How to Select the Best Bronzer For Your Skin Tone, Care of the Pros
Picking out the right bronzer is nothing short of an art form. It may sound dramatic, but those of us with badly-bronzed middle school photos forever haunting our Facebook feeds know it to be true. There's a fine line between "glowing" and well, "oompa loompa" orange. What's more, if you don't pick the right color — or don't blend properly — you may risk looking like you spent just a few too many minutes in the spray tan booth.
The trick, it turns out, comes down to knowing your skin tone, and figuring exactly which shades of "bronze" to use to complement it. Apparently, they aren't all created equally, and it finding the right one really does make a difference.
Once you’ve found the best product for your face, it’s important that you know how to put it on the right way, too — using a heavy hand will leave you the color of burnt toast, or worse. "Applying your bronzer where the sun naturally hits you will look the most natural” says celebrity makeup artist Neil Scibelli. "So, along the forehead, across the bridge of the nose, along the cheek bones, and a little across the jawline. Don't forget to blend down into the neckline as well!” He suggests using a powder or blush brush in circular movements to ensure even application, and don’t forget to b-l-e-n-d. "I would say the biggest mistakes I've seen is not blending into the neck, and the ears. Both are important to include for a believable, bronzed finish.”
Got that? Now scroll through for expert-approved tips on how to select the best shade for your skin, so that the bronzer aisle will be a far, far less terrifying place... even in the middle of February.