Let’s get one thing straight - we’ve come a long way from the orangey, glittery bronzers of the mid-2000s. These days, bronzers are much more natural-looking makeup products that help to add warmth to your face, bringing dimension back and even possibly helping you look like you just got back from a holiday in Fiji (minus the sunburn, of course).
What’s the Point of Bronzer Makeup?
With makeup trends of late, contouring and bronzing techniques have gotten a little bit mixed up - but the thing is, they’re two different things. Contouring is for sculpting your face, creating the illusion of shadow to make your cheekbones more defined or your jawline more sculpted.
In contrast, bronzing isn’t about creating a shadow - it’s about adding a little bit of sun-kissed warmth to your skin, adding dimension and vibrance to your entire makeup look. It’s not really about trying to add depth or working as a face self-tanner; it’s like a warmer version of highlighter for a natural, bronzy glow.
How to use bronzer makeup is straightforward - it’s meant to be applied to the high points of your face. Think of your cheekbones, forehead, nose tip, and temples - anywhere that easily gets sunburned in the summer.
Cream Bronzer Vs. Liquid Bronzer
Bronzer isn’t a makeup product that’s strictly regulated to powder formulas, either! You’ll find it pops up as cream bronzers and liquid bronzers, too - but what’s the difference?
A cream bronzer is easier to control than liquid - the best beauty tools for the job are clean fingers or a damp makeup sponge to help add warmth and pull your makeup routine together. If you have normal to combination skin, a cream bronzer could be the perfect formula that you’re looking for.
Using a liquid bronzer can be a little more tricky - they tend to be relegated to the makeup artist’s kit, but that’s because they tend to create the most natural, flawless bronzed glow. Don’t attempt to pump it straight from the bottle onto your face; instead, pump some out onto the back of your hand or a palette, picking up product to blend a little at a time.
Using a little at a time and building up glow is fool-proof - just try it!
Pro MUA Tips for Using Bronzer Makeup
Bronzer is a surprisingly versatile makeup product - you can use it all over your face and even on your body to add warmth and glow. One unexpected way to get more use out of your bronzer is to use it as eye makeup. A light sweep of bronzer over your eyelids creates a bit more warmth, perfect for a no-makeup makeup look! The reason it works so well is that it barely looks like makeup, but still manages to pull your entire look together.
Another pro makeup artist tip for bronzer is adding a pump of liquid bronzer to your foundation to warm it up and add a bronzed glow in one step - perfect if you need to save time in the mornings!
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