Need-To-Know Bronzer Hacks For A Snatched Glow-Up
Bronzer is one of those makeup products that we legit couldn’t live without… Seriously, we’re talking desert island kinda levels! It can take us from looking dull and tired to chiseled, healthy, and hella-glowy in three seconds flat. However, there’s a fine line between a sculpted glow and overly bronzed. To ensure you guys stay on the right side of the bronzing spectrum, we’ve rounded up our need-to-know bronzer hacks.
Find The Perfect Hue
As a general rule of thumb, when you’re looking for the best bronzer to flatter your skin tone, find a shade that’s approximately two shades darker than your natural skin tone. It’s also super important to consider the undertone of the shade to ensure you get the most natural final look.
If you have fair skin, find a shade with a neutral or pink undertone to avoid looking too orange, like the Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer, $30, in the shade Hoola Light. If you have a golden undertone, peach or golden bronzers are perfect. For olive skin tones, try a warm-toned bronzer, and for rich skin tones, warm red undertones, like the Makeup Revolution Splendor Matte Bronzer, $12, in the shade Deep, is a perfect glow up.
Find the Right Formula
When it comes to bronzer, there are so many formulas that stretch far beyond the classic powder formula, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages:
Pressed powder: Powders can have a matte or shimmer finish, and are ideal for oily or combination skin as they typically have longer staying power. They’re also easier to work with, so great for makeup newbies.
Baked powders: These tend to be less drying than pressed powders and can blend more seamlessly for a smoother finish. Our GloWish Soft Radiance Bronzing Powder, $31, is a prime example of this and comes in five shades to suit every skin tone.
Liquid bronzers: Think the Cover FX Custom Bronzer Drops, $29, which melt into the skin for a dewy natural-looking finish.
Cream bronzer: Whether in a pan or on a stick, creams often give a more natural finish and can be easier to blend than powders, yet they also take a little more time to perfect than powders. Our go-to is the Huda Beauty Tantour, $30, which is a cream-to-powder formula that literally melts into the skin yet has the staying power of a powder formula.
Posts You'll Love:
Use the Shape of Three
Applying your bronzer in the shape of a 3 is one of the oldest tricks in the beauty bible; it’s super simple and easy to follow and yet it works on everyone. The classic rule is to ‘draw a 3’ on either side of your face to help ‘frame’ it. Start by sweeping your bronzer brush along your forehead, around your hairline, under your cheekbones, and back around and under your jaw, just like if you were to draw a 3 shape on either side of your face. Most importantly, remember to blend, obvious lines never look good!
Perfect your Application Technique
When applying bronzer, always use a light touch and build the intensity gradually. To ensure you don’t apply too much product, tap off any excess powder from your brush before you apply it to your skin. Then use light sweeping motions to build it up until you’re perfectly bronzed. If you’re a little too eager, buff the powder out using continual circular motions.
View this post on Instagram
If you’re a bronzer addict like us and want a very bronzed finish, instead of sweeping the bronzer brush along your skin, grab a medium-sized brush and lightly tap the powder into your skin. This will increase the pigment payoff, creating a more sculpted, defined glow.
Apply Bronzer to Your Lids
One of our fave things about bronzer is it’s such a versatile product. Don’t limit the application to your cheeks, use it to add definition to your other features too. We use it on our eyelids daily to lightly contour our lid as this will help accentuate and snatch the eye. Plus, by using the same hue on your cheek and eyes, it keeps the look monochromatic and therefore luxe AF.
Use Bronzer to Contour Your Nose
View this post on Instagram
As we said, we don’t limit our bronzer application to our cheeks – in our makeup routine, it also doubles up as nose contour. To contour your nose, take a small fluffy brush and lightly sweep the bronzer along each side of your nose and then again under the bridge. Finish with a dusting of highlighter along the bridge of your nose et voila!
Use Bronzer to Fake a Fuller Pout
If you want to fake the illusion of a fuller pout, you can even use your bronzer to contour your lips. On a small fluffy brush, dust a little bronzer underneath the middle third of your bottom lip. This will enhance the natural shadow creating the illusion of fuller lips.
Layer Your Bronzer with Blush
It’s no secret that blush is having a major moment right now. To warm up your bronzer and add a rosy flush of color, layer your bronzer with a blusher. The soft wash of color will leave you looking fresh and hella cute.
For more makeup tips, check out these blush hacks, plus, our fave formulas.
Leave a comment