From 'brontouring' to 'blonzing': Is bronzer the new blush?

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From boho fashion and butterfly clips, to low slung jeans and Lindsay Lohan, the Y2K renaissance continues apace.

It is no wonder then, that a key make-up look from the era is making a stealth return – and may even give blush a run for its money.

Bronzers grew by 15% in value sales during the first half of 2025 in the UK, and were up 8% in Europe, according to Circana.

Across Google and TikTok, face bronzers are averaging 20.4 million monthly views and searches, according to Spate, while product popularity is up 18.2% year-on-year.

Bronzer is also aligned to a number of beauty trends that are gaining ground.

“Safe tanning is definitely feeding interest in bronzers, as consumers are increasingly hyper-aware of the dangers of sun exposure to the skin and prefer to recreate a sun-kissed look via make-up to prevent pigmentation, dryness and irritation,” Maya Regan, Assistant Beauty Trends Editor at Stylus, tells Cosmetics Business.

“Additionally, consumers who opt for a more minimalist look that leans into quiet luxury/demure aesthetics over statement blush colours are drawn more so to softer/earthier hues for the face that can be achieved better with bronzer.”

WGSN Beauty Strategist Megan Bang echoes this:

“Beauty is also leaning into 2010s nostalgia, when bronzer and contouring reigned supreme.

“Today, these products double as ‘notox’ tools, letting consumers sculpt and define without the needle. A renewed interest in tanning is also fuelling demand.”

From 'brontouring' to 'blonzing': Is bronzer the new blush?

Modern formulas

Powder bronzers of the early 2000s are being updated for 2025, as consumers seek out slicker formulas that align with more modern preferences for skin care-fuelled make-up products.

“Following in the footsteps of blush, consumers want a multi-purpose skin care-infused bronzer that hydrates the skin while enhancing the skin’s natural flush,” says Regan.

“Soft and creamy textures are particularly in demand for a blurred and diffused appearance on the skin while delivering ultimate comfort and nourishment.”

A wave of launches this year are demonstrating this. Drops, balms and even jellies are among the formats bringing a modern twist to the category.

Even Benefit’s Hoola, one of the original bronzers of the 2000s, has had a major update for 2025.

The original powder, launched in 2001, still dominates today, ranking as the top brand related to bronzer, according to Spate, with 2.2 million in search popularity, 135% growth year-on-year, and ‘Hoola Bronzer’ searches averaging 12.1k per month.

Kate Helfrich, Benefit’s SVP Global Product & Service Innovation, tells Cosmetics Business:

“Over the years, customers have asked us for more ways to ‘Hoola’. Between the product popularity, customer demand, and the trends we are seeing in the bronzer space now, expanding the franchise was a natural next step.”

Enter Hoola Wave, “a lightweight, buildable, and blendable balm that’s easy to use”, says Helfrich, and “melts instantly into skin for a seamless bronze with no lines, just an effortless, sun-kissed finish”.

She adds: “It is a modern, future-forward texture that works for both loyal fans and those who want to experiment.”

“Consumers expect a lot from their bronzers in 2025” Helfrich explains.

“They want a soft, blendable, ultra-natural look from a high performance product – it needs to be long-wearing, waterproof, have the right skin-loving ingredients, and more.”

Chanel has also given its Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream an upgrade.

The cream-gel bronzer comes in two new shade options: tan light bronze and tan intense deep brown, a deep beige and dark chocolate brown respectively.

After Milk MakeUp’s Jelly Tint Sticks proved a viral hit in the world of blush, Revolution Beauty has taken note, debuting Jelly Bronzer Tints in three shades offering “a sheer and buildable burst of bronze in a bouncy jelly formula”.

BiotechBeauty has unveiled BiomeBronze, with a patent-pending formula packed with skin benefits.

The bronzer and contour stick, available in five shades, is “powered by prebiotics, postbiotics, and biomimetic polypeptides”.

The product claims increased skin barrier strength of 112% in 14 days, improved skin clarity by 30% in 28 days, according to clinical testing, as well as being non-comedogenic, microbiome-friendly and safe for sensitive skin.

“Bronzers are getting the blush treatment, with more inclusive shade ranges that leave the one-size-fits-all formulas of the past behind - Megan Bang, Strategist, WGSN"

Authentic tones

Another high profile launch this year came from Westman Atelier, the make-up and skin care line founded by celebrity make-up artist Gucci Westman, who was prompted to launch a bronzer product that offered authentic tones, the brand’s CMO Kate Weizman tells Cosmetics Business.

“She [Westman] felt she could never find a product that performed to her standards with authentic tones that don’t look orange, but like you just got back from the beach,” says Weizman.

Its Sun Tone Bronzing Drops, which come in four shades, debuted in February and returned in July after selling out.

“Every consumer has their own preferences, but what has been resonating with our community is the lack of shimmer,” says Weizman.

“The hydrating matte formula allows you to create a more natural-looking bronze.”

Where celebrity bronzer looks of the early 2000s were epitomised by the likes of J.Lo and Beyoncé sporting shimmer, famous faces influencing more natural bronzer looks today include Hailey Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, and Selema Gomez.

Gomez’s Rare Beauty is among the brands dominating the category, second only to Benefit in popularity according to Spate, with 874.0k popularity and 21.2% growth year-on-year and interest driven by ‘Rare Beauty bronzer stick’ averaging 3.6k monthly searches.

With the rise of blush, bronzer products look set to follow in its footsteps, growing both popularity and formats.

While #blush maintains higher overall views (30.9 million) than #bronzer (10.9 million views), according to Spate, growth favours the latter, with interest up 76.2% year-on-year for bronzer compared to 36% for blush.

Brontouring and blonzing

New make-up trends and techniques are emerging, emphasising both products in tandem, experts say, spurring continued growth and innovation in the category.

‘Brontouring’ is “everywhere right now” says Helfrich.

“Brontouring is a technique that blends the effects of contour and bronzer in a single step by applying bronzer in the same areas where you typically would apply contour product, creating a sun-kissed glow with a subtle sculpting effect.

“We’re seeing a wave of content creators swapping harsh contour lines for bronzer’s soft warmth and dimension. And, views for #bronzingblush have increased by more than 1,000% this year (source: Spate/TikTok), showing the continued growth and interest in new types of bronzer and application techniques.”

WGSN’s Bang, says: “Blush-bronzer hybrids are emerging too, keeping blush firmly in the spotlight, with ‘blonzing’ poised to become a bigger player in make-up bags. Bronzers are getting the blush treatment, with more inclusive shade ranges... Brands will need to offer a spectrum of tones and undertones to meet evolving consumer expectations.”

Indeed blush formulas provide a lesson in “product development when it comes to more unique sensorial formulas”, Regan says.

“Brands can create a whipped buttery feel by combining powder and liquid for innovative texture, or go down the route of playful jelly textures for a lightweight and sheer but buildable finish. This will provide an engaging wow-factor based on sophisticated finishes and delightful experiences.”

“With bronzers being a key face product, brands also need to cater for demand for climate-adaptive and humidity-proof cosmetics by infusing bronzers with unique technology or powerhouse ingredients for enhanced product performance and solutions to shield/protect against extreme weather,” adds Bang.