All year round, bronzer is the go-to product to achieve a sunkissed, post-beach glow. Used alongside blush, bronzer is a great way to enhance your skin tone by adding a natural, radiant tint to the skin.
Even though bronzer has the ability to lightly accentuate and sculpt your features, it’s much different than contouring. Often complemented with highlighter, contouring alters the high points and shadows of your face. By using a matte, dark—often gray-toned—color, contour is strategically applied to define and shape the face. Bronzer, however, is intended to warm up the face by adding color in places where the sun would naturally hit.
Regardless of your skin color and skin type, L’OFFICIEL breaks down everything you need to know about the basics of bronzing.
Step 1: Choose the right shade for your skin tone and skin type.
The general rule of thumb to choosing the right bronzer is to opt for a shade one to two shades darker than your skin tone. Additionally, knowing whether your skin’s undertone is warm, cool, or neutral is essential to finding the most natural-looking bronzer. To determine your skin’s undertone, you can check the veins on your wrist—if your veins appear blue or purple, you’re cool-toned and if your veins appear green, you’re warm-toned. If you cannot distinguish between the two, you’re more likely to have a neutral undertone.
Regardless of your skin tone, matching your bronzer shade to your undertone will help you not look too orange or “muddy.” Those with cool undertones should seek bronzers with peach hues such as beige or taupe. Warm undertones will suit any variant of warm, golden-brown colors. As for neutral undertones, the ideal shade is one that isn’t too warm or too cool.
Step 2: Choose the right formulation.
Bronzers can have either a matte or shimmery finish and come in three formulations: powder, cream, or liquid. Matte finishes offer a more realistic appearance and are the most versatile, while shimmery finishes can help achieve a highlighted look when used sparingly on the cheekbones.
Pressed powder bronzers are the easiest to work with and are an ideal option for those with oily skin. Cream bronzers, however, are best suited for those with normal to dry skin, as they won’t settle onto dry patches or flakes. You can either apply cream products with a makeup sponge or your fingertips.
Lastly, liquid bronzers are suitable for those with dry skin or who want a dewy finish to their makeup look. Unlike pressed powder or cream formulations, liquid bronzers offer a multitude of uses: you can mix it into your foundation for a glowy sheen, apply it onto your bare face or body, or layer it normally on top of your foundation. It can be easily applied with a makeup sponge or a liquid foundation brush.
To avoid any splotches, it’s important to apply cream or liquid bronzers before any other powdered products.
Step 3: Use the “three” formation.
When applying bronzer, aim to focus on areas where the sun naturally hits the face—the tops of the cheeks and forehead, along the sides of the nose bridge, and the temples. You can also apply a bit of bronzer onto the neck to achieve a more even complexion.
The most basic bronzer application is to pretend you’re drawing the number three on the side of your face. You first start by brushing the product along your hairline, then sweep the product down to your cheekbone and swirl back, following your jawline in a circular motion.
