by Cherelynn Baker

Created on: August 03, 2009

How to apply bronzer: the secret to looking a healthy looking glow the safe way

As a professional makeup artist, I consider using bronzer a staple in my makeup case. Personally as makeup wearer: I don't leave home with out it.

Bronzer can come in a loose powder, a pressed compact, a liquid stain, or gel stick. The first secret to your bronzer success is that it be applied in the right areas.

When you look at your face in the mirror, find the high points that would get the most sun. The forehead, tops of cheeks, nose and chin. I would include the very middle of your eyelids and top of your chest also because if you have ever gotten a really good sunburn or tan, these areas get colored as well.

Imagine a W pattern across your face. If you placed the bronzing product on the top of the W, working from left to right of the letter as if it were placed on your face.

The bronzer colors the top of your left temple, down the cheek to the chin, then up over the nose and forehead and down the right side of your cheek, chin and finish at the top of your right temple.

The powder bronzer is the most common and it's usually pressed into a compact. A large domed fluffy brush will give the best application that looks subtle and natural. When you move into using sponges or fingers, it puts a lot of product in one area that then has to be blended down into the skin to look natural.

If you are using a gel or liquid bronzer, apply it to freshly moisturized or over a liquid foundation so there is a lot of slip on the skin to blend with.

If you want to use your bronzer as a blush and have a deep brown/bronze looking blush, then just swirl your powder/blush brush into the product, knock off the excess and apply to the apples of your cheeks.

A very 1980's retro look would be to swish the bronzer through the hollow of the cheek in a kidney bean shape.

Bronzer as a cosmetic is by far one of the most versatile and I recommend having two shades.

1. For every day use and all over the face and

2. A slightly darker shade for contouring, for a very deep tan look and using over larger parts of your body

Some of my favorite products for bronzing are:

FAKE BAKE, Physician's formula two toned bronzing compact, Benefit Cosmetics Hoola, Cargo, Lorac and the Sephora store brand.

The bronzer can be brushed along your neck, collarbone, dcollet and when you have lines from wearing different style tanks and swimsuits in the summertime it can be brushed on easily to the areas that need more color and washed off with our fear of staining or streaking.

So get some bronzer today and start playing up your summer sun looks and let the bronzer transition you into Fall and the holiday season too.

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