The 17 Best Body Highlighters and Bronzers to Make Your Skin Shine Bright Like a Diamond
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Call it body makeup call it a "glotion" (you know: glow + lotion), or call it exactly what you need all year round. Glittery, shimmery body gels and highlighting potions are making their comeback. Instead, the newest in temporary creams and oils lend a fresh-from-the-cabana gleam — a natural, bronzed, or champagne sheen, sometimes with finely milled copper or rose-gold flecks sprinkled across your body. They are just about the closest you will get to bottled sunshine, instantly bringing a luminous look to your skin while smelling just like the island vacation of your dreams (presuming that dream involves coconuts, argan, fresh fruit, and lots of florals).
Before the trend came back to life, we would dip a big face powder brush into my highlighter and cover my face, collarbone, in fact, our entire bodies in it (seriously). After using them summer after summer, we realized that these shimmers work 365 days a year.
Many of these feature skin-nourishing nutrients and emollients that deliver buttery soft texture with your perfected complexion. Plus, each body luminizer only lasts until your next shower, so you can always rinse it off and try something new if one isn't to your liking. Here you will find 17 of our new and tried-and-true favorites, whether you're prepping for summer (some even have sunscreen) or simply want to bring a vacation glow to every other season of the year.
SOL by Jergens Self Tanner Body Bronzer
We love a good drugstore pick up and the SOL by Jergens Self Tanner Body Bronzer is no different. This instant body bronzer gives skin a glowy tint with just a few plumps of its formula. Speaking of, it's made with a blend of coconut water and shea butter to leave skin soft and hydrated all day.
Caliray Just Add Rays Universal Translucent Glow Booster Drops
Caliray's Just Add Rays Universal Translucent Glow Booster Drops aren't your typical lotion but they will give the glow you're looking for when added to whatever moisturizer you have in your medicine cabinet. Just add one or two drops of the lightweight bronzing formula to your cream of choice and slather it on to reveal glowy, silky skin.
Pat McGrath Labs Bridgerton Skintillating Diamond Body Shimmer Powder
Inspired by the hit series Bridgerton, Pat McGrath Labs created the Skintillating Diamond Body Shimmer Powder. This pearlescent powder has a subtle scent that resembles a bouquet of fresh flowers and a body puff for clean application.
Uoma Beauty Black Magic Carnival Face & Body Bronzing Highlighter
Uoma Beauty's Black Magic Carnival Face & Body Bronzing Highlighter comes in a large pan so it's easy to grab a generous amount of the pigment for all-over body application. This glittery formula is available in two hues: Barbados, a warm bronze with golden shimmer, and Notting Hill, a golden shade with pink shimmer. Both colors smell like coconut so it's vacay vibes every time you apply.
About-Face Light Lock Illuminating Body
Yes, the About-Face Light Lock Illuminating Body will give you an insane glow with each of its five color-shifting shades. But, what you might not know is that it'll also act as a concealer and blur out any scars you want to cover up, thanks to the mica present in the formula. Not to mention, this liquid illuminator is buildable so you can take your glow from subtle to the extreme in no time.
Supergoop Glowscreen Body SPF 40
Glow and protection? Sign us up. Supergoop's Glowscreen Body SPF 40 has a pearlescent finish that gives a subtle hint of shimmer to the skin while you're out in the sun. Plus, it's loaded with white stargrass to brighten and coconut alkanes that lock hydration into the skin.
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil
A cool hundred bucks may seem like a stretch for a bottle of body oil, but hear me out. This super-luxe shimmering oil makes you glow and keeps your skin feeling silky smooth, and it smells like a bouquet of white florals. Did I mention it won a Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2019? Yes, it's that good.
Cay Skin Isle Glow Body Lotion SPF 45
Cay Skin's Isle Glow Body Lotion SPF 45 features an array of skin-nourishing ingredients like sea moss and nectar for hydration and moisture, while cocoa seed butter helps even the texture of your skin.
Kora Organics Noni Glow Body Oil
The Kora Organics Noni Glow Body Oil is one of the most effective organic body shimmers on the market. This clean, Best of Beauty-winning formula delivers a golden glow while deeply hydrating skin with sunflower, desert date, and rosehip oils.
St. Tropez Tanning Essentials One Night Only Finishing Body Gloss
The St. Tropez Tanning Essentials One Night Only Finishing Body Gloss is the tube that you pick up whether you want your skin to have a slight glow or to be full-blown bronze. The glittery lotion builds up your tan just the way you like it — while giving your skin just the slightest shine.
Patrick Ta Major Glow Body Oil
Patrick Ta's Major Glow Body Oil is a 2020 Best of Beauty winner, and for good reason. Not only does this make your body glow like no other, but its oil-based formula also helps keep skin extremely hydrated. The formula's olive oil and hydrating squalane allow skin to stay moisturized without excess greasiness. This oil is available in three shades, A Vision (rose), A Dream (champagne pictured above), and A Moment (bronze).
Huda Beauty N.Y.M.P.H. All-Over Body Highlighter
Huda Beauty's N.Y.M.P.H. All-Over Body Highlighter all-over body highlighter is the definition of blinding. Apply it to the points you want to emphasize, allowing the sun and/or lighting to reflect off of it. Available in three shades: Luna (a white-gold shimmer with hints of rose gold and silver), Aphrodite (a golden-bronze shimmer for a true golden finish), and Aurora (a warm, coppery shimmer with rich golden pearls). Say hello to extreme glow on all bodies, for all skin tones.
PS: If you are wondering what N.Y.M.PH stands for, it's Not Your Mama's Panty Hose, which simply means this body shimmer is so good that you can skip pantyhose.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Shimmer Body Oil
The Anastasia Beverly Hills Shimmer Body Oil spreads evenly, delivering an effortless glow and sheen to the skin. This lightweight oil features pearlescent reflects that come off golden with subtle shimmer. Not to mention, the tropical coconut-vanilla scent is just divine.
Fenty Beauty Body Lava
Fenty Beauty's Body Lava is the body illuminator that flew off the shelves in its first week. The gel slicks across skin to give it an evenly dispersed shimmer for an ethereal glow in the sunlight. Rihanna told Vogue that this highlighter was inspired by her trips to Barbados, where she would make her own body makeup by mixing oil and crushed eye shadows that she would keep in a cup and use during her stay.
Nars Monoi Body Oil
The Nars Monoi Body Oil is more of a glow oil than glow lotion, this might be one of the first body shimmers to launch that wasn't made for tweens. The key ingredient is monoi oil (a Polynesian coconut extract mixed with tiare flower) that moisturizes skin while leaving it smelling like sweet gardenia and leaves a glimmering gold tint that could make J.Lo jealous.
Charlotte Tilbury Supermodel Body
The name says it all. After you swipe on Charlotte Tilbury's Supermodel Body Skin via the cooling metal applicator, your skin will look more supple (that's the caffeine and shitake extract working), smooth (caffeine, again, perks skin right up), and highlighted in all the right places (that's the mica).
