Battle of the Bronzers: 4 of the Best and Worst Physicians Formula Bronzer Review

I think my favorite makeup items are bronzers. I love the beautiful, luminous glow that bronzers give your skin and how they can make your skin look healthy. Because of this, I’m always on the hunt for a nice, affordable bronzer. When combing through the isles of the drugstore looking for bronzers, I always seem to stop by Physicians Formula. Not only do they have eye-catching packaging, but their products are also organic and cruelty-free, which is ALWAYS a bonus in my opinion. However, even those these bronzers can be found in the drugstore, they’re a little on the pricier side and usually range from $12-$18! In this post, I hope to save you the hassle and money by providing a comprehensive review comparing 4 of their bronzers. Let’s get started with today’s BREAKDOWN.

Bronze Booster Glow Boosting Airbrushing Bronzing Veil Deluxe Edition

What a mouthful! This bronzer claims to give you a skin perfecting finish, melt into the skin providing a glow-from-within, extend the life of your tan glow, and improve the skin’s clarity and radiance. So given this description, I had somewhat high expectations. Overall, I feel like this bronzer does make my skin look more radiant and it’s pretty but boy is this bronzer shimmery! This product did come with a glittery overspray when I first bought it, which does go away, however you’re still left with a pretty shimmery cheek product. This is not my go-to bronzer for the day time, since in the sun I look like a disco ball with this on, however, it gives a nice glow when I wear this at night. This bronzer is also a bit on the orange-y side, so I’d recommend going with the lighter shade of this bronzer if you have a fair complexion.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The beauty breakdown bronzer air brushing boosting booster happy glow organic

You can see that in the swatch on my wrist, the shimmer does transfer.

Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Illuminating Bronzing Veil

According to the Physicians Formula website, this bronzer contains their happy boosting blend of HappySkin and Euphoryl, which mimic the effect of endorphins. Although I don’t necessarily believe there is some type of chemical change in my brain that makes me happier when I apply this product, I do like the fact it’s shaped like hearts. That, in itself, makes me happy. It also has a nice, light smell of Violet which I find pleasant. As far as the actual product goes, this is also a shimmery bronzer, however, it’s not as shimmery as the bronzer above. This bronzer has a nice, light shimmer that gives a glow to the skin. It’s also a little light on my skin tone, so I have to apply this with a heavy hand. This is nice for those days I don’t want to look like I’m wearing a ton of makeup, but I just want to warm my skin up a little bit.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Les Botaniques Botanical Face Powder Bronzer

Out of all the bronzers I have from this brand, this one is my least favorite. It claims to warm up the complexion with a natural glow, which it does… however I have to apply a ton of it to even show up. The pigmentation is so light! It also claims to have sunflower extracts which protect from free radicals. I don’t know if I necessarily believe this because at the end of the day, it is a just a bronzer. However, if it is protecting my skin from free radicals, that’s great! I just won’t depend on it doing that. Overall, this bronzer just sits in the back of my makeup collection. I’ll probably give it to someone who has a lighter skin ton than me and see if it works for them.

Rating: 1 out of 5

pH Matchmaker Powder Bronzer

This is my favorite bronzer out of all 4. I reach for this almost every day and love the effect it gives my skin. It applies very evenly and makes my complexion look warm without looking like I’m wearing a ton of makeup. It’s perfect for everyday use. It does have some shimmer, which doesn’t transfer heavily to the skin. I’m not sure if this bronzer will look differently on everyone because it is supposed to adjust to the pH of your skin, however, if you’re in the market for a new bronzer, I’d definitely check this one out!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Here are the swatches of the bronzers on my skin! From left to right: pH Matchmaker Powder Bronzer, Les Botaniques Botanical Face Bronzer, Happy Glow Boosting Bronzer, Bronze Booster Glow Boosting Airbrushing Bronzing Veil.

Conclusion: My favorite is definitely the pH Matchmaker Bronzer. Although I do like the first two bronzers, they are a little shimmery and for some people, that might be a deal breaker. They’re also not must-haves, but something I like to keep around and wear when I feel like wearing a bronzer with a bit more glow.

But Morgan…is it worth the money?

For how long these last, Yes. I would definitely try to buy them when they’re on sale though. Ulta always has promotional coupons you can use on these products and I’ve noticed every once and while, CVS will have a 40% of Physicians Formula makeup. So keep your eyes open for those! Also, Physicians Formula products sometimes have a coupon right on the packaging that you can use when you buy it!

Have you ever tried any of Physicians Formula Bronzers? Do you have any other personal recommendations of other Physicians Formula products?

xoxo, Morgan