I get sooo many inquiries from friends and readers of, “How do I apply bronzer?!” I don’t blame a one of you for asking bc it can get a little tricky! It’s obvious that all of us can’t be blessed with healthy looking skin like Bravo’s Top Chef celebrity host & jewelry designer, Padma Lakshmi! She is ridiculously beautiful in a very natural, no fuss way.
It can be a difficult task to make bronzer look natural and not like you slapped a bunch of dirt on your T-zone, but with a simple step-by-step program – your St. Bart’s worthy-fake -face tan can be worth the time and effort!
Here’s your quicky JennySue Makeup tutorial:
- Pick the right shade of bronzer – dark, medium, or light.
Don’t go too too dark, because it will definitely look fake. Try a bronzer that has more of a yellow base and isn’t too pinky or glittery. It’s easier to layer your color to make your skin appear darker than to apply one too dark layer that looks muddy.
- Go ahead and apply your foundation and concealer first.
Then apply your bronzer over that first layer. I even sometimes apply a quick sweep of bronzer directly over my undereye concealer with a fat fluffy eye shadow brush, to make the concealer less noticeable.
- Use a regular sized blush brush- not a fatty-face one.
Everyone thinks they need a big ole fat bronzer brush to cover their face in one fell swoop – not the case. Use a medium sized brush to have more control over your bronzer. Whisk it along your hairline and jawline in a big circular motion.
- Swirl your brush in the bronzer and be sure to tap off excess with every application.
It seems daunting and time consuming, but better to start of lighter and be able to add than to slap on a huge mess of bronzer the first time. Slide the bronzer over your cheekbones and down your nose, chin, forehead, and neck.
- Please don’t forget your neck!
This is where bronzing can go terribly wrong if you forget your neck – the lightest part of your upper body because it rarely sees the sun. Make sure to brush all the way down to your collar bone to create a realistic bronzed look.
- Blush on last- over your bronzing job.
Apply your favorite bright rosy pink blush in a matte formula for a more realistic and healthy look. For evening though, you can bust out the shimmery pink.
A couple great bronzers to try: Physician’s Formula Bronze Booster pressed powder ($14) which also included tan extending ingredients, Max Factor’s Mineral Bronzer ($10), and Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Mosaic Bronzer ($18) that has 5 colors you just swirl all together, then apply!
So go get your bronze on girl – it’s easy to get, and no sun needed!
