How to apply bronzer: A step-by-step guide
By Melissa Magsaysay, Los Angeles Times staff writer
Bronze, copper, rich cocoa brown -- a summer tan runs a wide spectrum, and your makeup regimen from winter may not cut it once warmer hues brighten your face. But there’s more to making this seasonal switch than changing the color of your foundation (in fact, you may want to ditch the foundation altogether). Subtle sheens on the skin and fun pops of color on the nails and lips will help create a look that’s fresh -- and, most important, natural.
“As the skin gets tanner it gets deeper, warmer undertones,” says makeup artist Spencer Barnes, who works with Taylor Swift and Julianne Hough.
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Barnes starts with powder bronzer, the easiest and safest way to enhance or create a tan on your face, and recommends two that he calls “foolproof”: Casino by Nars and Hoola by Benefit ($30 and $28, respectively, at Sephora). “They look radiant and natural on everyone,” he says.
To get a deeper color that doesnÂ’t look artificial, he recommends starting with a medium-sized soft, round brush.
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Gently swirl the brush over the bronzer and dust off any excess on the back of your hand. Work the powder onto areas of the face where the sun naturally falls. “Think of when you’re out in the sun and where it hits you first,” Barnes says. This means across the forehead near the hairline, the temples, across the apples of the cheeks and bridge of the nose.
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“Think of when you’re out in the sun and where it hits you first,” Barnes says. This means across the forehead near the hairline, the temples, across the apples of the cheeks and bridge of the nose.
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Sweep some color beneath the jaw line, and hit your collarbone and décolletage. If you’re pale and have your hair pulled up, don’t forget to get the nape and back of the neck.
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“Adding similar warm shades of makeup has a glamorous effect because you don’t notice the makeup but rather the glow and contours on the skin, which looks hydrated and youthful.”
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Barnes recommends a go-to color palette of apricots, bronze tones and fresh tropical pinks for making a healthy tan look even better.
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The result is a natural hint of warm summer color without the tangerine smudginess that comes from a bottle or tanning booth.
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Fashion and beauty news in the Image section’s blog (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
