The wrong shade of bronzer will look really obvious on a pale-skinned girl. What you need is one that's only a little darker than your skin, maybe one or two shades. You also need a bronzer with beige, pink or gold undertones rather than terracotta. Another good option is a bronzer that mixes several shades, as that can look very good on pale skin.

If you're short on space or money, you might think of doubling up your makeup brushes and using your blusher or powder brush. Uh-oh! That's really running the risk of getting the dreaded clown look, as you could end up mixing the bronzer with any leftover blush on the brush. Get a brush especially for applying bronzer.

A pale girl also needs to be very light with her application of bronzer. Just as you would with powder or blusher, tap the brush to remove excess product. Then start applying it lightly; you can always apply more. It's better to build up the bronzer slowly than overdo it and have to start again.

If you're tempted to try to warm up your pale complexion with a liberal dose of bronzer all over, put down your brush! It's important to apply bronzer in the right place, and where that is depends on the type you use. There are two types on the market, shimmer and matt bronzer; each should be applied as follows ...

If you pick a shimmer bronzer, it should be applied as you would a highlighter. With these products you want to give the impression of your skin having a natural glow, so you need to apply the bronzer where your skin would naturally catch the sun. This is the bridge of the nose, along your cheekbones, and on your temples.

Matt bronzer, on the other hand (or cheek), can be used more to contour your face. This type of bronzer should be applied in the shape of a number 3. Confusing? Not really. Just imagine drawing a 3 on your face, starting in the middle of your forehead and sweeping round the side to your cheekbones, then round again to your chin. That's where your matt bronzer should go.

If you want to tone your bronzer down and get a really subtle glow, grab your translucent powder. If you've applied a matt bronzer, dusting a little translucent powder on top will let just a hint of the bronzer shine through. This is a really good trick for girls who have super-pale skin and just want a very slight lift.

So don't be put off by the name 'bronzer' and think it's not for you if you're pale! Do you have any other tips for brightening up your skin?