We may be coming into Winter, but that’s not to say your bronzer stash has to be on the brink of redundancy. In fact, faking a sun-kissed glow is precisely what you need during the cooler months, particularly if you want your skin to continue looking healthy and radiant. When it comes to bronzer, one size doesn’t fit all – it’s all about finding the right match for your skin tone to avoid appearing muddy or unnaturally orange (yep, we’ve been there too).
Despite thinking it, you’re never too pale or too dark to utilise the benefits of bronzer. To steer you in the right direction, we’re showing you how to pick the right bronzer for your skin tone…
BRONZER COLOURS & TONES
The general rule of thumb is to opt for a bronzer one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone. Knowing whether your skin undertone is cool, neutral or warm is also relevant; you want to ensure your bronzer harmonises with your natural tone as much as possible. Universally speaking, you can determine your undertone by looking at your veins. If they appear distinctively blue, you’re likely to have cooler undertones; if your veins look greenish, you’re warmer, and if you can’t distinguish between the two, it’s likely you’re more of a neutral tone. Alternatively, it’s a good trick to look at the type of jewellery that compliments your skin – if you suit silver, you’re cooler; if you gravitate towards gold, you’re warmer and if you suit both, you’re neutral.
COOL UNDERTONE
Warm peach hues, beige, taupe or soft brown.
WARM UNDERTONE
All warm, golden-brown colours.
NEUTRAL UNDERTONE
Something neither yellow or pink – natural brown-based shades.
If you have fair to light skin, you should opt for lighter hues of rose or peach and consider beige taupe and pink rather than orange and red tones. It’s also good to acknowledge how your skin reacts in the sun; fairer skin often turns more pink than olive so for a natural look, you’re going to want to achieve similar results with your bronzer. The idea of bronzer can be off-putting for anyone with fair skin, yet there’s nothing worse than feeling ghastly pale. The key here is to reach for the lighter option from brands (like Benefit’s Hoola Light); this will help you achieve a realistic sun-kissed look rather than a full-on Oompa-Loompa tan. If you’re wanting shimmer, go for pink or silver rather than gold.
If you have a medium or olive toned complexion, consider yourself blessed. With this skin tone, you’re fortunate enough to suit pretty much any shade. Still, this is not permission to overdo it; look for copper and earthy tones that compliment your natural tan rather than clashing with it. We love the NARS Laguna Bronzer for its classic, wearable hue.
If you have darker skin, finding bronzer may seem a little tricky sometimes. Warmer hues compliment deeper skin tones beautifully. Look for deep terracotta or chocolate tones with warm or blue undertones. If going for shimmer, keep it subtle with gold flecks to illuminate.
HOW TO APPLY
Our favourite way to apply bronzer is to the areas of the face the sun would naturally hit. Using a light hand, apply bronzer in the shape of a ‘3’ on either side of your face; beginning at the top of your forehead, onto your cheekbones and down along your jawline. Bronzer is versatile, therefore it can also be used to sculpt your features and to add dimension for a more striking, defined look.
RECCOMENDED PRODUCT
It’s time to get your bronze on while igniting your natural blush with eight unique shades of bronzer and blusher. Easily bendable and highly pigmented, think of it as your new makeup wardrobe to keep your skin fresh and glowing all year round. Go on, achieve that selfie-ready finish! Add the Technic Colourfix Blush & Bronze Palette to you box!
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