How to Find the Right Bronzer for Your Skin

Bronzers are great for all parts of your skin from your face to your decolletage, and even on the arms or thighs depending on the look you want to achieve. While some believe that bronzers can be dually used to contour this is not the case. Bronzers are terrific at brightening the skin, adding color, and providing a bit of warmth to your tone.  It gives you a sun-kissed appearance that looks quite healthy when done right. Bronzers are easily buffed into your full coverage makeup they aren't added with precision the way that contouring makeup is applied.

Part of doing the bronzing correctly includes picking the right shade for your skin. A good rule of thumb is to choose a color that is no more than 2 shades darker from your natural color.  Bronzers come with hints of orange, pink, tan, rosy and gold.  To help you get in the right color family, here is a basic skin tone guide.

What Tone Skin Do You Have?

Before you can figure out the color scheme of bronzers for your skin tone, you should know exactly which category you fall in. The Fitzpatrick scale was developed in 1975 by a Harvard Medical School dermatologist, Thomas Fitzpatrick.  It is a measurement that assesses skin color and type as it relates to the sun. While this scale is mainly used to help medical professionals determine various skin treatments as well as an individual's predisposition to skin cancer, it can also be helpful to characterize your skin type.

•  Typ 1 - Pale Skin - Characterized by red or blonde hair with blue eyes and freckles.  This skin type burns easily and won't develop a tan
• Type 2 - White or Fair Skin - Characterized by redheads or blonde hair with blue, hazel, or green eyes.  This skin type burns easily and can tan but it is challenging.
• Type 3 - Fair Skin - Characterized by any eye color or hair color. This skin type slowly tans a bit, often still having a minimal burn.
• Type 4 - Light Brown- Characterized by any skin or eye color. This skin type tans easily and doesn't burn often.
• Type 5 - Dark Brown - Characterized by any skin or eye color. This skin type tans extremely well and very easily, and it doesn't often burn at all.
• Type 6 - Deeply Pigmented - Mostly darker hair and eyes - This skin type tans super easily and doesn't burn.

Fair Skin - Types 1-3

Lighter tones will want to stick to shades of cool tans and pinks to establish a more rosy appearance. If you go too dark when your skin is in this range, it will not look appealing nor will it look natural and that is the last thing you want.

Olive Skin -Type 3/4

Yellow and gold tones are the way to go.  You could even dabble in peach shades which have a bit of that yellowish-pink through a mixture of peach blush with covered by a bronzer.  This adds nice depth.

Medium Skin -Type 4

Matte options are key and choose complimentary medium shades. Stay away from a product that has too much shimmer incorporated into the powder. Instead, a good highlighter added at the end of your makeup application can add some brightness.

Medium - Deep Skin - Type 5

Here is where the sparkle comes in, shimmer away to add some youthful brightening power. Darker tan, pinks, and golds work nicely.

Deep Skin - Type 6

Deep-colored skin doesn't need too much-added layering of color, you just want to amp up you the warmth factor. Add intensely pigmented golds and apply the way you would a highlighter which pulls the sun onto your skin a beautiful way.

How To Combine Bronzer With Highlighters Correctly

You don't want to overdo your bronzer because ultimately you want it to look like you've been out in the sun and the warm light touched your skin. Bad bronzer jobs, can look fake and messy, hiding one's beauty. Bronzer should healthfully enhance your natural charms.

Highlighter and bronzer together go hand-in-hand and work quite well as a pair. The sequence where bronzer should be applied is straight after foundation as it is easily buffed and blended into any area. If adding a bit of color through blush, this can be done before the bronzer and the two can be buffed. Then, should you want to add highlighting or contouring makeup this would be on top of the bronzer because it is not as easily blended in and takes more exacting and accuracy. The highlighter is easily added to your cheek area for a luminous finish.

Resources— The Fitzpatrick Classification Scale For Skin Types, Makeup Charts, Thomas B. Fitzpatrick

Samantha Wolfgang (271 Articles Published)

I am a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelors Degree in Science and Neuroscience. I'm a small business owner, a writer, and a fitness enthusiast, as well as a wife and mother. In my free time, I enjoy reading a good book, crabbing, cooking healthy foods, creating art, and being the ultimate beach bum.

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