We Tried Glossier’s New Bronzer & It’s Summer In A Tube

New Glossier alert: the beauty startup's first-ever bronzer has officially touched down online. Dare we say, hot vax summer is *officially* a go? Solar Paint is (as its name would suggest) a liquid bronzer that melts into the skin leaving a pearly sheen and dewy finish. Lest you think this is Glossier's take on dramatic contour, think again! A few drops of Solar Paint dotted onto the cheekbones doesn't dramatically change your bone structure, it leaves you looking sunkissed and fresh off a beach trip to Cabo — aka it's summer in a tube. Available in four shades ranging from Flare (a light, neutral bronze) to Volt (a lustrous copper with red undertones), the tube features a doe-foot applicator so you can apply the gel-crème formula with precision. (Props to Glossier for knowing that bronzers aren't a one-shade-fits-all dealio.) At $20, it's an upgrade from the drugstore section and feels like it. A few drops offer a subtle glow, but heat can be turned up by building up coverage. Before you hit add to cart, get up close and personal with four R29 editors who tested the stuff out ahead of the major summer launch.

“If you like Glossier-brand makeup and cream bronzers in general, you’ll probably like Solar Paint. I’m wearing Ray, and I find it to be both pigmented and blendable. With the doe-foot wand — similar to the Lidstar eyeshadow — I can just dot a little on my cheeks, across the bridge of my nose, over my eyelids, and by my hairline to contour my forehead, and the brown shade reads as a believable tan. There is a little bit of shimmer in the formula, but I don’t really mind because my skin is really dry and I usually dab a little bit of cream highlighter right on top of my bronzer anyways.” – Megan Decker, Beauty Editor

"I use bronzer almost every day to add a hint of dimension and to generally warm up my skin. Since I have oily skin, I'm pretty devoted to powder formulas for their finish and longevity, but I was seriously impressed by Solar Paint's liquid formula. I expected it to be very sheer, but the pigmentation was on point. I blended Ray and Heat to create a custom bronzer shade for my light-medium olive skin, and applied it with my fingers it on my cheekbones and eyelids for a tonal moment. The shimmery, liquid-topaz finish makes me feel like I'm on vacation, even when I'm, well, not." – Karina Hoshikawa, Beauty & Wellness Writer

"I think that bronzer is blush’s sexier cousin — with blush I like to look innocent and cute, but with bronzer, I want a sultry and subtle glowy look. My go-to is Hourglass' Ambient Bronzer and this Glossier bronzer definitely measures up! It's much darker than my skin tone so I was nervous about harsh lines but it blended seamlessly, left a lovely natural sheen, and I actually noticed a difference (which can be rare on Black skin). My foundation-only face went from lackluster to sun-kissed in seconds. To Black girls with a similar complexion, I recommend it!" – Alexandra Polk, Associate Lifestyle Writer

"After blending it in, besides my cheeks appearing slightly darker, it didn’t seem to do much at first. However, I added a little more and loved it. I blended to get a nice shimmery mocha, blush-like color. I was curious how it’d looked on my eyelids and lips as well, so I applied a little there too. I kinda love how it gave my whole face a subtle glow. As far as cheek application goes though, I did add a little more than I thought I would to get the desired effect, so keep that in mind if you decide to try it out or not." – Chichi Offor, Associate Affiliate Writer