As you’re probably all aware by now, I’m a huge sunscreen advocate however that doesn’t mean that I don’t like a golden glow on my face, especially when I’m looking a bit peaky. To get a subtle glow without the sun damage I regularly turn to a bronzer; for both myself and my clients. Luckily, gone are the days when we just slapped some brownish-orange powder all over our face and called that ‘bronze’. What were we thinking??? Bronzer application techniques and products have improved massively over the years and so read on for the new way to apply bronzer for a truly natural look.
Find the right shade
The first step to perfect bronzer application is to choose the right colour. Look for one that’s two to three shades warmer than your skin and is more golden-hued than brown or orange. Personally I prefer multi tonal bronzers such as Jane Iredale’s So-Bronze Bronzing Powders. You can bronze, contour and highlight with these light-diffusing, long-lasting powders and they come in 3 shades to suit everyone.
So Bronze 1 looks great on fair skin; So Bronze 2 works well on medium and olive skin tones and So Bronze 3 gives darker complexions a lit-from-within effect. ( I also like to use these on summer holiday eyes!!!)
For very fair skin or when I want a touch of a glow but ‘ want to be too bronzed goddess I turn to my all time favourite bronzer and highlighter palette: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and glow. The bronzer is a blend of pearl and pigment to help contour your face and mimic that sun-kissed skin without looking fake!
Go easy on the glitz
Makeup artists (including myself) agree that you don’t want an over-the-top glittery bronzer (no matter how old you are) but at the same time, “skin has an intrinsic brightness that you won’t get from a matte bronzer. For a balance I also use bronzers such as Jane Iredale’s Moonglow Bronzer which has a slight shimmer that boost radiance without looking overly sparkly or utterly drab.
Pick a formula
In my years of experience I have found a powder bronzer is easier to control and blend, and it’s less likely to leave streaks. I usually dust a light layer of a neutral or translucent face powder on first so that the bronzer goes on smoothly and doesn’t deposit too much color. I always add a little then step back to have a look as you can always add more but it is very difficult to remove without spoiling the rest of your makeup.
Know where to glow
Bronzer isn’t meant to be used all over the face and isn’t a replacement for a tan. Bronzer should give you a natural warmth to your skin rather than making you look like you’ve been on holiday for a fortnight!
As a rule of thumb, focus your application where the sunlight naturally hits your face; the apples of the cheeks, center of the forehead, down the nose, your cheek bones, the temples and jawline and finally on your collar bones. For a delicate more natural application, use a big, soft fluffy brush. (Original photo can be found at Pinterest)
I hope this encourages you to try bronzer again after we have steered clear of it for many years.
If you have any other useful tips that I can add to this post, please post a comment or comment on this post on my Facebook page. All additions will be credited.
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Claire xx
