Most of us thought bronzer was the greatest thing to hit the market since sliced bread and flocked to the makeup isles to purchase our own ‘tan in a jar’. I was delighted to discover that I could have a sun-kissed look without enduring the harmful rays of the sun or tanning bed, but it soon became obvious that applying bronzer to achieve a healthy looking glow was going to take some practice and finesse, so I turned to the good folks at CoverGirl for help. I learned the top six mistakes women make when applying bronzer and how to fix the mistakes and achieve a sun kissed glow.
Choose the Right Color
Most women choose the wrong color of bronzer, thinking that darker is better as it will give a sexy tan look. That’s not the look presented if the bronzer has the wrong undertones and has been applied with a heavy hand. Choose the shade of bronzer the same way you choose makeup foundation, to match your natural skin tones. Never choose a bronzer that is darker than your skin would naturally become after two weeks in the sun and never apply bronzer so thick that you can’t see freckles through it.
Don’t Wear A Bronze Mask
Bronzer should be applied only to the spots on the face where the sun would hit: the bridge of the nose, apples of the cheeks and around the hairline. Applying bronzer all over the face gives the appearance of a bronze mask, not a natural sun kissed look.
Apply Bronzer in Natural Light
The way bronzer looks on your face under a dim bathroom light will be totally different than the look in natural light. Apply bronzer in natural light, like near a window, for best results.
Easy Does It
Apply bronzer with a light hand. More can always be added to achieve the desired look, but it’s difficult to remove bronzer once it has been overdone. If too much bronzer is applied, buff the excess away around the edges with a clean makeup brush.
Switch Formulas
Pressed powder bronzer is easier to apply than loose powder or gel. Lightly swirl a large, fluffy makeup brush across the pressed powder, then tap it on a tissue to avoid overdoing the color at the starting point on your face.
Dimmer the Shimmer
Wearing shimmering bronzer during the daytime makes you look greasy. If greasy bronze is not the desired look, then wear a matte finish bronzer during the daytime. To glam it up for nighttime shimmer, choose a bronzer that contains the smallest shimmer flecks possible for a subtle, non-greasy-looking shimmer.
Sources: CoverGirl How To Apply Bronzer
How To Apply Bronzer in 3 Easy Steps