Yup, it's just about the time of year when our tan has faded to a pasty white and our cheeks, throat and collarbone has somehow turned into 3 different shades of pale. It's time to stop by Sephora and stock up on bronzer.
But what's the 'right' way to put on bronzer at this time of year? You don't want an overly sun-smooched look- Donatella Versace in the winter is not a good look for anybody. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find the best bronzer for you. For the winter months, I say you only need enough bronzer to blend into the shadows and contours of your face. Forget about the faux-golden-glow... use bronzer strategically to make your face look slimmer & that should be enough. Leave the bronze sun-kissed look for summer!
Well, back to trial and error. Here are some of the products I've tried. I've learned quickly that they are all equally good, they just differ in what they are good
at.
Firs of all, if you don't already have
NARS blush in Orgasm, this is a great duo to get. This NARS bronzer is slightly shimmery and works as a great highlighter. Because of the strong tone, I wouldn't recommend this one for lighter complexions or for every day use. But if you are dressing up, this is a good bronzer to highlight your cheekbones and browbone. Not such a good bronzer for contouring because of the shimmer.
MAC bronzers (and anything else) tend to be much stronger. This one is matte so it's great for contouring the sides of the face. Again, not for lighter complexions but good for shadowing right underneath the cheekbone and jawline.
Use
Benefit's Hoola only if you are using a neutral foundation. A tinted moisturizer or any base with a dark or tan tint to it will accentuate this bronzer even more. Again, good for shadowing under the cheekbones, jawline but be careful because this one isn't very sheer. (It's very hard to blend-in any "mistakes") Also the brush that comes with this really
sucks so I'd suggest getting a very loose face/powder brush to really blend this nicely on your skin.
Dior's Girly Blossom Palette is an eyecatcher. It's adorable, comes with two retractable brushes and a matching highlighter and lip gloss. Other than those things, this palette's crap.
Okay, that was a little harsh. But this bronzer will get you more orange than Lindsay Lohan on a bad spray-tan day. I'd suggest this product only for those who already have tan/dark skin and need a little bit of a golden glow. Just brush on the matte powder to blend and even out your skin and use the highlighter on your cheekbones, under the eyebrows and maybe a tiny dab on the bridge of your nose.
Again, for those with an already darker complexion,
NARS Multiple in Palm Beach is a great highlighter to accentuate a golden glow. Because this is more of a cream blush, I'd recommend it only on matte foundation and/or a powder base. Also because of the shimmer I'd restrict this one to evening make-up only for the winter.
I saved my favorite for last. I was quite hesitant to use
Guerlain's Terracotta bronzer for a while because it just
looks harsh. Actually it is surprisingly sheer and comes on natural-looking. I use a dense blush brush to contour my cheeks and jawline, then use a looser powder brush to blend it into the rest of my face. Perfect for a casual day look-- just enough color to look healthy.
