Oh Hi, you have something on your face let me get that, oh that's your bronzer, well then...FAIL!


Originally I thought this post was going to be a quick little how-to and how-not-to, but then I started doing my makeup this morning and realized, I'm way to passionate about BRONZER for a short post!


Summa-Summa-Summatiiiime...is the time most of us feel the need to break out the bronzer.  But really it should be a year round product. 


The most important things to realize about bronzer are the following:

• You shouldn't be using it to create a self-tanner look on your face, and
• Most people shouldn't even realize you have it on

For starters...these are so NO:

From top left clockwise: 1) Too dark, in the wrong places and not blended; 2) Wayyyy too dark for skin tone, not blended; 3) Too full of a coverage and the bright undereye highlighting only makes it worse; 4) Absolute train wreck

And these are so YES:

From top left clockwise: 1) Perfect color, applied at all the right points for a sunkissed look; 2) Gorgeous shimmer and highlighting 3) Perfect Cali beach face; 4) Amazing highlighting and blending on porcelain skin

Now onto the products, tools and application!

First things first...if I had to choose one brush to spend the rest of my life with...it would be the MAC 179 Limited Edition Kabuki, like I almost feel like I should have an 18 or older only warning on this post because for me, THIS IS PORN...

This brush is a semi-precious split fibre brush, meaning it's half synthetic and half badger hair
(it's ok, Honey Badger doesn't give a fuck)

The dual fibre style means it's great for both powder and cream products.

In addition to that sexy beast I just mentioned, I also use Sephora's Pro Natural Rounded Powder Brush #41 (they also have a smaller one #40, but I have a lot of facemeat to cover so I like the big one...that's what she said...this on is goat hair) AND Ulta's Pro Synthetic Flat Top Kabuki Brush (100% synthetic).

Now let me take a moment to say that yes, as much as I love animals, I do have animal hair brushes.  However, there are millions of brands that do completely organic or synthetic brushes (Ecotools is a great brand!)  

When buying a brush for bronzer, you want something fluffy to create a more natural look (like the #41 I mentioned above) and something dense to contour (like the flat top kabuki).

Your wondering if I forgot about the brush that gave me a boner a few minute ago...I use that one to sweep my ENTIRE FACE for blending and finishing purposes...and I then I jizz in my pants.

APPLICATION TECHNIQUE:

Again you do NOT want to cover your entire face in bronzer just so you look tan and the lighter your skintone the more difficult it is to achieve that natural sunkissed look, so practice, practice, practice.

Basic principles of application

Essentially all of the spots on your face where you naturally would tan (or BURN, if you're me)...your protruding points is a good way to think of it.  Um, don't bronze your eye sockets, kthx.

A very simple way to do it is sweep two giant #3s on either side of your face facing inward (I'm so ashamed that I just use MSPaint for the first time since middle school to do this, but here ya go)...

I'm not talking precise defined lines, I'm talking a light repeated sweeping with a fluffy brush until you've achieved your desired level of bronzing.  Make sure you BLEND! You should NOT be able to see the exact path that your brush just followed once you are finished.

Now, you can find bronzer anywhere...they have face, body, shimmer, matte, powder, cream, etc.  In my opinion, bronzer isn't a product that you need to spend millions on.

If you have fair skin or are new to the bronzing game try Physician's Formula Luminous Bronzing Sun Stones, because they are loose shimmery multicolored powderball thingies, it prevents you from going too dark.  I also love Smashbox Bronzers (the Baked Fusion Soft  Lights is my fav).  Again it's a multicolored powder so you can achieve the perfect balance for your skin tone.  

Quick Tip: If you are like me and you don't always want a shimmery face (this is important when photographic, too much shimmer = greaseball).  In lieu of bronzer (because most are shimmery), use a dark toned face powder.  I've been known to use Black Opal face powder, which is a brand for "women of color"...it gives you a great matte contour/highlight.

MAC has great bronzing products, none of which are actually called bronzer haha, so I won't even get into that! Buuut pretty sure I have one of each.

Alrighty, there you have it...everybody get your bronze on...