Hair Styling Tools

Yes, sun exposure can be harmful to your health but why do so many of us continually want to soak up the sun?  Well for starters, most of us think that a tan or extra color to our skin makes us look better, more attractive, and we don’t have that washed out look.   How many blondes or fair-haired individuals shy away from wearing pastels simply because it makes our skin tones look even paler?

There are alternatives to having that healthy look of having color and it all boils down to applying just the right makeup that can give you that natural-looking glow.  So, what does every woman need to be able to achieve this affect?  The first step is to select a bronzer that is the right shade for their skin tones.  Next, you will need the right makeup brush to achieve the proper application of the bronzer.  According to makeup artist Mally Roncal (artist for Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey), you need to be very careful to not select a bronzer that is too dark for your skin as well as don’t blend a bronzer all over your face.  Ms. Roncal says “Pick a shade that’ golden–not brown–on your skin, and wear it with a rosy blush for a more realistic finish.”  Ms. Roncal goes on to say that “Another common mistake is applying most of the bronzer on your cheeks.  The darkest color should be on the perimeter of your face, so start by brushing the color there.”

Step 1:  Look for a bronzer that is slightly yellow in color.  If you are fair skinned you need to pick the lightest shade in what is available in that range.  If you have medium toned skin then go middle of the road.  If you are dark skinned the deepest shade is probably the one you should select.  The important thing for everyone is to try the shade out by applying it to your jawline.  If it looks golden then it is the right shade.

Step 2:  Before applying bronzer you will apply whatever foundation you typically use.  If you use concealer apply that as well.  For those of us who have oily skin, we should dust some translucent powder on our shiny areas so that the bronzer won’t look too dark in those particular areas.

Step 3:  This step is where you want to use a good powder brush.  I like the Spornette Marche Powder Foundation Bronzer makeup brush.  Take the bronzer brush and dip it into the bronzer and tap off any excess.  With small circular motions dust your jawline and hairline.  Take the brush and dip it in the bronzer again and retap off any excess.  This time sweep the brush on your cheekbones, the chin, the bridge of your nose, and your forehead.

Step 4:  There should be some residual bronzer left on your brush.  Take the brush and dust all over your neck.  Then tap the brush to get rid of any powder that remains on the brush.  Now you will repeat going back over all of the bronzed areas by swirling the bronzer brush over any visible edges of color so that they will blend right into your skin.

Step 5:  The finishing touch will be to apply a rosy looking powder blush on the apples of your cheeks.  This application helps to keep the bronzer from looking dull or flat.  

When you go to apply the rest of your makeup, be sure that you don’t overdo it.  Try to be subtle by using a brown eyeliner, a bronze eye shadow, and either a sheer nude or light pink lipstick.  Now that you have applied all of the steps, you will see that your natural look is much more realistic looking and that’s what we all want.