Fenty’s New Soufflé Bronzer Is Basically Permanent Golden Hour

Working in beauty means I’m in a constant state of product overload. Right now, my apartment contains enough makeup to stock a small Sephora, and every week brings a new launch that promises to completely change my routine — whether it actually does, though, is another story.

Beauty editors love to say they’re “hard to impress,” but for me, that means a product has to outperform something I already love. Considering my everyday rotation is pretty locked in at this point, the just-nice ones rarely make it past the testing phase. When the new Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Soufflé Bronzer came across my desk, though, it felt like a legitimate contender. Rihanna doesn’t miss when it comes to complexion products (Fenty’s contour stick is my fave of all time), but I’ve also been using the same bronzer for years. Could this one dethrone it?

After a week of testing, the cream-to-powder formula has officially won me over. Not only is the playdough-like texture fun to play with (and shatter-proof, might I add), but it melts into the skin, leaving a blurred, sun-kissed finish that doesn’t look muddy or streaky. Ahead, everything to know about the launch that pushed my longtime go-to out of rotation.

Fast Facts

• Price: $39
• Best for: Buildable warmth with a blurred, suede-like finish.
• Rating: 5/5
• What I like: It doesn’t look orange and blends out without tons of buffing.

The Sun Stalk’r Soufflé Bronzer

If you watched the Met Gala closely this year, you’ve already seen Fenty Beauty’s Sun Stalk’r Soufflé Bronzer in action. Rihanna wore the new formula ahead of its May 15 launch, and, even beyond her usual red carpet magic, her makeup looked exceptionally good — bronzed and softly diffused around the edges.

That suede finish, which reads soft matte with a little glow peeking through, really comes down to the cream-to-powder formula. Inspired by the airy, bouncy textures popular in K-beauty blush formulas, the bronzer has a soft cream consistency that transforms into a powdery finish on the skin.

Compared to similar cushiony formulas, like MAC’s Glow Play Blush and Glossier’s Cloud Paint Plush Blush, Fenty’s new bronzer feels slightly creamier in the pan. Once it’s on the skin, though, it behaves more like a powder (albeit with extra blendability), which makes the sweat-resistant, long-wearing, blurring claims feel pretty believable.

It comes in eight shades, ranging from light neutrals to deeper golden undertones. And of course, packaging isn’t everything, but the glossy tortoiseshell compact it comes in does make pulling it out of your makeup bag feel a little more luxurious.

The Review

Usually, bronzer takes way more effort than I’d like. By the time I’ve buffed out harsh lines, I could’ve just gone outside and gotten an actual tan — but this one streamlined the whole process.

Instead of my usual fluffy brush, I’ve been using a denser one — namely, the new Fenty Blending Brush 185 — because I found that it picks up the creamy pigment better. With one layer, it gives you really believable warmth. But even when I built it up, it melted into the rest of my makeup. The hybrid formula diffuses on contact, so the edges looked soft without much effort. In total, it took under a minute to apply, which I’m not mad about.

Most importantly, though, was the finish. My forehead tends to get oily about halfway through the day — despite my best efforts to control it — but this bronzer didn’t let up. It didn’t look too matte against the rest of my dewy makeup, but it did add an airbrushed effect that made everything look smoother and more pulled-together. I’m the kind of person who likes to sweep whatever bronzer I’m using onto my eyelids, and this worked well just smudging it on with my fingertips because it blends out so easily.

The Verdict

It’s not enough for a product to be innovative — it has to actually live up to the hype. And, in the case of Fenty’s new Sun Stalk’r Soufflé Bronzer, it absolutely does.

At the risk of sounding dramatic, it’s kind of ruined other bronzers for me. One of the biggest reasons is the undertone: What you see in the pan is actually what shows up on your face. Instead of oxidizing into something orange or muddy, the color stayed soft and sun-kissed all day.

Not to mention, the formula also delivered on the long-wear claims. I usually sweat my makeup off on the subway during my morning commute, but this stayed put. Even when the rest of my face started getting oilier, the bronzer blurred my pores while also adding believable warmth.

Between the staying power and the foolproof blending, it’s one of the few bronzers I’ve tried recently that made my routine easier. And if I’m officially retiring my old bronzer because of it, that’s saying something.