Don’t Put Away Your Bronzer! Here’s How to Keep Your Glow Going
Get that perfect summer glow by finding the right bronzer for you. (Photo: Ben Ritter)
Bronzer doesn’t just have to be a summer beauty product — it can be a part of your routine year round for a healthy, natural glow (let’s be honest, it’s something we all need once the sun starts setting at 3:00 p.m.). The key of course, is in finding the right bronzer shade and formula for you. To start, celebrity makeup artist Carmindy Bowyer (you probably know her best for her role on TLC’s What Not to Wear) says to look for a color that is one to two shades darker than your natural skin tone – if you go any deeper you run the risk of looking dirty. “Fair skin should go with tawny, peachy, golden hues,” says Bowyer. “Medium skin looks great with terracotta colors while olive skin looks perfect for a mocha shade. Dark skin tones should pick reddish-gold mahogany bronzers.”
When it comes to bronzer formulas, there are a lot of options, from powders to creamy sticks. If you have oily skin, Bowyer recommends sticking to a powder bronzer (use a matte formula during the day and switch to a shimmer if you’re feeling it for night). Those with normal skin can experiment with liquid bronzers (we really like Chantecaille Radiance Gel Bronzer, $56) and if your skin runs on the dry side, try a cream formula like W3LL People Bio Bronzer Stick, $29).
Make bronzer a part of your everyday routine. (Photo: Ben Ritter)
Now that you’ve got your perfect shade and formula, it’s all about application. “Bronzer is best on the temples, along the sides of the face, under cheekbones, and on the apples of cheeks,” says Bowyer. “It never looks good to bronzer under the eyes, the tops of cheekbones or around the jawline. It can make you look older and create lines around the jaw.” Use a full, fluffy angled brush to apply your bronzer, making sure to blend well. “A light swoosh of whatever is left of the bronzer on the brush across your forehead, nose, and chin is okay as long as it’s super light.” Bowyer recommends that you apply bronzer before your blush because you might not always need the extra pop of color. To keep your glow going into fall, she suggests adding a gradual, self-tanning moisturizer to your routine and follow it up with your bronzer.
Photo: Ben Ritter / Makeup: Bobbi Brown and Cassandra Garcia / Hair: Joseph DiMaggio / Styling: Noelle Sciacca / Model: Bruna Boechat wearing a Mikoh swimsuit
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