I’m a fan of bronzer: my skin tends to be a little prone to pinkness and so I often use a gold-toned powder instead of an ordinary blush. It’s also great for creating an instant sun-kissed glow, and for defining cheekbones and warming up a pallid complexion. Unfortunately, however, bronzer is frequently misused: I’m sure we’ve all seen a girl with enormous orange stripes smeared down her cheek bones. To help you to avoid this fate for yourself, I’ve consulted the experts and put together this list of 8 tips to apply bronzer like a pro.
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1. Get the Light Right
Always, and I means always, apply your bronzer in front of a mirror that is well lit by natural light. Under the glow from an artificial bulb, you will invariably find yourself layering on more powder than you need to.
2. Tone up
It is important that you find the correct shade of bronze for your complexion. If it’s too light, it won’t do anything for you, but if it’s too dark, the effect can be quite alarming: remember, we’re not looking to turn our faces orange, but to subtly highlight and define our bone structure. Experts suggest you try to go for a shade that matches the colour of your naturally tanned skin.
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3. Get a Big Brush
Well applied bronzer lends a warm glow to the face. In order to achieve this, it’s important that you don’t sweep it on in defined lines with a narrow applicator. Instead, opt for a big, soft, rounded brush: this will ensure that the powder is dispersed softly and evenly across your cheekbones.
4. Lay the Foundations
Especially if you are prone to an oily skin, make up artists suggest that you should always apply a light translucent powder foundation before you get on with brushing on your bronzer. This will get rid of any excess oil or unabsorbed moisturiser which would otherwise interfere with a smooth, even application.
5. Tap
After you have coated your bronzer brush with product, always make sure that you tap off the excess. If you fail to do this, you will invariably end up with a result that is too dramatic: remember the key to good bronzer really is subtlety.
6. Location Location Location
With light, long strokes, gently brush your bronzer onto the areas of your face that would ordinarily catch the sun. Pay the most attention to your cheekbones, but remember to (very subtly) dab your forehead, the bridge of your nose and your jaw line as well.
7. Blend
Once you have finished with your application, check very carefully in the mirror to make sure that you haven’t been too heavy handed, and that there is no striping on your cheeks or blotching on your forehead. If you do find imperfections anywhere, blend these gently with a cotton pad until they disappear.
8. Fix
Using a very light translucent powder and a large round brush, set your make up by lightly dusting your entire face. This will help to prevent wear and smudging, and will also further tone down any ‘orangeness’.
Bronzer is fabulous stuff, but it’s not as easy to get right as you would imagine. The key is to be as subtle as you possibly can and to use a good quality product designed to suit your skin tone. That concludes my list of 8 tips to apply bronzer like a pro: do you have any of your own to contribute?
Top Photo Credit: Natali@