Three ways to wear bronzer

There’s no disputing that bronzer has a remarkable way of warming up winter-weary skin while offering an instant pick-me-up to tired complexions. But those who thought its talents ended at providing a sunless glow may be underestimating this makeup-bag multi-tasker. 

Gone are the days when bronzer was simply designed to change our skin tones. Thanks to a slew of all-singing, all-dancing new products, plus some choice techniques, this versatile beauty hero is now able to create a multitude of looks allowing you to go from naturally sunkissed to a sultry smoky eye with a flick of the wrist.

‘With bronzers of old you inevitably ended up with a rather fake, flat look but thanks to an infinite number of textures and finishes you can now create beautifully natural-looking skin as well as something a little more sophisticated,’ says makeup artist Kim Brown. ‘I always like to apply bronzer where the sun naturally hits your face such as across the bridge of the nose rather than using it as an all-over colour as it just feels more modern. It’s also great for touching up certain areas of the face that could benefit from a little warmth or for enhancing features such as the cheekbones, collarbones and temples to give subtle definition to the contours of the face.’

Healthy, sun-kissed and radiant… that’s basically the way most of us would like to look 100% of the time. Now, thanks to a little makeup sorcery, we can.

‘Begin by using a product to warm the skin up a bit such as Dr Hauschka’s Bronzing Tint which can be mixed into your moisturiser and applied all over the face for a subtle, lit-from-within glow,’ says Kim. ‘With this as your starting point you can go in with a cream bronzer using a feathery blusher brush to really buff it into the skin.’

Stick to areas where the sun would naturally catch, such as the temples, over the cheekbones and across the nose, to keep it looking soft and fresh. ‘To finish, I’d follow with some kind of illuminating balm applied with the fingers to the tops of the cheekbones, brow bones and cupid’s bow to add a natural-looking highlight,’ suggests Kim.

The most modern way to contour is ‘tantouring’ – using your self-tan or bronzer to softly define your features and create a more chiseled look. ‘Start with a medium-to-full coverage foundation in your natural skin tone before working a foundation a shade darker into the temples, cheekbones and jawline in order to give the face a bit of structure,’ says Kim. ‘Go back in with a bigger brush to ensure it’s completely blended into the skin with no hard lines. Then use a powder bronzer over the same areas to achieve a really defined look without looking obviously contoured.’

And if your cheekbones are proving elusive to find? ‘Imagine a line from the top of your ear to the corner of the mouth and apply the bronzer along that line, stopping half-way down the face,’ says Kim, who adds that bringing the colour just under the jawline (and along the collarbone if you’re wearing a low-cut dress) will help to tie everything together. ‘I always apply a touch of bronzer to the temples too in order to frame the face and draw attention to the eyes,’ she adds.   

‘To finish, add a natural-looking highlight in the form of a powder, balm or even a drop of oil – just steer clear of anything too shimmery – to the tops of the cheekbones, brow bones and temples,’ Kim suggests. ‘It will give a multi-dimensional glow and to ensure your skin looks fresh and young.’

Nothing says ‘sultry summer evening’ quite like a metallic smoky eye and this is where your humble bronzer comes into its own. Not content with its role as complexion enhancer, it can also be used to create an entire tonal makeup look that’s universally flattering and ripe for adding after-dark drama.

‘For a look like this, start with an all-over bronzing product that can be mixed with moisturiser if you prefer a more natural look,’ says Kim. ‘Next, choose a powder bronzer with a hint of shimmer which can be used in place of an eyeshadow to elicit that beautiful metallic sheen that catches the light when you move your head. Apply to the outer corners of the eye for a feline feel.’

Use the same product to gently contour under the cheeks if it’s a darker colour or to highlight the tops of the cheekbones if it’s on the lighter, pinker end of the shade spectrum. ‘If your bronzing palette includes a golden shade, you can use it to highlight the inner corners of the eye in order to make them really pop,‘ Kim says. ‘Then finish with a slick of black mascara to anchor the look, and a stain or lipstick in a nice, warm, brick colour pressed into the lips with a bit of balm over the top.’