Best Bronzers and Tips on Getting a Natural Looking Glow

If you love a sun-kissed natural glow, bronzers should be your go-to for summer make up.  Fake it don’t bake it I always say.  You will thank the younger you when you hit 50, and there’s no amount of money you can possibly spend on bronzers every year that will even come close to what it costs to undo sun damage to your skin.  That’s what I tell my husband anyway.

From June through mid-September, it’s time to lighten it up and shift from foundation & blush to well-placed concealer & bronzers.  I mean even if you’re stuck at a desk you can still look like you’re summering at Debordieu.   Whether your skin is fair or dark, dry or oily, young or mature, there’s a bronzer out there that will look better than plain blush on you during the summer months.  Here are some favorites, and tips on how to best pick & use your own.

Tip #1 ~ Only go One or Two Shades darker.

Whether you are fair or dark complected, pale or tanned, you only need to go a shade or two darker than your natural color to get a convincing sun-kissed glow.  If you get progressively tanner during the course of the summer, then buy two products for the love of pete.

For fair skin, always err on the side of lighter shades than dark, as well as slightly less pigmented product.  Darker skin is actually more challenging, as too light a shade looks ashen and too dark looks muddy.   And darker skinned girls can look for deeply pigmented products as well, to stand up to their natural coloring.

 Tip #2 ~ check it inside and outside.

Go to the counter, have them reco one they like for each cheek and check the color out inside and outside.  It’s an extra step you won’t regret.

Many beauty experts also recommend you match your bronzer to your decollete rather than your face, to make sure your “sun kissed” face matches the rest of your actually suntanned body.  However, if you’ve been a bad girl, and have lots of tan or melasma on your chest, well be careful as you still don’t want to go too dark on your face vs your natural facial coloring.

Tip #3 ~ powder vs cream.

If you have normal to oily skin, then try a powder formulation. For dry skin, a cream or gel bronzer is probably the way to go.  If you are going to be somewhere that you KNOW you are going to perspire, then cream or gel is a must.  Powders can glop when you perspire, defeating the whole “natural” thing.

Tip #4 ~ which color is your sunshine?

Fair-complected women look lovely in sheer, beige-browns or in honey-toned bronzers with hints of peach or shimmery pink. Golden, amber, tawny, or copper hues are typically the most flattering to darker skins, it really depends on the pigment in yours.

Tip #5 ~ try these bronzer tricks yourself!

Great bronzer tip to use YEAR ROUND – using your powder bronzer, brush a bit on the area of your neck directly below your chin – where you will notice your skin is lighter than the sides of your neck because, duh, it is shaded from the sun by your chin.  You will love how this evens out that tone with one sweep, I promise.  And include the neck and decollete in your application if you are wearing low cut or strapless to avoid a makeup mask.  Having a different skin color shade on your face and neck won’t help with the “natural” look.

Use a super-soft brush, a Kabuki-style brush to apply powder bronzer for the most light & natural look. If you’re using liquid bronzer, use a damp sponge (not your fingers) to apply and blend.