THE BRONZER GUIDE

Skin with a golden, beachy hue is a quintessential sign of a summer spent basking in the sun. But just because you want to protect against UVA/UVB damage doesn’t mean you have to go without. With the right bronzer, you can have that refreshed, just-returned-from-vacation glow – even when sunshine is in short supply.

You’ll be most successful with bronzer if you choose the right shade. This will take a little bit of playing around. Test out different bronzers on your skin. You’re looking for one just a couple shades deeper than your skin tone. Many of the same principles for selecting foundation apply to selecting bronzer – for blondes whose skin tends to have cooler undertones; you’ll want a bronzer with a pink base Like Lorac Bronzer in Warm Glow.  For brunettes and those with warmer skin tones, a bronzer with an orange base, like Smashbox Green Room Bronzer will be more flattering and easier to blend into your skin.

How you prep skin for bronzer depends upon your skin type. Most bronzers are powder formulas, so you’ll want to avoid anything that can contribute to streaking or blotchiness before applying. The biggest culprit for those issues is excess moisture on the face, so while we always recommend using a moisturizer with SPF, be sure you allow time for it to be absorbed into your skin before you apply makeup. A very light coat of translucent powder will do away with dewiness before putting on bronzer, and if your skin tends to be on the oily side, it’s also a great way to avoid blotchy patches.

If your skin is dry, you may want to use a cream to powder primer to keep color in place. Avoid liquid primers for this, as only the thinnest and most even layer will dry reliably enough for bronzer application. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer is a great choice – an astonishingly lightweight gel that immediately turns into soft, invisible powder on the skin. Once skin is primed, you’ll be ready for the bronzer brush.

There are some times when it just won’t do to put on product with your fingertips, and applying bronzer is one of them. These products call for a nice, fluffy brush to create an even, glowy wash of color. If you already have a medium-sized blush brush, that will work fine, just clean your other powder off of it by dusting it firmly on a clean dry tissue.

Begin application with a smile. This will make the apples of your cheeks stand out, and make it easier to highlight your cheekbones. Then take time to consider the places on your face that naturally get color from the sun; the top part of the apples of your cheeks and just above the cheekbone, the bridge of the nose, the top of the forehead near the hairline –then very lightly swipe these places with a dusting of color. You can build the look from there, but periodically check your reflection in natural daylight to keep from getting carried away. Then it’s time for blush. A common bronzer myth is that it eliminates the need for any other color on the face. A quick review of the most popular bronzer compacts will disprove that. One of our favorites, the Sugar Tropic Tan Blush & Bronzer Face Duo is a great example of this. It features a warm, shimmery bronze alongside a peachy pink. This combination gives your skin a more complex color and brightens it instantly. Apply a dusting of blush to the apples of your cheeks, and blend the rosy shade into the bronze one with a fingertip. Sweep some blush just beneath the cheekbone and blend. The combination of shades should look natural, healthy, and gorgeous.

Following these steps, you’ll have an effortless glow that gives your blush a little something extra.