Using Bronzer: How to Glow and Highlight
If you’re just getting started with makeup, or you’re simply wanting to up your cosmetics game, bronzer might be an item that’s causing you some confusion. It’s not blush, but it’s also not contour. So what is the purpose of bronzer?
In recent decades, bronzer has been on the up and up, and with good reason. This unique cosmetics product is a favorite for creating a sun-kissed look during the summer, as well as ideal for warming up the complexion during the chillier seasons. Who doesn’t want a healthy-looking complexion?
Whether you’re looking for the best drugstore bronzer or simply wanting to get the facts, here’s everything you ought to know about the purpose of bronzer and how to use it.
What Do You Use Bronzer For?
At the very heart of it, bronzer is a product that aims to replicate the look of sun-kissed skin. Simply put, bronzer can help give you a healthy-looking complexion that glows as if you’ve been spending your days enjoying the outdoors.
The biggest benefit of bronzer is that it can create the illusion that you’ve spent some time in the sun, which is a big deal considering that it’s nearly impossible to spend time outside without coming into contact with harmful UV rays. By darkening the skin, bronzers can turn any complexion into a radiant one that looks both natural and healthy.
Choosing the Best Shade of Bronzer
When it comes to bronzer, like with most cosmetics products, one shade does not fit all. In fact, one shade might not even fit you year-round thanks to the changing tones of our skin color depending on the season and the amount of sun we get.
If you choose a bronzer that’s too dark, you’ll have an artificial look that will end up appearing muddy. During the winter months, you may need to purchase a lighter shade of bronzer than you normally use during the summer to ensure you don’t end up looking like you have a fake tan or overly-obvious bronzer.
Bronzers come in a variety of textures, including liquid, cream, powder, and gel forms. You can play around with the different types until you find one that works well with your skin type and other makeup products.
What’s the Difference Between Bronzer and Contouring?
Many people often confuse bronzer with contouring products or use the two interchangeably. While it makes sense why those new to makeup might conflate the two cosmetic techniques, there is actually a big difference between bronzer and contouring.
While contouring is meant to help create depth and shadows on the face, bronzer exists to create warmth. You can use contouring makeup to slim your nose, accentuate your cheekbones, and create a strong jawline, while bronzer will help give your complexion that appearance of being warm, sun-kissed, and healthy.
How to Apply Bronzer
First things first: when applying bronzer, you want to have the right kind of makeup brush. Avoid using your fingers or a makeup sponge when using bronzer if possible, especially if you’re working with a powder-based bronzer. Instead, a large, fluffy brush is ideal for creating a concentrated area of bronzer on the skin before you buff it out to create a more natural appearance.
Next, the bronzer should be applied to your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline, which makes sense, considering that these are three areas of the face where the sun naturally hits. You can use the “E technique” by applying the bronzer in an “E” pattern on your face, hitting all three of the areas of the face that you want to look sun-kissed.
Before you put your bronzer away, you’ll also want to apply it to the sides of your neck to create a continual, natural look. Many makeup amateurs forget about the neck area, creating looks that appear superficial. To prevent this from happening, always be sure that your facial cosmetics blend well into your neck and decolletage area of your body. This can be especially important with bronzer because of the warmth and color it brings to the face.
When all is said and done, make sure that the bronzer is well blended into your skin and apply a setting spray on top of your cosmetics to help your makeup stay in place all day and night.
Resources— Adore Beauty, Loreal Paris, Cosmopolitan
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