. The result is a subtle sun-kissed shadow that gave my cheeks more color than anything.

If you don’t wish to apply this bronzer with your fingertips, I suggest using a flat or contoured sculpting brush. Tarte also sells a corresponding bronzer brush. I may try and apply this bronzer again with a stippling foundation brush I never use. While I understand it’s not the best brush for bronzer, it does have the perfect shape and will blend the pigment well.

Longevity

I wore this bronzer before friends came over for the night. Surprisingly, the bronzer lasted all night. Even though I really toned the bronzer down and blended it like crazy, it was still visible all night. Tarte even says this bronzer is waterproof. I never tried this out, but other reviewers said they have and the bronzer still didn’t budge.

While many reviewers said the bronzer looked glowy on them, I think I blended it so much to where you didn’t see a glow. Rather, you saw a subtle hint of sun-kissed gold on my cheeks. Because of its matte formula, it didn’t look wet and the bronzer even looked natural on my super pale skin.

Packaging and Price

The product comes in a lovely light blue compact. It’s easy to open and close and it’s completely portable. I’m not too keen on the price (I paid $38 CAD at Sephora, so it’s probably $30 USD) but a little bit definitely goes a long way. That and you get lots of product.

Who Should Use This Product

First and foremost, if you love cream bronzer, this is likely a product you’ve been looking for. This bronzer is easy to apply, blend, and has a matte finish that’s very natural-looking. I think I’m going to stick to my powder bronzer, though.

This is also a good bronzer if you have dry skin. If powder bronzers tend to look too chalky, this cream bronzer still has a matte finish without the cakiness. I’m not sure if this bronzer is good for oily/combination skin, though. I have normal-to-dry skin so I really liked this formula.

I also suggest Seychelles and the other colors for those with darker skin. At the least, you should have a tan to use these products. I wish there was a lighter bronzer for my pale skin.

Above all, someone experienced with bronzer should use this product. Powder bronzers are easier for beginners.

Alternatives to Tarte Cream Bronzer

Cream bronzer is a popular product, and there are other options out there. I will even recommend my favorite bronzer.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil

This is my ultimate HG bronzer. It has a beautiful matte, natural finish that lasts all day. It’s also infused with real cocoa powder and smells like chocolate! I use both the Chocolate (original) color and the Milk Chocolate (lighter) color. For me, Chocolate is better for contouring and Milk Chocolate is better for a natural sun-kissed look.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer

If you do like the Breezy Cream Bronzer but aren’t a big fan of the cream formula, I suggest trying Tarte’s powder bronzer formula. The Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer is especially popular because it has a beautiful glow and a matte finish. You can use it to contour or add warmth to your skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer

I’ve never used this product but hear so much about Charlotte Tilbury. I really like this bronzer because there are multiple shade options. That and the lightest one is very pretty. This is a matte bronzer that will give you that sun-kissed look, though is very soft and natural.

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer

This is another lovely bronzer that I absolutely love. It’s an award-winning bronzer that will give you a sunkissed glow, no matter your skin color. While the typical Hoola shade can work with lighter skin colors, I suggest Hoola Light if you want something natural-looking.

Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Bronzer

Even for $5, the Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Bronzer is a long-lasting bronzer that will make your skin look luminous.

While I wouldn’t recommend using this as a contour shade, it’s a great bronzer if you want that sunkissed glow all year. It’s a gel-based formula, so it applies like a cream and sets like a powder. It’s available in multiple shades and I recommend this if you want a budget version of Breezy Cream Bronzer.

MAC Bronzing Powder

I have been into MAC lately, and this bronzer looks lovely. This is a subtle bronzer that gives your complexion a natural bronzed sheen. It’s great for accentuating a tan or if you want to add some color to pale skin. It applies evenly and blends flawlessly. This seems like a good daily bronzer.

Tarte Cream Bronzer Review: Bottomline

The Tarte Breezy Cream Bronzer has been getting a lot of hype lately. I do love how blendable it is and how it has a natural finish. Since it’s a matte bronzer, you can also use it for contouring.

I just wish they had a better color selection. Seychelles was too dark and orange for my pale skin. I want to like it, but I may experiment with the Breezy Cream Bronzer some more to give it a second chance. But I have a feeling I will just stick to my Too Faced bronzer.