Bronzers 101: How to Use Bronzing Powder

Bronzers are fun to use as you can achieve really cool effects. Unfortunately, just like everything else in makeup, bronzing powder application needs a know-how and lots of practice.
Until you learn, you’ll look less than perfect, but that’s just part of the deal, I guess. You risk to be ridiculed so that one day your critics can be silenced and left in astonishment at your perfection.

Blush and bronzer are not the same thing

First of all, some women don’t understand the difference between blush and bronzer. These two products are not the same and are used to achieve different effects. Blush is used to enhance the color of your cheeks. It’s applied only on cheekbones and usually comes in reddish or rosy colors (although this is not a rule).

Bronzer can be used for two purposes:

– to contour your face, i.e. to create an illusion of sleeker, thinner face or / and higher cheekbones,
– to create a healthy sun-kissed look

Bronzing powder colors can range from light beige to brown.

While blush isn’t a necessary ingredient for your makeup, having perfect finish without bronzing powder is hard.

Know your color

Women of color tend to do better with bronzer than white women, who often pick wrong colors ending up looking unnatural. Again, it’s just part of life. It takes time to understand the ins and outs of the art, takes time to find your perfect tone, but this doesn’t mean that white women shouldn’t use bronzers. If your skin is very light, choose product that is compatible in depth with your natural color. To create the desired effect, it should be slightly darker than your natural color, but not much darker.

Let your skin dry

You need to make sure that your moisturizer and foundation have dried completely. If you apply bronzing powder to moist skin, you are not going to look ok, guaranteed!

Base

Use golden, honey, caramel or sandy cream highlighter under your bronzer. This will help you blend bronzer with the rest of your makeup, creating a more natural and sophisticated look.

Brush

You need a huge bronzing brush for this or your bronzer will not blend. Also see our visual guide to makeup brushes.

Where?

It should be applied below your cheekbones to add definition to your face and on the sides of your forehead. In addition, you can apply it to any area which you want to appear smaller. For example, you can apply it to the sides of your nose to make it look thinner.

Final touch

Now that you are done with bronzing powder you can add a little blush on your cheekbones.