TOP 3 BRONZERS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

By Stacey Caruso

Okay, so one product I absolutely can’t live without is my bronzer. I’m sure there’s photo evidence of me somewhere, from way back in the 90s, pre-discovering the wonders this product would do for me.

Being half Italian, I was always lucky to get quite tanned in the summer, but my face would always be much lighter because I would keep it out of the sun. (Important sun-care tip ladies, we don’t want sun damage!) So there I was, in photographs, with a white face and tanned skin. A beautiful look no doubt, lol.

Now we all know how much better we feel in summer. Weather is warmer, nights are longer and our skin gets a little bit darker. We have that sun kissed glow which makes us all feel just a little more beautiful. Am I right? So let me introduce you to this life changing product, help you pick the right one for you, and teach you how and where to apply it.

CHOOSING A BRONZER

Bronzers come in a variety of formulas such as powder, shimmer powder, cream and gel. I use a powder bronzer myself and on most of my clients but if you are extremely dry or want more of that creamy, dewy finish then try a cream or gel formula.

Now it’s very important when picking a bronzer for yourself that you look at the natural undertone of your skin, usually along your decolletage or your arms. Do you have a more golden tone coming through or is it more red/cinnamon? I find so many women think that a bronzer just comes in one kind of golden shade and then they choose a colour that doesn’t look natural with their skin. Ladies I understand that your girlfriend might use Nars Laguna bronzer but trust me when I say that just because it’s right for her, doesn’t mean it’s right for you (I’d sell these by the box load when I worked at Mecca, lol)

When choosing, hold a couple of different shades up to your chest area or to your arm and see which colour blends in with your skin. If it looks too yellow then you probably need something with a more cinnamon tone and if it looks too ashy or ruddy then probably more golden. Trust me, when you hold them up you will be able to see it pretty clearly and it will make your decision a lot easier. The one that blends in is going to look more natural.

Some bronzers also have a shimmer to them, some more subtle than others, and if you are wanting to use this product all over the face be mindful that you don’t want to come out looking like a shimmer ball.

If I’m using bronzers to warm up the complexion then generally I prefer completely matte bronzers but if it has a soft shimmer then that’s safer than a lot of sparkle. Also, don’t be deterred by the colour names of bronzers. Just because one is called “Light” and another “Medium” it doesn’t mean that one is darker than the other, they may just be completely different tones.

APPLYING BRONZER

So now you have chosen your colour, applying it is pretty easy — start off with a little at a time, you can always add more if you think you need to. A nice full brush is ideal, one that is quite dense so when you dip the brush into the powder the product is evenly distributed on the end of the brush. Before applying to the face I always like to tap off any excess product so I don’t end up with a big blob of colour somewhere that I cant blend! I start at the centre of the forehead brushing out down around my temples, then onto the cheek drawing a C shape from the cheek bone down to the jawline and then dust under the jaw down through the neck. Never forget that little spot underneath the chin where the sun doesn’t hit, it needs a bit of bronzer-love there too. I then go back and dust a little over the nose and chin but be careful not to be too heavy handed here.

If you have applied your bronzer correctly it shouldn’t look patchy (darker in certain areas than others) and should be seamless. You don’t want to see where it starts and where it ends and when standing back and looking in the mirror, you want to look natural and the same colour from head to toe. Trick is to just blend, blend, blend!