Best Bronzer

Your Guide To Sun Kissed Beauty

Choosing the best bronzer really comes down to the bronze style you are attempting to achieve. I think there are about three main beauty styles when it comes to this effect:

#1 Sun Kissed Fresh-natural radiant glow to skin, most notably highlighting the nose and cheeks (where you first notice the natural effects of sun coloring our faces). Subtle fresh style that works any time of the year.

#2 Golden Glow- all over soft golden tone to skin on face and rest of body (Natural look of a casual summer tan).

#3 Bronze Beauty- Very notable bronze to skin on face and body (like you just came back from a Caribbean vacation).

When you have determined the degree of bronze you wish, then you can consider your options.

There are a multitude of cosmetics that can effectively and amazingly mimic a sun tan AND, other than very moderate sun exposure using common sense and effective sunscreen, this should be the only way you achieve a sun kissed golden bronze look.

Whatever degree of bronze you desire, make sure you do it well.

This is a beauty style that should be precise in application to deliver results that are BELIEVABLE. This product can be unforgiving, revealing noticeable mistakes, if proper application guidelines aren't followed.

The last thing you want is for people to notice it first. That can come off like you are a little too contrived or trying too hard.

#1 Best Bronzer For Sun Kissed Fresh:

If you are interested in achieving that, casual but fresh and radiant, "Sun Kissed" look (think Gisele Bündchen) here are some of the best bronzers to create it.

For this level of bronze there are some fantastic makeup products that can replicate the natural look of Sun Kissed beautifully. If you want to use a sunless tanning formulation, there are formulations specifically designed to be really subtle, low key bronze radiance.

MAKEUP THAT WILL DO IT WELL...IF NOT PERFECTLY

There are a number of bronzer makeup formats to choose from ranging from lotion, to loose and pressed powders. Likely your comfort zone will dictate the choices you gravitate towards.

guerlain terracotta bronzer light at Beso.com

There are lots of good makeup bronzer products to choose from and here are just a few of them to get you on the right track.

• moisturizing lotion: Tarte Sunburst Bronzing Beads (all over face and into neck)
• loose powder: Bare Escentuals i.d. Bare Mineral Face Color "faux tan"
• pressed powder: Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder (new light formulation shown)
  
• multipurpose stick: NARS The Multiple (Cannes, Malibu, Palm Beach etc) (placed as you wish for cheeks and/ or highlight areas)
• blush bronzer: Cargo Beach Blush

To shop for best bronzer makeup that suits your needs and budget, click here.

SUNLESS TANNING LOTION

clarins tinted self tanning face cream at Beso.com

• Sunless Tanning (low key bronzer): Clarins Radiance Plus Self Tanning Cream-Gel; -has many formulations to suit range of skin type needs.

Clarins Tinted Self Tanning Face Cream SPF 15 (shown left)

Best Bronzer Tip: Tarte Cheek Stain is not a bronzer, it is actually a blush, BUT it is the perfect finishing touch for dimensional, natural, believable looking color. The shade blushing bride is a plum tone which compliments any skin tone, and delivers a natural sun kissed flush in the cheek (but there are many shades to choose from .

#2 The Best Bronzers For A Golden Glow:

clarins self tanning liquid bronze at Beso.com

For the beauty of a golden glow (think "J Lo"), consider a sunless tanner to begin with. You can build on the overall deepening of your skin tone, and then create a little color dimension with accenting makeup products like the ones listed above.

Here are a few of the best bronzers in sunless tanning lotions:

• Lancome Flash Bronzer (instant bronze plus self tanner in medium tone)
Clarins Self- Tanning Liquid Bronze or Instant Gel
• Comodynes Self Tanning Towelettes
• Fusion Beauty Glow Fusion Natural Protein Tan

#3 The Best Bronzers For Bronze Beauty:

Bronze Beauty is the most intense level of bronze style, with its boldly intentional, jet set, just back from the French Riviera look. (think Victoria Beckham)

Head to toe bronze skin can be achieved through sunless tanners with a deeper shade choice.

DEEPEST SKIN TONE BEST BRONZERS:

Comodynes Self Tanning Towelettes at Beso.com

• Clarins Intense Bronze Self-Tanning Tint for Face & Décolleté
• Lancaster Tinted Instant Bronze Foam
• Comodynes Self Tanning Towelettes
• Sun Lab Perfect Tan Kit
• Glow Fusion Air Glow- Airbrush Gun + Protein Tan Mist
• FakeBake Lotion, Mousse or Airbrush
  

To shop for a self tanner that suits your needs and budget, click here.

ALTERNATIVES TO SUNLESS TANNING LOTIONS...

If the thought of doing this on your own is too much, consider a salon that offers the mist tan ("mystic tan") through a fine mist that projects tanner all over your body, head to toe, front and back.

I have only gone this route a couple of times (for a sister's wedding and a trip south) and did have pretty good results with the help of a set of very specific instructions. The staff person will give it to you in brief, and then in the room where it is done by a mechanized spray gun system mounted on the wall, there is a set of instructions posted for you to review.  The key is picking the right formulation level of tan for you skin tone.  Apparently, people who use this method regularly, have it down to a science with excellent results.

You can also go to a spa and have a flawless finish with Airbrush tanning.

Best Bronzer Last Word...

Whatever degree of bronze you choose, complete your look with the help of a few finishing touches.  Here are four tips to help make your look a success.

Best Bronzer Tip #1:  Create Believable Color...

Tarte's famous Cheek Stain has an excellent range of colors to choose from to create that natural flushed radiance (and they smell delicious). They compliment any type of bronzer and really bring dimension to your color.

Best Bronzer Tip #2: Take the glamour quotient up a notch...

Highlight your bronze beauty with something like NARS The Multiple multipurpose sticks for cheeks, eyes and lips. It will compliment your sun kissed bronze skin with one more beautiful dimension of color (another favorite product that can deliver a "multitude" of finishes).

Best Bronzer Tip #3:  Don't Forget Your Lips...

They frame your teeth and create that smile (you should have) on your face. Line them with a "spice" colored lip pencil, soften the line by smudging it and apply very sheer color.  Try NARS Borneo, MAC Spice (shown), Laura Mercier Plumberry...

AND

Best Bronzer Tip #4: Let your skin shine through...

Achieving a believable sun kissed or golden, or bronze beauty style is all about transparency, sheer washes and veils of color. This beauty style focus is on radiant skin so don't cover it up with the appearance of heavy makeup (avoid opaque makeup).

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